One of America’s best ideas was the National Park system. Ulysses S. Grant gets credit for creating the first national park—Yellowstone—in 1872. Theodore Roosevelt later expanded protected public lands during his time in office, essentially creating the public park system as we know it today.
Now, we have officially opened a new national park, the first in six years. Meet Chiricahua National Park, the nation’s 64th national park. President Trump has officially signed off on upgrading Arizona’s former Chiricahua National Monument into full-fledged National Park status following a decade-long bipartisan fight in Congress.
The U.S. Just Added Its 64th National Park, and It’s Absolutely Stunning
For some stupid reason, my brain wants to pronounce it “chihuahua,” even though that’s not the word. The actual word is pronounced, “cheery-cow-uh.” However you say it, the new national Park is a 12,000-acre “Wonderland of Rocks” near the Mexican border.
Huge volcanic eruptions from 27 million years ago gave it its gorgeous rock formations, which look like a series of pillars scattered throughout the landscape. It’s also packed with biodiversity, hosting a range of wild animals from ocelots to all four North American skunk species.
Now, this pristine, awe-inspiring land will receive the highest level of federal protection possible. You can visit the park during park hours free of charge.
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