Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee

As the most-populated National Park with more than 12 million visitors yearly, the Great Smoky Mountains are less dangerous than Yosemite or the Grand Canyon.

Still, it certainly has the possibility to flirt with danger and is considered one of the most dangerous national parks in the US. Because of the large crowds, an overabundance of traffic can also occur during the season’s peak.

The national park service says that over the past decade, there have been 37 deaths due to motor vehicle crashes. So, it’s not even the park itself that’s dangerous as it is the park’s popularity, unlocking a possibility for human error while behind the wheel.

In other words, people should slow down! Drowning deaths are also pretty standard in the Great Smoky Mountains. If you’re not a strong swimmer, we encourage you to proceed cautiously when recreating in lakes or rivers. The undertow of these bodies of water can swallow you up.