Caldas Novas State Park

The Caldas Novas State Park is in the municipalities of Caldas Novas and Rio Quente, Goiás.

It has an area of {{convert|12315|ha}}.{{sfn|Parque Estadual da Serra de Caldas Novas – SECIMA}}

The park is {{convert|5|km}} from the municipal center of Caldas Novas, and {{convert|174|km}} from Goiânia.

It protects a remnant of the cerrado biome surrounded by farms and urban areas.

The park is elliptical, covering the large plateau of the Serra de Caldas and its sides, which form natural walls.{{sfn|Lima|1999}}

The Serra is also called the Caldas Ridge or the Structural Dome of Caldas.

It rises to about {{convert|1000|m}}, although the surrounding terrain is at about {{convert|600|m}}.{{sfn|Campos|Tröger|Haesbaert|2005|p=1}}

The Caldas Novas State Park was created by law 7.282 on 25 September 1970.

Its objectives are to preserve the fauna, flora, springs and their surroundings, to protect natural sites of ecological and touristic importance, and to support managed use for leisure, education and scientific research.

Decree 1.531 of 21 July 1978 gave administrative responsibility to FEMAGO, now SEMARH.{{sfn|Parque Estadual da Serra de Caldas Novas – SECIMA}}

In 1998 funding from Furnas Centrais Elétricas in compensation for the environmental impact of the Corumbá I Hydroelectric Power Plant was used to build infrastructure.

This included the administrative headquarters, visitors' center and accommodation for researchers and guards.

The park opened to visitors on 14 March 1999 on an experimental basis. All visitors had to be accompanied by guides.{{sfn|Lima|1999}}

The buffer zone was established by administrative rule 69/2014.{{sfn|Parque Estadual da Serra de Caldas Novas – SECIMA}}

The Serra de Caldas is one of the most important sources of recharge of the hydrothermal aquifers that are the main tourist attractions of the Caldas Novas and Rio Quente region.{{sfn|Parque Estadual da Serra de Caldas Novas – SECIMA}}

The municipalities of Caldas Novas and Rio Quente form the largest thermal waters tourist complex in the world.{{sfn|Lima|1999}}

Groundwater from the plateau infiltrates through the soil and through faulted and fractured rocks, gradually warming as it sinks deeper, until at a depth of {{convert|1000|m}} it is {{convert|50|C}} warmer than the average surface temperature. It then migrates up to the surface through fractures to form thermal springs.{{sfn|Campos|Tröger|Haesbaert|2005|p=1}}

A 2005 study noted that the thermal aquifer water levels were dropping quickly due to excessive pumping by tubular wells.{{sfn|Campos|Tröger|Haesbaert|2005|p=1}}

The park is open from 8:00 to 17:00 Tuesday to Sunday.

There is a small entrance fee.{{sfn|Parque Estadual da Serra de Caldas Novas – SECIMA}}

There are two official trails with waterfalls, one trail through the cerrado vegetation, and three look-outs with a panoramic view of the city of Caldas Novas. All the trails are easy, but may be hot.{{cn|date=September 2022}}

The Cascatinha waterfall trail is less than {{convert|1|km}} and leads to a waterfall where visitors may swim or jump from the top of the falls. The Cascatinha lookout on this trail gives a beautiful view.

The Paredão waterfall trail is {{convert|2|km}} and has little shade, so is best taken in the morning.

From the waterfall some steep steps lead to the Paredão lookout, which gives a 360º view of the city.

The short Diversiflora trail gives an interesting guide to the vegetation of the cerrado.{{cn|date=September 2022}}

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{{commons category|Parque Estadual da Serra de Caldas Novas}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{citation |chapter=Caldas Novas hot springs, State of Goiás: Remarkable occurrence of thermal waters not related to magmatism|publisher=SIGEP 113

|last1=Campos |last2=Tröger|last3=Haesbaert |first1=José Eloi Guimarães|first2=Uwe|first3=Fábio Floriano |year=2005|title=Geological and Palaeontological Sites of Brazil

|chapter-url=http://sigep.cprm.gov.br/sitio113/sitio113english.pdf|access-date=2017-01-16}}

• {{citation|language=pt|year=1999

|last=Lima|first=Ricardo C. da Rocha |title=Venha conhecer as maravilhas do Cerrado|work=Caldas.com

|url=http://www.caldas.com.br/diversos/pescan.htm|access-date=2017-01-16}}

• {{citation|language=pt|ref={{harvid|Parque Estadual da Serra de Caldas Novas – SECIMA}}

|title=Parque Estadual da Serra de Caldas Novas|publisher=SECIMA

|url=http://www.secima.go.gov.br/post/ver/197706/parque-estadual-da-serra-de-caldas-novas-pescan|access-date=2017-01-16}}

{{refend}}

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Category:State parks of Brazil

Category:Protected areas established in 1970

Category:1970 establishments in Brazil

Category:Protected areas of Goiás