the region originally belonged to the portuguese military during colonial times and there were various installations between barata ribeiro street and the old rua suzano, together with the old fort known as chácara do leme, or chacrinha.

as with many of the hillside slopes in rio de janeiro, the area was occupied by favela communities, creating the ongoing challenge to reconcile social isues with the process of environmental conservation of the area. while the park was created in 1969, the region was not effectively implemented as a conservation area until 1984.

there are various enjoyable leisure activities to discover within the park, such as recreational spaces to play sports and exercise, as well as several hiking trails, that give access to the top of morro do são joão.