The present work aims to show the importance of geoecological trails in Portal da Chapada
(Carolina municipality, Maranhão). These routes have been important in awakening visitors to
knowledge about some geological, geographic and biological aspects of the Chapada das Mesas
National Park. The methodology used in this study consisted of: (1) bibliographic survey; (2)
field works; (3) assessment of its vulnerability with environmental characteristics and impacts
of visitation activities. Some trails of Geological Heritage interest have been explored for
financial and educational purposes. This region has attracted audiences from municipalities in
the south of Maranhão and the north of the state of Tocantins, as well as from other places in
Brazil and even abroad. When evaluating the access trails to the Portal, it is possible to see the
risk of degradation and the potential educational and tourist uses of the area, which can be lost
if not used correctly. In some trails have been used as areas for field work by primary and
secondary schools, as well as universities, thus demonstrating the educational potential of the
area. In this way, the Park can be considered as a place of geological and geomorphological
interest due to its diversity and thus take as a general idea the practice of conservation for
conscious tourism, which is carried out in such a way for geoconservation, as well as in
bioconservation. what happens with ecotourism. Then, geoecological trails (trails with
components of the Geological and Biological Heritage) are part of an area of scientific interest,
which leads us to a path within environmental protection areas that allow interaction with this
ecosystem, in addition to encouraging the public to reflect on the importance of environmental
conservation.
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