US gets its first new national park in years — only a few hours’ drive from SoCal

Move over, Grand Canyon. Arizona officially has a new national park to crow about — and it’s practically next door to millions of outdoor lovers in Southern California.

Chiricahua National Park became America’s 64th “best idea” on Tuesday, after President Trump signed a bill to re-designate the scenic spot in the Chiricahua Mountains, which for years held national monument status. The park is the country’s first new national park in six years.

Dubbed “The Wonderland of Rocks”, Chiricahua, located southeast of Tucson, is known for striking rock formations known as sky islands, which formed as a result of a volcanic eruption around 27 million years ago.

San Diego park hoppers have the easiest drive from SoCal’s big cities to the scenic spot — about 6 hours from the eastern part of San Diego County.

Arizona is home to several other national parks — most famously the Grand Canyon, but also Petrified Forest National Park and Saguaro National Park.

“Chiricahua’s towering rock spires, rich Apache heritage and remarkable biodiversity make it one of America’s most extraordinary landscapes,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.

“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.” 

The park had roughly 70,000 visitors last year, according to Burgum.

Chiricahua was first protected as a national monument in 1924. The 12,000-acre park is home to a diverse wildlife ecosystem including coati and javelinas, and is the homeland of the Chiricahua Apache band of Apache Native Americans, who call the area “The land of the standing-up rocks.”

“Today is a historic day for Arizona. Making Chiricahua a national park has been a priority of mine since I first came to the Senate, so I’m thrilled this day has finally arrived” Sen. Mark Kelly said in a press release.

“A bipartisan effort from the start, this is a win for the communities in southeastern Arizona and for everyone who worked to protect this extraordinary place so our kids and our grandkids can enjoy it.”

The park has 17 miles of trails for visitors to explore, including the 8-mile-long Bonita Canyon Drive, which takes you up to Massai point where you can get 360-degree views of the landscape from over 6,800 feet above sea level.

If you’re looking to get away from big city lights, Chiricahua is the perfect destination In 2021, the preserve was named a Dark Sky Park, meaning it has one of the darkest night skies in the world — a distinction it shares with much of Southern Arizona.

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