Grand Canyon, Arizona
Why is one of our favorites considered one of the most dangerous national parks in the US?
With jaw-droppingly steep canyon walls that drop over a mile to the churning Colorado River beneath, it would be easy to assume that falling is the number one cause of death in this historic national park.
And even though falls accounted for 27 deaths at the Grand Canyon over the past 10 years, medical issues and natural deaths nearly doubled that number, at 42, due to the scorching summer heat deep within the canyon, potentially causing or aggravating health issues.
The National Park Service warns that temperatures on the South Rim are typically 20 degrees cooler than those near the river at Phantom Ranch, which has experienced a record high of 120 degrees. This means that the heat will increase as visitors trek down.
The park service advises visitors to plan their trip during spring or late fall to enjoy fewer crowds and cooler temps. But if you visit during summer, consider a shorter day hike to avoid the heat.
And if you plan on heading to the bottom of the canyon, be sure to get an early start to avoid going uphill during the hottest part of the day.
32 Responses
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Thank you, your articles (statistics) are timely and very helpful. ❤
thank you this was very informative. this proves that research should be done before any type of adventure into the wilderness.
No article, just ads.
This was a great, informative article. I have visited all of the listed parks, except Denali. I was lucky enough to have visited before they got so crowded…about 65 yrs ago.
I could walk out the front door and be struck by lightning or have a tree fall on me not very likely though.
Stupi stupid stupid
I don’t need it
Hrnpft! Having been to each of the mentioned parks i would only say that the addition of a bit of common sense to the visit would reduce the probability of accident, injury or fatality to near zero.
You didn’t say anything about Mt Hood as there have been several deaths over the years. It’s the most popular mountain in the US.
Seems the biggest problem is the crowd. We are planning our trip in the spring before schools let out.
We’re planning an RV trip from California to DC. Our main concern is the weather going across the southern states in the spring.
Don’t forget the flesh-eating flying rattlesnakes!
Wow!! What’s the point of calling it an adventure then!? Hike daylight hours and “listen” to nature, keep your eyes open- in nature you should already be on alert of your surroundings and ALWAYS tell someone where you are, even just a general idea!! Nature is dangerous but so is walking out your front door every single day- you never know if someone is gonna shoot you snipe you stab you punch you kick you or if you’re going to be attacked by a racoon opposed cat or feral cat dog(s)- you just never know what’s going to happen- DON’T BE SCARED TO LIVE! We’re gonna die how we’re gonna die so I’m gonna go live my best life!!!
While living in Tacoma at Ft Lewis with my army involved husband, I decided to go to Mt. Rainier. Actually rode around the mountain. Sigh!
Yes all of this information was good to know especially if you love to go hiking and camping.
Over 46,000 people died from falls in the US in 2022. You don’t have to visit the Grand Canyon to die from a fall. This is banal clickbait.
Big Bend National Park, TX should be in this list. The extreme heat in the spring, summer and fall and the lack of humidity, cause a lot of deaths, search and rescue missions, and lots of needed assistance from the trails. There are black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, havelin’s, rattlesnakes and is right on the Rio Grande River with lots of illegal activities happening. When the river is high, there are river hazards. The landscape goes from the desert floor to the wooded Chiso’s mountains that have steep cliffs along the hiking trails. The lack of humidity and the failure to hydrate THE DAY BEFORE hiking in this over 800,000 acre park, has caused many deaths. Beautiful park, but very dangerous to those who do not prepare for the intense heat and lack of water and shade in a lot of the landscape.
The only way to view this article seems to be to download a junk program. Sorry, but I do not want to download something off a website. I can do without you.
I am interested in seeing
if I qualify for some
Food Stamps
Carolyn Reed–
l
Great information to know while traveling to the parks
Thanks
How can you have an undertow in a lake (Great Smoky Mountains National Park)?
This article discourages me from going to any of the parks mentioned here. I have been to a few of them but didn’t realize the dangers it was possible to encounter while enjoying these parks.
I can’t believe that the Grand Canyon piece didn’t mention that several people that camped there, on getting up at night walked over the rim and fell to their deaths.
what about the 411 guy?
BS “click-bait.”
A.J. from FL
Why in hell do you recommend Amazon? Don’t you know it is one of the reason we have inflation?
The problem; people! Thoroughly unprepared people. I live in South central Utah. There, because the area is all National Park, National Monument, National Forest, there are NO cell towers. That thing most ghetto people stair at constantly doesn’t work here. If you have car trouble you could die before being found. A satellite Locater is an absolute necessity here.
Long ago I noticed that great beauty and great danger can go together. Mountains, for example.
What about MT Lassen, in California? It, too, is a hibernating volcano. And it has hot ponds of sulfur, in some sections,
This was originally in my spam folder. I loved the article. I am glad that I read it and learned a lot. My worst fear about these national parks are coming into co tact with a bear or mountain lion. The trip and falls too. You def have to be careful when you venture out into one of these parks and do research before going , and have every sought if survival equipment in case anything bad should arise.
I loved reading this article. Thank you for sending it to me