Arizona’s Rock Spires Took 27 Million Years. Congress Took About 5

The United States has its first new national park in six years. On October 20, 2026, President Trump signed the Chiricahua National Park Act, turning Chiricahua National Monument in southeastern Arizona into Chiricahua National Park, according to the National Park Service.¹

It is the country’s 64th national park and Arizona’s fourth, joining Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest and Saguaro.⁵ The last new one was New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia, in 2020.⁷

Supporters hope the new title brings more recognition, more visitors and more business to the rural communities nearby.¹ It also arrives at a hard moment for the Park Service. The AP reported that the designation comes during deep cuts to the agency’s workforce, and the National Parks Conservation Association called for restored staffing and funding at the new park.⁴⁸

What makes Chiricahua special

The park covers roughly 12,000 acres (about 19 square miles) in Cochise County, about 120 miles from Tucson.³ It is known for towering rock spires and balanced rocks, sometimes called the Wonderland of Rocks.

Those formations are rhyolite, a volcanic rock, left behind by an eruption about 27 million years ago.¹ Nothing about the rocks changed on October 20. The paperwork did.

The landscape rises from the Chiricahua Mountains, a “sky island.” That is a mountain range standing above the surrounding desert, where desert, grassland and forest ecosystems meet in one place.¹ The mix supports about 200 bird species, along with black bears and mountain lions.⁶

It is also very dark at night. Chiricahua was named an International Dark Sky Park in 2021, and the Park Service lists stargazing alongside hiking, wildlife viewing and birding.⁶¹ There is currently no admission fee.⁶

A long history, and a long road to park status

The land is the homeland of the Chiricahua Apache. The park also preserves the legacy of homesteading families at Faraway Ranch.² President Calvin Coolidge made it a national monument in 1924, and Franklin D. Roosevelt expanded it in 1938.⁴

The push for park status took a while. Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly first introduced the Chiricahua National Park Act in 2021.³ The version that became law, H.R. 6380, was sponsored by Arizona Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani and drew broad support from both parties.³⁴ Sen. Ruben Gallego also backed the designation.⁸ Outside reported that the Senate passed the bill on September 30.⁷

“Making Chiricahua a national park has been a priority of mine since I first came to the Senate, so I’m thrilled this day has finally arrived,” Kelly said, as reported by the Deseret News.³

He added: “A bipartisan effort from the start, this is a win for the communities in southeastern Arizona.”³

What changes now

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the designation would create opportunities to welcome more visitors and strengthen local economies.¹ “This new designation will shine a national spotlight on one of Arizona’s hidden gems,” he said in the department’s announcement.¹

A local official told ABC15 that places moving from monument to park status have seen roughly a 20% increase in visitation.⁹

For the people who run the place, the job stays the same. “While its name is changing, our commitment remains the same,” Jessica Bowron, who is exercising the delegated authority of the Park Service director, said in the agency’s release.²