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View of the Grand Canyon
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The 10 Most Dangerous National Parks in America

SmarterTravel

America’s national parks are beautiful—but also dangerous if you don’t take standard outdoor recreation safety precautions. Adventure site Outforia collected data from the national parks on the number of search and rescue incidents that occurred at each park from 2018 to 2020 to find the most dangerous national parks. 

Note that it’s important to keep in mind that the more popular parks are likely to have more search and rescue incidents due to the amount of people visiting.

These are the parks that have required the most number of rescues in the past few years:

The National Parks With the Most Search and Rescue Incidents

Infographic of the top three national parks for search and rescue incidents in the United States
Outforia
  1. Grand Canyon National Park
  2. Yosemite National Park
  3. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park
  4. Yellowstone National Park
  5. Rocky Mountain National Park
  6. Zion National Park
  7. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
  8. Grand Teton National Park
  9. Olympic National Park
  10. Arches National Park

Many of these rescues could have been prevented, if visitors had followed outdoor safety guidelines. Always be prepared when you are visiting a national park. Make sure you have a first aid kit and more than enough water and food in case of an emergency. Carefully monitor weather conditions, and be prepared to adjust your plans if needed. Before setting out on a hike, always tell someone where you are going and when you are expected to return. 

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