# Arizona's New National Park Near SoCal

> Arizona's Chiricahua National Park, America's first new national park in six years, opens near Southern California.
- Title: Arizona's New National Park Near SoCal · California Post
- Summary: Arizona's Chiricahua National Park, America's first new national park in six years, opens near Southern California. Arizona's Chiricahua National Park became…
- Keywords: chiricahua national park, arizona, socal, grand canyon, national park, president trump, doug burgum, sen mark kelly, news, entertainment, Arizona's, National
- Source: California Post — https://nypost.com/2026/10/21/lifestyle/arizonas-chiricahua-wonderland-becomes-national-park-near-socal
- Published: 2026-10-21T18:16:46+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: chiricahua national park, arizona, socal, grand canyon, national park, president trump, doug burgum, sen mark kelly, news, entertainment
## Arizona's New National Park
Arizona officially created Chiricahua National Park, America's first new national park in six years.
## Location and Significance
Chiricahua is southeast of Tucson and known as 'The Wonderland of Rocks' with sky islands formed 27 million years ago.
## Proximity to SoCal
San Diego park hoppers can reach Chiricahua in about six hours from eastern San Diego County.
## Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum called Chiricahua 'one of America’s most extraordinary landscapes' with rich Apache heritage.
## Historic Designation
Chiricahua was first protected as a national monument in 1924 and now has 12,000 acres of diverse wildlife and Apache heritage.
## Key takeaway

Arizona's Chiricahua National Park became America's 64th national park after President Trump signed a bill to re-designate it from a national monument.