Signage
The signage used on the Transcarioca Trail follows an internationally tested standard and has been used successfully in the Tijuca Forest National Park for over 15 years. After the signage work in 1999-2000, the average number of people lost on its trails dropped from over 100 to fewer than 5 per year.
How to navigate the Transcarioca?
While hiking the Transcarioca Trail you will encounter different types of signage. The main one, which interests us here, is directional signage, whose purpose is to prevent hikers from getting lost. Directional signage can be of three types:
DIRECTION
West to East
(B. Guaratiba x Urca)
East to West
(Urca x B. Guaratiba)
Direction change within the trail
• Walking in the West-East direction (Barra de Guaratiba-Pão de Açúcar), on any section of the Transcarioca, follow the yellow boots painted on a black rectangle. If you see this signage surrounded by an arrow, follow the arrow's direction.
• In the opposite East-West direction (Pão de Açúcar – Barra de Guaratiba) on any section of the Transcarioca, follow the black boots painted on a yellow rectangle. If you see this signage surrounded by an arrow, follow the arrow's direction.
From time to time, along the Transcarioca Trail, there are boots painted on trees or rocks that confirm to the hiker that they are on the correct path.
ALWAYS STAY ALERT. Even when there are no forks, the Transcarioca Trail has frequent signage along the path to assure the hiker they are on the right track. If you do not see any footprints for more than five minutes of walking, you are probably on the wrong trail. Go back to the last footprint you saw and try to find the marked path again.
ADDITIONAL SIGNAGE
Black and yellow arrow
This arrow divided in yellow and black indicates the start of a section of the Transcarioca Trail.
White arrow
The white arrow indicates the exit to urban areas. Some are just white, others have the word "exit" written.
Informative Signs
At some points along the Transcarioca Trail you will see informative signs like this one. They indicate distances, directions and points of interest.
Zebra signage
Zebra signage indicates the trail may be tricky ahead. From this point, pay extra attention to directional signs!
Black and yellow "X"
The black and yellow "X" indicates wrong direction. Go back along the trail until you find the yellow and black footprint again and restart this part of the section.
Despite the effort made by volunteers and professionals who take care of the Transcarioca Trail, vandalism and natural deterioration are common in the Atlantic Forest, so it is likely that some signage has been stolen or broken or deteriorated by weather.
Moreover, storms and falling trees, which are common in the Atlantic Forest, often block the trail and hide the correct path.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE FACT THAT THE TRANSCARIOCA TRAIL IS SIGNED IS NOT A GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL NOT GET LOST, NOR DOES IT PREVENT ACCIDENTS IN THE WILD.
TO HIKE THE TRANSCARIOCA TRAIL, HIRING AN ECOTOURISM GUIDE IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
The signage of the Transcarioca Trail follows the Brazilian Trail Network Standard regulated by JOINT ORDINANCE Nº 407, OF OCTOBER 19, 2018, which establishes the National Network of Long-Distance Trails and Connectivity – RedeTrilhas and standardized by the Official Trail Signage Manual of ICMBio.