What is the most dangerous park?

We get this question a lot.

There is not a “most dangerous national park”. Parks have hazards. Hazards are potential sources of harm. Some hazards, like wildlife, rocky terrain, heat, high elevation, rip currents, naturally exist in the environment at the park. We also have unique cultural resources that were built before modern safety standards. For example, historic structures may have uneven steps. Roadways may have narrow lanes or limited to no pavement markings. These resources are protected for your enjoyment and for future generations. You must recreate around them with awareness and care.

Sometimes the environment and the hazards are part of the thrill and adventure that you seek. Our goal is to help you learn how to recognize hazards and reduce your risk of illness, injury, or death during your visit.

The activities you choose to do while in the park, like hiking, biking, driving, or swimming, can expose you to hazards and put you in danger. Your risk of an illness, injury, or death increases when you have not planned for your trip, are not prepared for your activity (including underestimating the environment), and do not make informed decisions.

Remember, safety is a shared responsibility between you and the park. You play an important role in reducing your risks – here’s how:

• Become familiar with the park you will visit

• Pick an activity that is right for your experience, skills, and fitness level;

• Prepare for your activity and the environment including bringing the right gear and checking the weather

• Leave a trip plan with a trusted contact who is not traveling with you

• Follow regulations, warning signs, and safety recommendations from park rangers

• Make informed decisions during your activity including checking in with yourself and turning around when conditions change

What’s the better question?

Rather than asking, “what is the most dangerous park”, we think the better question you should ask is:

What hazards do I need to prepare for so I have a fun and injury-free national park visit?

Each park has unique hazards and conditions change from day to day. Every trip requires individualized planning. Use the NPS Trip Planning Guide to plan every visit. You will learn about the environment of the park and how to avoid some of the most common mistakes that can lead to illness, injury, or death.

Common hazards in parks include:

• Severe weather like lightning, blizzards, extreme heat, or cold temperatures

• Wildland fires

• Geologic activities like volcanoes, hot springs, rockfalls, geysers

• Water hazards like rip currents, flooding, rapids, cold water temperatures

• Terrain features like steep slopes, sheer cliffs, waterfalls, sinkholes, high elevations

• Condition of walking surface like gravelly, rocky, wet trails or uneven steps in historic structures

Some of these hazards are unpredictable. Some hazards are not easy to spot– like sinkholes, gases from volcanoes, and geothermal features. Some of these hazards we manage by reducing exposure to the hazard (like a boardwalk at Yellowstone that provides visitors with a safer way to enjoy geothermal features) or eliminating exposure to the hazard altogether by closing access to the hazard. Parks also work tirelessly to educate visitors about hazards, including how to avoid or recreate around them on their website, via social media, and through signage or in-person interactions.

What parks have the greatest risks, then?

It’s going to depend on the park environment and its hazards, and the choices you make as you prepare for your activity and during your activity.Understandably, many visitors think more challenging activities, like rock climbing or backpacking, are more likely to lead to injuries. In reality, while these injuries do occur, the total counts are lower across the NPS for those events. Based on the data we collect; we know that the greatest risk of death in parks generally comes from motor vehicle crashes and drowning.

Key Definitions

Hazard: a condition that if left uncontrolled can result in injury, illness, or death.

Danger: associated with a hazard or hazardous activity that is able or likely to cause harm or injury.

Risk: a combination of the likelihood of visitors suffering harm if exposed to a hazard and the severity of the harm.

Note for researchers and media

The NPS collects data on injuries, deaths, search and rescues, and citations to identify risks and inform injury and illness prevention strategies, as well as for public transparency. The NPS has an interactive mortality dashboard available to the public to understand the activities that have led to deaths in parks.

NPS mortality data is sometimes used by members of the media or researchers to compile rankings of the “most dangerous” or “safest” parks. This characterization leads to a fundamental misunderstanding of the complexities of risk associated with the multitude of park experiences.

Specifically, this characterization separates the environment and hazards from the choices visitors make, before and during their visit, that will impact the outcome of their trip. It also overlooks the fact that death data alone (including the total number and rates) provide limited insight into the hazards visitors may encounter in a park. Death data does not account for the numerous, and often not reported, illnesses, non-fatal injuries, and near misses.

Communication is a powerful tool. We have a common goal: Inspire people to find their park and help them return home safely. Help us reach the public. Share our safety messages and resources to educate and empower visitors to plan for and have a fun and memorable experience.

Preparing a story or article about deaths in national parks? Contact us at [e-mail] to reach an expert on the data and subject who can help provide the correct context and work through any questions.