Chiricahua officially becomes nation’s 64th national park, Arizona’s fourth

Chiricahua became Arizona’s fourth national park and the nation’s 64th on Tuesday when President Donald Trump signed bipartisan legislation changing its designation from a national monument.

The roughly 12,000-acre park in Cochise County joins Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest and Saguaro as Arizona’s national parks.

Known among Native Americans as the Land of Standing-Up Rocks, it is famous for hundreds of towering rock spires formed by an ancient volcanic eruption.

“Today is a historic day for Arizona,” said Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, who first introduced a bill to create the park in 2021.

Kelly and Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego sponsored the latest Senate version. U.S. Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani and Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton moved it through the House, which passed it in March. The Senate followed in September.

What national park status means for Chiricahua

President Calvin Coolidge made the site a national monument in 1924. It draws about 60,000 visitors a year, and local leaders expect the new title to bring more.

“More visitors can mean more customers for our hotels, restaurants and small businesses,” said Willcox Mayor Greg Hancock in a statement.

The park’s boundaries stay the same. The law protects tribal access for traditional ceremonies on land that was once home to the Chiricahua Apache.

National Park Service officials have declined to say whether they will add staff to handle more visitors. The agency has faced deep workforce cuts under Trump.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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