Arizona’s iconic rock spires, known to Native Americans as the Land of Standing‑Up Rocks, have been designated the United States’ newest national park.
A bipartisan bill establishing Chiricahua National Park was approved by Congress, signed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, and now counts as the 64th U.S. national park.
Spanning roughly 19 square miles (49 km²), the park lies on the historic lands of the Chiricahua Apache. First protected as a national monument in the 1920s, it safeguards hundreds of towering, pinnacle‑shaped rocks formed by an ancient volcanic eruption.
For centuries the area served as home to the Chiricahua Apache, a nomadic people who resisted European settlement. After prolonged clashes, they surrendered to U.S. forces in 1886 and were relocated to the San Carlos Apache reservation.
The legislation ensures tribal access for traditional Apache ceremonies and permits temporary park closures to safeguard cultural practices. Representative Juan Ciscomani of Arizona noted that the specific details of these closures have not yet been finalized.
Early settlers dubbed the landscape the “Wonderland of Rocks.” The name “Chiricahua” derives from the surrounding mountain range.
“This is a win for southeastern Arizona communities and for everyone who helped protect this extraordinary place so our children and grandchildren can enjoy it,” said Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona.
Archaeological evidence documents thousands of years of human occupation, ranging from prehistoric peoples to Buffalo Soldiers—African‑American troops posted after the Civil War as part of the U.S. campaign against Apache leaders Geronimo and Cochise.
President Calvin Coolidge designated the area a national monument in 1924 under the Antiquities Act, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt expanded the protected site in 1938.
The site currently draws about 60,000 visitors each year.
“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,” said Jessica Bowron, comptroller and acting director of the National Park Service.
The National Park Service has faced significant staffing reductions during the Trump administration, with maintenance work at many locations—including Chiricahua—deemed a low priority while officials have concentrated resources on projects favored by the White House, such as repairs to the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.
The Associated Press contributed reporting
