Arizona's Chiricahua National Monument Poised to Become 64th National Park

An area of towering rock spires in southeastern Arizona, historically known to Native Americans as the Land of Standing-Up Rocks, is set to become the nation's newest national park. Legislation to create Chiricahua National Park is expected to be sent to the White House for President Donald Trump’s signature in the coming days. The bill passed Congress with bipartisan backing and would designate the site as the 64th national park.

The 19-square-mile site is located within the ancestral territory of the Chiricahua Apache tribes. It was first designated a national monument in 1924 by President Calvin Coolidge under the Antiquities Act, and expanded by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1938, to preserve hundreds of unique pinnacle-shaped rocks formed by an ancient volcanic eruption. Early settlers referred to the area as the Wonderland of Rocks.

Preserving Tribal Access and Cultural Use

The legislation establishing Chiricahua National Park includes provisions to preserve tribal access for traditional ceremonies. While specific details are still being determined, the bill allows for temporary public closures within the park to protect these cultural uses. San Carlos Apache tribal leaders, who did not take a formal position on the park designation, have previously requested uninterrupted access to the site for sanctuary, prayer, and ceremonies, according to testimony provided to Congress. The park service has stated it will evaluate matters concerning the new park consistent with the law, available funding, and planning requirements.

A Unique Geological Landscape

Rep. Juan Ciscomani, the House sponsor of the Chiricahua National Park Act, highlighted the area's unique geological features, comparing it to other natural wonders in Arizona. "The Grand Canyon is hard to top, but Chiricahua hold its own. This is something that really hasn’t been discovered," Ciscomani said.

The area has evidence of human use spanning thousands of years, from prehistoric peoples to the Buffalo Soldiers, Black U.S. troops stationed there after the Civil War during the campaign against Apache leaders Geronimo and Cochise. Approximately 85% of the current monument is designated wilderness, and it attracts about 60,000 visitors annually.

Transition from Monument to Park

National monuments are typically established to protect specific archaeological or historical sites, while national parks have a broader mandate encompassing recreation and the preservation of large wilderness areas. Both designations are managed by the National Park Service. Chiricahua would be the first new national park created since New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia in 2021.

The site in rural Cochise County, Arizona, currently features a visitor center, campground, and hiking trails. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the cost to establish the park would be less than $500,000, though specific spending details were not provided. The House approved the park's creation in a voice vote in March, and the Senate passed it by unanimous consent on September 30.

Park service officials have declined to comment on whether new staff would be hired to manage an anticipated increase in visitors following the designation change. The agency has previously faced workforce reductions, with maintenance projects at sites like Chiricahua sometimes ranked as a lower priority compared to White House-favored projects.