No. 1 Cause Of Death In National Parks?

Above, motorhomes driving through Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Fatalities in our national parks make news, especially if caused by wildlife, falls and drownings. But, interestingly, the top cause of fatalities among national park visitors is by vehicular accidents.

According to National Parks Traveler:

The greatest risk to your life in a national park is not a grizzly bear, not a rattlesnake, and not having a heart attack. No, the greatest risk to your life is being in a vehicle heading down the road, according to the National Park Service.

Mortality data collected from the National Park System from 2014 through 2019 turned up 2,149 deaths overall, with 370 deaths related to driving. Drowning was responsible for 314 deaths during that time period, while hiking contributed 255 deaths, with falls accounting for 206 deaths, the Park Service says. There also were 381 suicides in the parks during those years, and 25 murders.

The covered years provide the most recently available data, as the Park Service notes it can take some time to validate the reports that come in from across the National Park System. 

To read more, go here.