SACRED SITE

‘Wonderland of Rocks’ Is First New National Park in Six Years

Chiricahua National Park features a mountainous landscape known for its balancing rocks formed by volcanic activity 27 million years ago.

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The United States has its first new national park in six years, and it sits on a sacred Apache site in southeastern Arizona. Chiricahua National Park features a mountainous landscape known for its balancing rocks, formed by volcanic activity 27 million years ago, and its rich Indigenous cultural roots. “Chiricahua’s towering rock spires, rich Apache heritage and remarkable biodiversity make it one of America’s most extraordinary landscapes,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Chiricahua a national monument in 1924, stating that its volcanic spires were of scientific interest. Chiricahua, also called the “Wonderland of Rocks,” became the 64th national park on Tuesday when President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan legislation into law. The most recently declared national park before Chiricahua was New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia, which Trump established in 2020. The site covers roughly 12,000 acres, making Chiricahua the fourth-smallest national park. Some advocates criticized the move, condemning the Trump administration for failing to properly care for existing parks.