Chiricahua Apache Heritage Honoured as Arizona's 'Land of Standing-Up Rocks' Becomes 64th US National Park

A significant landscape in south-eastern Arizona known to Native Americans as the Land of Standing-Up Rocks has officially become the 64th national park in the United States. According to reporting from The Guardian, legislation to designate the Chiricahua National Park was signed on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, following bipartisan support in Congress. The 19-square-mile site preserves a unique volcanic landscape featuring hundreds of towering rock spires. The area holds deep cultural and historical significance as part of the ancestral territory of the Chiricahua Apache tribes. For centuries, the Apache resided in these mountains before their forced removal to the San Carlos Apache reservation in 1886. The new national park status includes specific provisions to preserve tribal access for traditional ceremonies. It also allows for temporary public closures to ensure these cultural practices can be carried out with privacy and protection. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum highlighted the area’s rich Apache heritage and biodiversity, describing it as one of the nation’s most extraordinary landscapes. The site was originally named a national monument in 1924 by Calvin Coolidge to protect the pinnacle-shaped rock formations, which were created by an ancient volcanic eruption. The National Park Service notes that the area contains evidence of human use spanning thousands of years, including prehistoric sites and history related to the Buffalo Soldiers. Arizona Senator Mark Kelly welcomed the designation as a victory for local communities and future generations. While the site attracts approximately 60,000 visitors annually, Jessica Bowron, acting director of the National Park Service, affirmed that the commitment to protecting the landscape's cultural heritage remains the primary focus under its new name.