The Serra do Mar Environmental Protection Area is divided between the municipalities of Capão Bonito (5.23%), Eldorado (18.97%), Guapiara (0.08%), Ibiúna (0.48%), Iporanga (5.63%), Juquiá (16.76%), Juquitiba (2.4%), Miracatu (16.55%), Pedro de Toledo (2.43%), Ribeirão Grande (2.51%), Sete Barras (15.59%) and Tapiraí (13.38%) in the state of São Paulo.

It provides the main link between the Serra do Mar State Park and the other conservation units in the Vale do Ribeira.

Decree 43.651 of 26 September 1998 stated that the APA did not include land recognized as the property of the remnants of quilombo communities.

[2] Law 10.850 of 6 July 2001 altered the boundaries of the Jacupiranga State Park to exclude the quilombola communities of Nhunguara, Sapatu and André Lopes, and the Intervales State Park to exclude the quilombola communities of Pilões, Maria Rosa, São Pedro, Ivaporunduva and Pedro Cubas.

The quilombola communities that had formerly been in the Intervales State Park were made part of the Quilombos do Médio Ribeira Environmental Protection Area.