COCHISE COUNTY, AZ — In the far southeastern corner of Arizona, a landscape of towering rock columns and balanced hoodoos rises from the desert floor.
For more than a century, Chiricahua National Monument has been protected as a national monument. Now, it could soon receive a new title.
A bipartisan group of Arizona lawmakers has introduced legislation to redesignate Chiricahua as a national park. U.S. Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, along with Congressman Juan Ciscomani, are backing the proposal in Washington.
If approved, Chiricahua would become Arizona’s fourth national park, joining Grand Canyon National Park, Petrified Forest National Park, and Saguaro National Park.
Supporters say the change could bring increased federal funding, additional staffing, and expanded long-term protection for the monument, which was established in 1924.
The proposal is also raising questions about what national park status could mean for a place many describe as peaceful and uncrowded.
Hiker Jim Powers has been visiting the monument for years.
“This place is just magical,” Powers said. “When you look at the formations and how they were formed, it’s very peaceful.”
That quiet is what concerns him most when he hears talk of national park designation.
“I am concerned with just the overuse of people,” he said.
National park status often increases visibility and visitation. In nearby Willcox, leaders are watching closely.
Mayor Greg Hancock believes the redesignation could create new opportunities for the community, which relies heavily on tourism, including wine country and birding season.
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“It is a natural wonder,” Hancock said. “It’ll give potential for more resources to help upkeep the trails and more staffing there to help preserve this. I want future generations to be able to experience this beauty and not have it ruined.”
Hancock testified before Congress last year in support of the designation. He says communities that transition from monument to national park status have seen about a 20 percent increase in visitation. For a small city like Willcox, that could mean dozens or even hundreds of additional visitors each day.
“These people are going to come eat at our restaurants, stay at our hotels,” Hancock said. “It’s a big deal for a small community like ours that depends on tourism.”
Some visitors, however, worry about the impact of more development.
Greg and Linda Stong, visiting from Oklahoma, say what makes Chiricahua special is what it does not have.
“It’s not crowded. Beautiful hiking. That’s what we come here for,” Linda Stong said.
She says her biggest concern would be potential changes to the landscape to accommodate more infrastructure.
Aaron and Candice Alper, visiting from Miami, describe Chiricahua as a hidden gem they discovered years after relatives moved to Arizona.
“It’s very humbling to walk through here and see how small we really are and how amazing nature is,” Candice Alper said.
Aaron Alper says if national park status brings additional protection, he would support it.
The National Park Service says it does not weigh in on pending legislation. The bill must pass both chambers of Congress before it can be signed into law by the president. That process could take months or even years.
If approved, Chiricahua would become the 64th national park in the United States.
For now, the debate continues among lawmakers, local leaders, and visitors, all weighing whether national park status would enhance protection of the Wonderland of Rocks or change the quiet character that draws people there in the first place.
