When you’re choosing which national park to go to next it’s important to consider the unique landscape of each, and know about any potentially dangerous animals you might encounter!
But it isn’t just the terrain and fauna that can make a national park dangerous. You also have to take into consideration average temperatures, access to cell service to make calls in the case of an emergency, and the risk of high elevation falls.
Cocoweb developed a National Park Safety Index that takes all these factors into account to assess how safe a park is. A higher score out of 100 means more danger. Here are the most dangerous!
10. Glacier Bay National Park
This stunning national park in Alaska is characterized by icy peaks and rugged mountain terrain. There are numerous dangerous animals in the park, like moose, mountain lions that are known to be highly territorial, and both black and brown bears.
Between 2007 and 2023 there have been 7 fatalities recorded. The fatality rate is relatively low, at 0.03 per million visitors, but there have also been 8 search and rescue call outs each year during this period.
The park has a really high elevation relief (the distance between the highest and lowest point of elevation in the park) of 15,300 feet, which increases the risk of falling. Overall, it scored 38.85 out of 100 of the danger scale.
Where is Glacier Bay?
Located in southeastern Alaska, this national park lies west of Juneau along the Gulf of Alaska. Glacier Bay National Park encompasses rugged mountains, glaciers, and deep fjords. The park is accessible primarily by boat or plane from Juneau.
9. Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park has seen a shocking 70 fatalities between 2007 and 2023. With a 1.1 per million visitors fatality rate it ranks amongst the highest of all the dangerous national parks. Surprisingly, 17 of these fatalities were due to road incidents. So drive carefully!
There’s no lack of dangerous animals in the park either. Snakes, mountain lions, black and brown bears, and bison all roam freely around Yellowstone.
Between 2007 and 2023 there were 124 search and rescue call outs, which means nearly 33 of every one million visitors had to call for help each year.
Overall, it has 40.33 out of 100 points on the danger scale.
Where is Yellowstone?
Situated mostly in northwestern Wyoming, this national park also stretches into Montana and Idaho. Yellowstone National Park is located atop a volcanic hotspot in the Rocky Mountains region. The park can be reached by car through several entrance towns, including West Yellowstone, Gardiner, and Cody.
8. Grand Teton National Park
With an overall score of 41.39 points, Grand Teton National Park is much more dangerous than Gateway Arch, the safest national park with a score of just 16.65 points.
This national park in Wyoming has seen 64 fatalities between 2007 and 2023. A staggering 27 of these were due to hikers falling off the sides of narrow cliff paths. Additionally, each year there have been an average of 75 search and rescue call outs.
Keep a look out for traces of bison, mountain lions, moose, and black and brown bears whilst you’re in the park.
Bear in mind there’s no signal or Wifi to call for help either!
Where is Grand Teton?
Located in northwestern Wyoming, this national park lies just south of Yellowstone National Park in the Rocky Mountains. Grand Teton National Park is known for its dramatic mountain scenery and pristine lakes. The park is accessible by car via U.S. Highway 191, with the main entrance near the town of Jackson.
7. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks have the most deaths caused by falls of any national park in the US. Between 2007 and 2023 a shocking 32 people died this way.
Overall there have been 91 deaths in this period and an average of 168 search and rescue call outs per year.
But it’s not just the canyon’s steep cliffs that make it so dangerous. There are also snakes, black bears, and mountain lions roaming freely in the park that you need to watch out for.
All in all, the park scored 42.22 out of 100 points on the danger scale.
Where are Sequoia & Kings Canyon?
Located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California, these two adjacent parks are east of the city of Fresno. The parks can be reached by car via Highway 180 or Highway 198, with main entrances near the town of Three Rivers and the city of Fresno.
6. Gates of the Arctic National Park
This breathtaking national park in the state of Alaska is one of the few parks that has had no fatalities between 2007 and 2023. However, the park’s extreme weather conditions and lack of signal makes it extremely dangerous.
Collecting a total of 43.33 out of 100 points, there are definitely reasons to be concerned. In winter the temperatures can reach as low as -70 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes it pretty much unvisitable for a large proportion of the year.
There are an estimated 5 search and rescue calls outs per year. But given that the park only welcomes 11,045 visitors per year this translates to a shocking 493.7 call outs per million visitors.
Where is Gates of the Arctic?
Located in northern Alaska, this remote national park lies entirely above the Arctic Circle. Gates of the Arctic National Park is situated in the Brooks Range and has no roads or trails leading into it. Access is typically by small aircraft from nearby towns such as Bettles or Coldfoot.
5. Isle Royale National Park
Tallying a total of 46.68 out of 100 points overall, Isle Royale in Michigan is amongst the most dangerous parks in the US. Only 2 fatalities have been recorded there between 2007 and 2023, but there are some 14 search and rescue call outs each year.
As the park only welcomes 28,965 visitors per year, the search and rescue rate per million visitors per year is a staggering 728.11. This gives you some idea of how dangerous the park’s trails are.
Luckily the only dangerous animals to look out for are moose. However, in winter the park’s temperatures drop as low as -43 degrees Fahrenheit.
Where is Isle Royale?
Located in the northwest part of Lake Superior, this national park is part of the state of Michigan. Isle Royale National Park consists of the main island and over 400 smaller islands. The park is accessible by ferry, seaplane, or private boat from locations in Michigan and Minnesota, with common departure points including Houghton, Copper Harbor, and Grand Portage.
4. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
There have been 9 fatalities recorded in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park between 2007 and 2023. The majority of them were sadly due to visitor’s drowning.
At just 6 calls, there is a relatively low number of search and rescue call outs each year. But this might be because there is basically no signal anywhere in the park! This makes hiking there significantly more dangerous, even in groups.
In winter the temperature reaches lows of -55 degrees Fahrenheit, which definitely contributes towards the park’s overall score of 49.04 points.
Where is Wrangell-St. Elias?
Located in southeastern Alaska, this national park is the largest in the United States. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park stretches from the Gulf of Alaska inland to the Canadian border. The park can be reached by road via the Richardson and Edgerton Highways, with main access points near the towns of Chitina and McCarthy.
3. Denali National Park
With an overall 52.06 points, Denali is the third most dangerous national park in the US. There have been 65 fatalities between 2007 and 2023. Of these, an astonishing 25 fatalities are due to falls.
The park has the highest elevation relief of all the country’s most dangerous national parks. There is a staggering 20,070 elevation gain from the lowest and highest point in the park, which shows how big the risk of fatal falls are.
Each year there are around 39 search and rescue call outs. You also have to be wary of the moose, and black and brown bears that call Denali home.
Where is Denali?
Located in central Alaska, this national park is home to North America’s tallest peak, Denali. Denali National Park lies about 240 miles north of Anchorage and 120 miles south of Fairbanks. The park is accessible by car via the George Parks Highway (Alaska Route 3), with the main entrance near the community of Healy.
2. Lake Clark National Park
Lake Clark in Alaska only receives 16,728 visitors per year. This makes the park’s 4 search and rescue call outs per year pretty significant, translating to 296.5 call outs per million visitors per year.
Between 2007 and 2023 there have been 4 fatalities in the park, half of which were due to road accidents.
During the winter months the park sees temperatures as low as -55 degree Fahrenheit, making the landscape hostile and dangerous. There’s also the moose, and brown and black bears to consider.
Overall the park has 62.82 points out of 100 on the danger scale.
Where is Lake Clark?
Located in southwest Alaska, this national park is west of Anchorage and borders the Cook Inlet. Lake Clark National Park encompasses mountains, glaciers, and the large Lake Clark itself. The park is accessible only by small plane or boat, with flights commonly departing from Anchorage or nearby towns.
1. North Cascades National Park
With a whopping 68.04 points out of 100, North Cascades National Park is the most dangerous national park in the US. Of the 26 fatalities recorded between 2007 and 2023, ten deaths were caused by falls.
There are an average of 24 search and rescue call outs per year, and the park is riddled with dangerous animals. Bears, mountain lions, snakes, and moose all inhabit the national park.
In the summer months temperatures can soar to 108 degrees Fahrenheit, putting hikers at risk of dehydration and sunstroke.
You’d have to be brave to be amongst the 40,351 people that visit the country’s most dangerous national park each year!
Where is North Cascades?
Located in northern Washington state, this national park is part of the Cascade Range near the Canadian border. North Cascades National Park is known for its rugged mountains, glaciers, and alpine lakes. The park can be reached by car via State Route 20 (the North Cascades Highway), with main access points near the towns of Marblemount and Newhalem.
I agree that Yellowstone National Park is pretty dangerous. I went there before.