Safest National Parks In The U.S.

Above, Petrified Forest National Park came in as the second safest national park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There's been many reports of injuries and fatalities that have taken place in our national parks over the past several years.

Some have been caused by carelessness, stupidity, natural incidents (such as landslides) and animals. 

TheTravel has posted a list of the 10 safest American national parks. Not surprisingly, Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona ranked as the second safest national park. I thought the park would make the list before I even saw it.

They begin with:

There are 63 national parks in the US, preserving everything from temperate rainforests to coral reefs to fragile rock formations. With so much beauty to explore, it's no wonder that over 300 million people visited a national park in 2022.

For those hoping to join the statistics in the coming year, there are a number of factors to consider. Some US national parks will require reservations in 2024 and will take plenty of advanced planning to visit. Timing isn't the only thing at play when visiting national parks, however. Those less familiar with the parks may be worried about getting in over their heads out on the trails. Thankfully, there are many safety measures in place that ensure a positive and safe experience.

So, just how safe are the national parks in the US? American outdoor brand KÜHL has compiled data from the national parks regarding park fatalities, search and rescue missions, and proximity to hospitals to rank all 63 national parks by safety. Final scores ranged from 7.80 for America's safest national park to a mere 0.63 for the least safe.

To read more, go here.