Chiricahua poised to become Arizona’s fourth national park

For Tucson residents, Chiricahua National Monument is close enough for a weekend trip and important enough to affect tourism across southeastern Arizona. The landmark, about 120 miles southeast of Tucson and roughly 36 miles southeast of Willcox, is one signature away from becoming Arizona’s fourth national park. The U.S. Senate approved legislation on September 30, following House passage in March, and the measure now awaits President Donald Trump’s approval.

If signed, the Chiricahua National Park Act would place the Cochise County destination alongside Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest and Saguaro national parks. It would become the nation’s 64th national park. The designation would not create a new site or immediately change what visitors see. Chiricahua is already operated by the National Park Service, and the bill keeps its current boundaries, land uses and management structure in place.

The preserve covers about 12,000 acres of canyons, wildlife habitat and unusual volcanic rock formations. Its rhyolite pinnacles, balanced boulders and expansive dark skies have earned it the nickname “Wonderland of Rocks.” The landscape also reflects a long human history, including the presence of prehistoric communities, Apache people, Buffalo Soldiers, ranchers, homesteaders and Civilian Conservation Corps workers.

The legislation includes protections for cultural and religious sites and directs the Interior Department to consult with Indian Tribes. Tribal members would retain access for traditional cultural and customary uses. Those provisions are significant because the redesignation is not simply a marketing change. It also establishes requirements for how historically and culturally important places within the park are treated.

Supporters expect the national park name to make Chiricahua more recognizable to travelers and encourage more people to visit the region. Willcox Mayor Greg Hancock was in Washington, D.C., advocating for the bill when he learned the Senate had approved it. He described the vote as a major moment for Willcox, Cochise County and southeastern Arizona, while looking ahead to visitors coming from around the world.

The potential economic impact extends beyond the entrance road. Willcox, Sierra Vista, Benson, Bisbee and Huachuca City, along with the Cochise County Board of Supervisors, have supported the change. National Park Service figures cited by AZPM found that Chiricahua visitors spent $3.7 million in nearby gateway communities in 2017. More recent figures show annual visitation at just over 70,000 people, leaving local supporters hopeful that a higher profile could bring additional spending to lodging, restaurants, shops and other businesses.

That growth could also expose existing limitations. The Association of National Park Rangers, based in Marana, supports the redesignation but has warned that Chiricahua may need more employees and infrastructure improvements if visitation rises. Bill Wade, the group’s executive director and a retired ranger and superintendent, said the preserve is worthy of national park status but likely understaffed. For people visiting from Tucson, that could eventually mean pressure on roads, facilities, staffing and visitor services, even though the legislation itself does not fund or require a major physical expansion.

Chiricahua’s protected history began on April 18, 1924, when President Calvin Coolidge used the Antiquities Act to establish a national monument covering fewer than 4,300 acres. President Franklin Roosevelt added 6,407 acres in 1938, followed by later additions, including the 440 acre Faraway Ranch in 1978. The ranch belonged to Swedish immigrants Emma and Neil Erickson, who settled there in the late 1880s. Many of the site’s historic features, including an overlook built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934, remain part of the story visitors encounter.

The park’s promotion also comes as the National Park Service faces broader staffing and maintenance challenges. A conservation group, the Center for Western Priorities, says the agency has lost at least one quarter of its permanent workforce under the Trump administration and that its repair backlog has grown to more than $24 billion. The group identified more than 60 delayed or low priority projects in Arizona, including three at Chiricahua: mold removal in occupied staff housing, electrical replacement in historic buildings and security improvements. Arizona lawmakers have pursued the redesignation repeatedly since 2016, with at least five earlier bills failing to reach a full vote. This effort gained momentum after Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani introduced the House bill in December and Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego introduced matching Senate legislation in January. Chiricahua’s new name will become official only after presidential approval.