Travel & Places
Arizona's “Wonderland of Rocks” becomes a national park
A new U.S. law turned Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona into a national park on October 20, 2026.
A landscape of tall stone towers in the southeastern corner of Arizona has become a national park. On October 20, 2026, a new U.S. law changed its name from Chiricahua National Monument to Chiricahua National Park. The U.S. National Park Service, which looks after the area, shared the news on the same day.
The park lies near the town of Willcox and protects about 12,000 acres of rugged volcanic land. The area itself has been protected for a long time: it first became a national monument in 1924. According to the park service, the new title shows the national importance of the area's nature and history.
Word in this story
A tall, narrow shape that rises up to a top, such as a tall, thin rock or the top of a church tower.
The park is best known for its rock spires, and many of them seem to balance on a small base.