Chiricahua National Monument Redesignated as America's Newest National Park

Key facts

• Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona was redesignated as Chiricahua National Park after President Donald J. Trump signed the Chiricahua National Park Act into law on October 20, 2026.
• The park, located near Willcox in southeastern Arizona, protects approximately 12,000 acres of rugged volcanic landscape, including rhyolite rock spires and balanced rocks formed by an ancient volcanic eruption roughly 27 million years ago.
• Chiricahua was first protected as a national monument in 1924 and preserves the homeland heritage of the Chiricahua Apache and the legacy of early homesteading families at Faraway Ranch.
• The area rises from the 'sky island' of the Chiricahua Mountains, where desert, grassland, and forest ecosystems meet, supporting notable biodiversity.