Chiricahua National Park: Arizona monument becomes 64th US national park
Known for towering rock spires, balanced rocks and its “Wonderland of Rocks,” Chiricahua is now Arizona’s fourth national park and the 64th in the U.S.
A lone bull elk was spotted wading through a lake in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, at sunset while sounding its distinctive bugle call on Sept. 30.
Arizona has a new national park.
Chiricahua National Monument officially became Chiricahua National Park on Oct. 20, making it the 64th national park in the United States.
Located in southeastern Arizona near Willcox, Chiricahua is known for towering rock spires and balanced rocks created by volcanic activity roughly 27 million years ago. The park sits within the Chiricahua Mountains, where desert, grassland and forest ecosystems meet, creating what the National Park Service (NPS) describes as a “sky island.”
Rock formations at Chiricahua National Park, Arizona. (Getty Images/AZCat)
President Calvin Coolidge established Chiricahua National Monument on April 18, 1924, protecting a landscape that had become known as the “Wonderland of Rocks.” The area also preserves the history of the Chiricahua Apache and Faraway Ranch, whose early residents helped promote and develop trails through the region.
“Chiricahua has been part of the National Park System for more than a century, and this new designation marks an exciting chapter in its history,” NPS official Jessica Bowron said.
How many national parks are there in the U.S.?
Chiricahua becomes the 64th national park in the United States. It joins Grand Canyon National Park, Saguaro National Park and Petrified Forest National Park as Arizona’s four national parks.
Secretary Burgum, Representative Ciscomani, and National Park Service staff pose in front of the new Chiricahua National Park sign. (NPS A. Rossman)
The 64 national parks represent only part of the broader National Park System. The NPS also oversees national monuments, historical parks, historic sites, recreation areas and other types of protected places.
Prior to Tuesday's announcement, the most recent site to be designated as a national park was New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia, on Dec. 27, 2020.
What is the difference between a national park and a national monument?
The names sound similar, and in practice, national parks and national monuments can offer many of the same experiences. The biggest difference is generally how they are established and what they were initially created to protect.
In Chiricahua’s case, Congress passed the Chiricahua National Park Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law on Oct. 20, formally redesignating the monument as a national park.
"A national monument is intended to preserve at least one nationally significant resource. It is usually smaller than a national park and lacks its diversity of attractions," the NPS explained.
"Generally, a national park contains a variety of resources and encompasses large land or water areas to help provide adequate protection of the resources," the NPS added.
A man stands beside the Pinnacle Balanced Rock in the Chiricahua National Monument, located in the Chiricahua Mountains, southeastern Arizona, circa 1935. (Photo by Keystone View Company/FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
Some of today’s national parks started as national monuments before Congress later changed their designation. Petrified Forest, located in eastern Arizona, became a national monument in 1906 before being redesignated as a national park in 1962.
The designation may also draw in new visitors who have a new park to check off their national park bucket list.
“While its name is changing, our commitment remains the same: protecting this remarkable landscape and its cultural heritage while providing opportunities for visitors to experience and enjoy it for generations to come," Bowron said.
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