America's Deadliest National Parks Revealed

Summer is heating up and it’s time to get outside and explore the great outdoors. This post will cover the 10 most dangerous National Parks in America with facts, figures, and good old-fashioned common sense.

Denali National Park

Backpacker magazine says “Going by its per-capita death rate, Denali (9.8 DPM) is by far the most dangerous national park—ten times more so than Great Smoky Mountains, which sees less than one death per million visitors (DPM).”

North Cascades National Park

According to analysis from psbr.law North Cascades National Park has the highest fatality rate of any National Park, it depends on how one defines a “visitor”, but the danger is real.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Lake Mead National Recreation area tops other lists that aggregate the most fatalities. More people are killed on Lake Mead by boat than climbing mountains in Alaska.

Grand Canyon National Park

NPSD data show that there have been 97 fatalities on the Grand Canyon from 2014 to 2021. The DPM could be much higher, but most of the canyon’s visitors heed the park’s warning and stay close to the rim.

Yosemite National Park

Recent data suggest Yosemite has overtaken the Grand Canyon in annual fatalities, despite receiving far fewer visitors. The difference is the park's famous granite domes and sheer cliffs that make Yosemite a popular destination for rock climbers.

Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park has a notorious reputation for being the most dangerous national park in America. With its massive weather swings and isolated location in west Texas, it’s easy to see why..

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

In the Smokies, crashes accounted for 43.6% between 2007 and 2020, with medical deaths (e.g. heart attacks) being a distant second cause of death at 14.9%.

Redwood National Park

Approximately a third of all fatalities in the park are caused by crashes, with the famous Avenue of the Giants being a major tourist attraction.

Death Valley National Park

It’s the hottest and lowest place in the US. Badwater Basin, 282‘ below sea level, is so dry that visitors often mistake the thick layer of salt on the valley floor for snow. You might see a trend here, but again traffic fatality is the leading cause of death in the park.

Natchez Trace Parkway

From the last couple of entries you can probably guess where this is going. The most dangerous part of the Parkway is the parkway itself.

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