Here are the top 10 deadliest national parks, according to research
The serene landscapes of our national parks feature a plethora of mountainous landscapes, pristine beaches and lush forests, but there are some deadly risks associated with visiting. Outdoor clothing brand KÜHL looked at different criteria and came up with a list of the top 10 deadliest national parks.
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If you visited a national park last year, you’d be among the hundreds of millions of people across the U.S. who ventured outdoors to capture breathtaking views or enjoy recreational activities such as hiking or skiing.
And while the serene landscapes of our national parks feature a plethora of mountainous landscapes, pristine beaches and lush forests, there are some deadly risks associated with visiting.
Recently, outdoor clothing brand KÜHL looked at different criteria and came up with a list of the top 10 deadliest national parks.
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The company said it looked into data associated with the total number of deaths, missing people, search and rescue missions, the presence of park rangers, the proximity to hospitals, trail alerts and visitor data to come up with the list.
KÜHL said some of the factors that made the national parks rank higher on the list were due to the higher number of deaths and search and rescue missions or hospital inaccessibility.
Here are the top 10 deadliest national parks according to KÜHL.
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1. Grand Canyon National Park
FILE - Striations are seen in the walls of the Grand Canyon at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona during the spring of 2023.
(Robert Ray / FOX Weather)
KÜHL says Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona took the top spot, with 1 in 503,000 people being at risk of dying there. Since 2007, 165 people have died in the Grand Canyon, according to the company.
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1. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Mountain tops in St Elias National Park and Preserve, Wrangell Mountains, Wrangell, Alaska (Photo by: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Tied for first place is Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska. KÜHL said the probability of dying there is 1 in 126,000 due to the national park having some of the largest volcanoes and glaciers.
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3. Isle Royale National Park
FILE - Two kayakers paddle past the rocky Lake Superior shoreline at Isle Royal National Park.
(NPS)
Isle Royale National Park in Michigan is a remote island cluster and came in third on KÜHL's list of the most unsafe national parks. The company said it has a probability of 1 in 163,000 of people dying there.
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4. North Cascades National Park
Glacial tarn and glaciated crags of Mount Shuksan, Washington. Mt. Shuksan lies within North Cascades National Park. (Photo by: Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
North Cascades National Park in Washington State is America's fourth most dangerous national park for hiking or camping. Despite its pristine beauty, the deep forested valleys, waterfalls and glaciers, there is a 1 in 18,000 chance of dying there.
5. Dry Tortugas National Park
FILE - Tourists walk along the sea wall surrounding Fort Jefferson February 15, 2016 in the Dry Tortugas National Park about 70 miles (113 km) west of Key West, Florida in the Gulf of Mexico.
(KAREN BLEIER/AFP / Getty Images)
Coming in fifth place was Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida. The national park offers crystal clear blue water and abundant ocean life, but safety precautions need to be taken when visiting. KÜHL says people visiting the national park have a 1 in 184,000 chance of dying there.
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6. Big Bend National Park
FILE - The Rio Grande flows on the outskirts of the Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park on January 27, 2023 in West, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
KÜHL placed Big Bend National Park in Texas in the sixth spot. The death probably there is 1 in 218,000.
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7. Denali National Park
FILE - Mount McKinley forms the backdrop for photographers in Denali National Park in 2006. (Photo by Bob Hallinen/Anchorage Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
(Bob Hallinen/Anchorage Daily News/Tribune News Service / Getty Images)
Another national park in Alaska, Denali National Park, ranks seventh on the list. KÜHL says the death probability there is 1 in 119,000.
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8. Kings Canyon National Park
FILE - View looking down in the valley at King's Canyon National Park, California, USA. Creator: Ethel Davies. (Photo by EMD/Then and Now Images/Heritage Images via Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Kings Canyon National Park in California is number eight on the list. According to the data from KÜHL, 1 in 220,000 may lose their life inside the park.
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9. Guadalupe Mountains National Park
FILE - North America, USA, Texas, Guadalupe Mountain National Park El Capitan Prominence. (Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas is in ninth place. The national park has the world's most extensive Permian fossil reef and forests. Guadalupe Mountains National Park has a death probability of 1 in 514,000, according to KÜHL.
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10. Mount Rainier National Park
FILE - Mount Rainier viewed from the Longmire Viewpoint on the Wonderland Trail in Mt Rainier National Park on Tuesday, June 28 2022. Ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier stands as an icon in the Washington landscape. An active volcano, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning five major rivers. l Photo by Tom O'Neill (Photo by Thomas O'Neill/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State came in at the bottom of the list in tenth place. The mountain has amazing views of the surrounding areas, but the national park has a death probability of 1 in 317,000.
KÜHL stresses that even though the list suggests these parks are dangerous, the "danger" is only indicative of higher risk exposure rather than inherent safety.
The company said that the average odds of a fatal incident in a national park is about 1 in 664,099 people, which is lower than walking down the street, as the chances of dying in a traffic crash are 1 in 485.