America Has a New National Park: Meet Chiricahua
The United States officially has a new National Park.
On October 20, 2026, Chiricahua National Monument in southeastern Arizona became Chiricahua National Park — the 64th National Park in the United States and the fourth in Arizona.
From National Monument to National Park
Chiricahua was first protected as a National Monument in 1924. More than a century later, its designation has changed, making it America's newest National Park.
The change doesn't suddenly create a new landscape. Chiricahua has been protected for generations. What changed is its official designation — and the number of National Parks in the United States.
What Makes Chiricahua Special?
Chiricahua is known for its unusual landscape of towering rock pinnacles, columns and balancing rocks.
The formations are the result of massive volcanic activity about 27 million years ago. Over millions of years, erosion shaped the volcanic rock into the formations visitors see today.
The park covers roughly 12,000 acres in southeastern Arizona and is part of the region's Sky Islands — isolated mountain ranges surrounded by lower desert and grasslands.
Visitors come to Chiricahua for hiking, scenic drives, camping, wildlife watching, birding and stargazing. The area also has deep cultural significance and is part of the homeland of the Chiricahua Apache.
So, Are There 63 or 64 National Parks?
There are now 64 U.S. National Parks.
If your map, checklist, book or National Parks collection says 63, it isn't necessarily wrong — it was correct until October 20, 2026.
Chiricahua is now #64.
And yes, that meant we had some work to do too.
Our National Park ornament collection included all 63 parks. With Chiricahua joining the list, we've added a new Chiricahua National Park design so our collection once again represents every U.S. National Park.
Welcome to the list, Chiricahua.
Chiricahua National Park Ornament
We've added National Park #64 to our National Park ornament collection.
Our wooden National Park ornaments can be personalized with the year of your visit, and the collection now includes all 64 U.S. National Parks.
View Our National Park Ornaments →
Want to learn more about America's newest National Park? Visit the National Park Service's Chiricahua National Park website.