America Is About To Get Its First New National Park In 6 Years

Arizona is already home to three national parks, and soon, it will get another. This week, the bill to make Chiricahua National Monument a national park passed the Senate, after passing the House in March. Now it only needs President Trump’s signature to become the first new national park since 2020.

Editor’s note: This article was updated on Oct. 2 to include the passage of the bill by the Senate.

What Happened

Any creation or expansion of a national park requires Congress to pass legislation. H.R. 6380, the Chiricahua National Park Act, comes from Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.). It passed the House of Representatives on March 16, and went before the Senate on September 30. It passed the upper chamber via unanimous consent, an expedited process that requires no objections from any senators. Now, it awaits Trump’s signature to become law.

Ciscomani celebrated the victory. “It’s been a long hike, but we’re at the summit. After years of work and persistence, Arizona is one signature away from having its fourth national park,” Ciscomani said in a press release. “Chiricahua has long deserved this designation.”

The bill had the support of both of Arizona’s Democratic senators, Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, as well as leading Republicans, including the Chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Rep. Bruce Westerman from Arkansas.

“Protecting Chiricahua means preserving a one-of-a-kind landscape while delivering an important win for southeastern Arizona’s recreation economy,” Kelly said in a press release. “This is about keeping this place special and making sure nearby communities and small businesses benefit even more from it.”

The legislation includes provisions that the NPS must work with local Native American tribes and protect cultural and religious sites.

The Chiricahua National Park Act has support from many key stakeholders, including the Cochise County Board of Supervisors, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, the Mescalero Apache Tribe, the National Parks Conservation Association, the Sky Island Regional Partnership, and the Arizona Trail Association. 

What Is Chiricahua National Monument?

Located about 120 miles from Tucson, Ariz., Chiricahua National Monument was created in 1924. The crowning glory of the mountainous 10,000-acre area is its striking rock towers and pinnacles.

There are 17 miles of hiking trails, and horseback riding is also popular. An 8-mile scenic drive offers sweeping vistas of Bonita Canyon. According to data from the National Park Service (NPS), over 62,000 people visited the monument in 2023; 86% of the land area is protected wilderness.

The monument is also home to diverse wildlife. There are 71 species of mammals, 46 species of reptiles, eight amphibians, and 171 species of birds.

Why Make It a National Park?

As with most efforts to elevate national monuments and memorials into national parks, the primary motivator is likely economic. In fact, in his statement on the legislation, Gallego directly referenced the possible economic impact of the change.

“Chiricahua’s unique landscape brings in visitors from around the world. I’m proud to introduce this bill to designate Chiricahua as a national park in order to bring even more tourism to the area and create new economic opportunity in Cochise County,” he said.

If the bill becomes law, Chiricahua would be the first new national park since 2020. From 2018 to 2020, Congress created four new national parks in Missouri, Indiana, West Virginia, and New Mexico, but re-designations have slowed since then.