# Chiricahua National Monument Becomes 64th U.S. National Park

> President Donald J. Trump signed legislation on October 20, 2026, redesignating Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona as the 64th U.S. National Park.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-25T17:23:56.677235Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/chiricahua-national-monument-becomes-64th-u-s-national-park-92ed3d48

The Chiricahua National Monument in southeastern Arizona officially became the 64th U.S. National Park on October 20, 2026, after President Donald J. Trump signed the Chiricahua National Park Act into law [2][3][4][6]. This marks the first new national park designation since West Virginia's New River Gorge National Park and Preserve was established in 2020 [1][2][3].

The redesignation is expected to attract more visitors to the region, potentially boosting the local economy and ensuring stronger legal protections for the area's unique natural and cultural sites [3][4][6][7]. Business owners, outdoor groups, and politicians anticipate an increase in visitation [3].

## Official Designation

President Donald J. Trump signed the bipartisan Chiricahua National Park Act into law on October 20, 2026 [2][4][5][6]. The U.S. Department of the Interior confirmed the change, stating, "Chiricahua National Monument is now Chiricahua National Park" [6]. This act recognizes the "national significance of the area's extraordinary natural and cultural resources" [4]. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum described Chiricahua as "one of America's most extraordinary landscapes," adding that the new designation will "shine a national spotlight on one of Arizona's hidden gems, creating opportunities to welcome more visitors, strengthen local economies and share this incredible landscape with more Americans" [3][4][6]. The site was first protected as a national monument in 1924 [3][4][6].

## Changes and Continuities

The redesignation offers stronger legal protections for the area, which can only be altered by Congress [7]. However, little else has changed immediately for Chiricahua [7]. The legislation does not expand the park's approximately 12,000-acre boundaries [3][7]. The annual budget for the site remains unchanged for the current year, and the act does not automatically provide additional funding [7]. Jessica Bowron, Comptroller Exercising the Delegated Authority of the Director of the National Park Service, affirmed that despite the name change, the commitment remains to "protecting this remarkable landscape and its cultural heritage while providing opportunities for visitors to experience and enjoy it for generations to come" [4][6]. In 2025, Chiricahua National Monument recorded 70,406 visitors [3]. Sanober Mirza, Arizona senior program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, stated, "This law is mainly a name change. There's no additional funding, and there is no boundary expansion" [7]. Mirza expects an increase in visits due to public interest in visiting all 64 national parks [7].

## Park's Unique Features

Chiricahua protects a volcanic landform with towering rhyolite rock spires and balanced rocks, formed by an ancient eruption approximately 27 million years ago [3][4][6]. The park, located in southeastern Arizona, is part of the Chiricahua Mountains. This environment supports remarkable biodiversity, including nearly 200 bird species [3][4]. The area also holds a rich Apache heritage, recognized as the homeland of the Chiricahua Apache [3][4][6].

## What we could not confirm

The specific timeline for potential increases in tourism and associated economic benefits is not yet clear.

## Evidence cited
1. General National Park System Stats (substack.com) — https://substack.com/
2. U.S. National Parks by State. Thirty states and two U.S. territories have a total of 64 national parks. Share. Save Search. Lassen Peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park (Photo: Dollar). Staff Follow. Updated April 10 ... National Parks by U.S. State National Park Trips. California has the most with nine, followed by Alaska with eight, Utah with five, and Colorado with four. The newest national parks are Chiricahua National Park, established on October 20, 2026. New River Gorge National Park was  (nationalparktrips.com) — https://nationalparktrips.com/
3. Chiricahua National Park Designated as America's 64th National Park (smithsonianmag.com) — https://smithsonianmag.com/
4. News Release - National Park Service (nps.gov) — https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/upload/ChiricahuaNP_newsrelease_10-20-2026.pdf
5. Chiricahua National Monument Renamed Chiricahua National Park (npca.org) — https://www.npca.org/articles/3986-chiricahua-national-monument-renamed-chiricahua-national-park
6. Chiricahua National Monument Redesignated as National Park | U.S. Department of the Interior (doi.gov) — https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/chiricahua-national-monument-redesignated-national-park
7. Chiricahua is America's newest national park - The Washington Post (washingtonpost.com) — https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2026/10/22/chiricahua-national-park-new-us/
8. Trump, unchecked by aides, rules with a vengeance in his second term (opb.org) — https://opb.org/article/2026/10/21/donald-trump-president-second-term-us-politics/
9. President Trump Delivers Remarks, Oct. 6, 2026 – The White House (whitehouse.gov) — https://whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2026/10/06/president-trump-delivers-remarks-oct-6-2026/
10. List of National Parks in the US (2026) - National Park (national-park.com) — https://www.national-park.com/national-parks/list-of-national-parks-in-usa/
11. List of National Parks in the USA 2026 (+ map and checklist) (dirtinmyshoes.com) — https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/list-of-national-parks-in-usa/
12. US National Parks List: All 64 Parks, Map & Free Printable Checklist - Earth Trekkers (earthtrekkers.com) — https://www.earthtrekkers.com/us-national-parks-list/
13. List of US National Parks in Alphabetical Order - National Park Obsessed (nationalparkobsessed.com) — https://www.nationalparkobsessed.com/national-parks-list/
14. The best national parks to visit in the US - Quartz (qz.com) — https://qz.com/emails/the-daily-brief/2026/09/09/national-parks-best-to-visit-in-2026
15. Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona Redesignated as National Park - SnowBrains (snowbrains.com) — https://snowbrains.com/chiricahua-national-monument-arizona-redesignated-national-park/
16. Chiricahua National Monument Redesignated as National Park (pressreleasepoint.com) — https://pressreleasepoint.com/chiricahua-national-monument-redesignated-national-park
17. Chiricahua redesignated as national park - Society of Environmental Journalists (sej.org) — https://www.sej.org/Chiricahua-redesignated-as-national-park
18. Trump’s Numbers, October 2026 Update - FactCheck.org (factcheck.org) — https://www.factcheck.org/2026/10/trumps-numbers-october-2026-update/
19. The Obama vs. Trump clash cuts deeper than hope over fear and change vs. retrenchment - CNNPolitics (cnn.com) — https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/25/politics/obama-trump-campaign-midterms