5 things to know about America's newest national park
Arizona's Chiricahua National Monument has been re-classified as Chiricahua National Park, making it the 64th national park in the National Park System.
“This 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,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said in a statement.
President Donald Trump made the change official after signing the Chiricahua National Park Act into law on Oct. 20.
Here are five things to know about the newest national park in the U.S. in Willcox, Arizona.
Chiricahua is nicknamed the 'Wonderland of Rocks'
Known as the "Wonderland of Rocks," Chiricahua National Park is marked by striking, tall rhyolite rock spires in the Chiricahua Mountains, a "sky island" that rises over the desert "sea."
The park is located in southeastern Arizona, about 130 miles east of Tucson and spans across over 12,000 acres. It is the homeland of the Chiricahua Apache Nation and first became federally protected in 1924, according to the National Park Service.
The Apaches have also referred to Chiricahua as the "Land of Standing-Up Rocks."
Weather at Chiricahua can range widely
Because the park is nestled in the mountains and desert, the National Park Service notes that weather conditions can vary with higher elevations, seeing a 5 to 10 degree temperature difference when compared to the park's visitor center, which is about 5,400 feet above sea level.
When it's raining at the visitor center, for example, it may be snowing at other parts of the park.
Chiricahua is a dark sky park
Chiricahua was recognized as a stargazing destination by DarkSky International, formerly the International Dark-Sky Association, in 2021.
In addition to stargazing, the park also offers bird watching, camping, hiking, horseback riding, picnicking and scenic driving opportunities.
Chiricahua is a combination of climates
The new national park features varying environments, from a desert landscape and grasslands to deciduous forest and chaparral shrub land to coniferous forest habitats.
Many animals call Chiricahua home
Chiricahua National Park is also home to a variety of animals, like the western box turtle, cactus wren, Chiricahua fox squirrel, banded rock rattlesnake, black bear, and whitetail deer, as well as habitats, from grasslands and desert scrub to pine woodlands.
