The Mendanha State Park is divided between the municipalities of Nova Iguaçu and Mesquita, Rio de Janeiro.

[1] The Gericino / Mendanha Massif was declared an Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1992.

At the time of creation the state environmental secretary Carlos Minc said the massif had been suffering from clandestine mining, illegal extraction of natural resources, and uncontrolled leisure and tourism activities.

[1] The objectives are to protect and assist the recovery of the natural environment and landscapes of great scenic beauty, a densely forested area that shelters rare and endangered species, as well as to protect the water resources of the region.

The army had not been consulted in the meetings before creation of the park, and the state seemed to have ignored the fact that much of the land was federal property.