Driving the backroads of southeastern Arizona, where scrubland stretches in every direction, Chiricahua juts out of the landscape like a geological plot twist.
Part of the Sky Islands, mountain ranges stretching from southeastern Arizona to southwestern New Mexico and into northern Mexico, the Chiricahuas are home to dramatic elevation changes and rich biodiversity. “Coatimundi crossing” signs dot the roadsides, warning drivers to watch for this ring-tailed, long-snouted raccoon cousin, and even the occasional jaguar is known to prowl the region.
The Chiricahua Mountains also hold cultural and historical significance as part of the ancestral homeland of the Apache.
As an Arizona native who loves hiking and exploring my home state, I pride myself on knowing the state’s terrain. So how did I make it to my mid-30s without discovering this extraordinary landscape just 120 miles east of Tucson, where my own dad grew up?
When I visited earlier this year, Chiricahua was still a national monument. At the visitor center, I asked the National Park Service rangers why this geological wonder wasn’t a national park. It certainly seemed amazing enough to warrant that designation. Truth be told, if it had been one, I probably would have discovered it sooner.
They told me it was mostly a bureaucratic matter.
But on October 20, 2026, following a decade of efforts by Arizona lawmakers and local advocates, Chiricahua became Arizona’s fourth national park. (Although the Apache tribes did not participate in the redesignation effort, the new law explicitly protects tribal access to traditional cultural and religious sites within the park.)
This marks the country’s 64th park, joining Arizona’s three other national parks: Grand Canyon, Saguaro, and Petrified Forest.
Chiricahua, the journey from national monument to national park
Chiricahua’s 3.3-mile Echo Canyon Loop is a popular hiking trail through the park, framed by striking rock formations.
Courtesy of the National Park Service
It’s easy to associate monuments with man-made landmarks, but many in the United States are actually remarkable natural landscapes.
And while the distinction between a national monument and a national park might seem to be a ranking of scenery or size, that simply isn’t true. One key difference is who does the honors. According to the Western National Parks Association, Congress generally establishes national parks, while presidents can designate national monuments under the Antiquities Act.
First protected as a national monument in 1924, Chiricahua’s 12,000 acres have been part of the National Park Service for more than a century. The newly signed Chiricahua National Park Act won’t change this natural wonder’s site boundaries, substantially change how it’s managed, or automatically bring in more federal funding. The biggest immediate difference?
Simply the name.
But it turns out what’s in a name does matter. After all, we regard national parks as travel bucket-list fixtures—national monuments, less so. People often overlook them, even those of us who live nearby.
Why visit Chiricahua?
In addition to scenic hiking trails and picturesque rock formations, visitors to Chiricahua National Park may also be treated to resident coatimundi (also known as coati) sightings.
Courtesy of the National Park Service
Welded volcanic tuff, narrow passages, towering hoodoos, and rocks that seem to mock gravity—these fantastical formations create the Chiricahuas. They’re the result of an explosive volcanic eruption that occurred roughly 27 million years ago, followed by millions more years of erosion.
For those visiting Chiricahua for the first time, take a scenic drive to Massai Point, where a manageable half-mile nature trail offers sweeping views from different vantage points, including a man-made lookout. Then embark on the 3.3-mile Echo Canyon Loop, winding through rock formations and a grotto.
On my recent visit, the nearby town of Willcox felt sleepy, with stores closed at odd hours and few restaurant options. Having a national park in its backyard could boost the local economy of this charming pioneer town.
But greater recognition can come at a cost. Mycologist Hernan Castro, who studies and forages for mushrooms in the Chiricahuas, told me he welcomes the designation but worries about what increased traffic and development might bring. The mountains are also sacred to him because of his Apache ancestry.
“I hope that this designation preserves everything I love about this place,” he says.
Before you rush off to add Arizona’s newest national park trip to your list, consider the national monuments you might be passing over here or in your own home state, such as Utah’s Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument near Bryce Canyon National Park, Washington’s Mount St. Helens Volcanic National Monument, and California’s Giant Sequoia National Monument. After all, places like Chiricahua are extraordinary—and likely less crowded—long before their names change.
