A Forest of Stone Spires in the Arizona Sky Islands
Chiricahua became the United States' 64th national park on October 20, 2026, the first new national park since 2020. It had been protected as a national monument since 1924, and the change of name left its roughly 12,000 acres near Willcox, in southeastern Arizona, as they were.
The park is known for its rhyolite spires and balanced rocks, formed from an ancient volcanic eruption about 27 million years ago. The Chiricahua Mountains are a sky island, where desert, grassland and forest meet and support unusually rich wildlife. This is also the homeland of the Chiricahua Apache, and more than 85% of the park is protected as wilderness.
Arizona
2026 (national monument since 1924)
About 12,000 acres
~70,000 (2025)
About 17 miles
None
Paved 8-mile scenic road through the park.
Overlook at the end of the drive, above the spires.
Popular trail among the rock columns.
Trail out to Big Balanced Rock among the spires.
Preserved homestead of Swedish immigrants Neil and Emma Erickson.
Birding and wildlife viewing where several ecosystems meet.
Monsoon storms from mid-June through September; snow and ice possible November to April. Check conditions.
Bonita Canyon Campground is reservation-only and suits tents and small vehicles.
Unreliable in and around the park. Download maps before you arrive.
Storms can briefly flood Highway 186; Highway 181 south of the park can stay flooded for much longer.
View the accessibility guide.
About 45 minutes south of I-10, near Willcox, Arizona. See directions.
There are no entrance or parking fees, and no entrance pass is required. The visitor center is staffed daily from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Expect exposed trails and strong wind at any time of year. Fire restrictions often apply in April, May and June, and trails can be icy and snow-packed from January through March.
Photo: dconvertini, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons