National park vacationers have a low risk of dying in Arizona's parks.
But an awareness of the hazards — especially from falls and extreme weather — is key to survival.
Outdoor publication Outforia analyzed National Park Service fatality data from 2014 to 2022 to identify the leading causes of accidental deaths in America's 63 (going on 64) national parks.
Nationwide and in Arizona, falls are the leading cause of unintentional national park deaths. Park service data showed most deaths occurred while hiking.
Outforia's analysis tracked only accidental deaths at national parks, not the total number of deaths. Here's what the data says about Arizona's national parks.
High fatality count, but low risk factor
Grand Canyon National Park was one of only 29 national parks nationwide, as well as the
only one in Arizona, with more than five accidental deaths from 2014 to 2022, according to Outforia.
A total of 53 people died during this time, the third-highest number of accidental deaths in national parks, behind Yosemite and Great Smoky Mountains national parks.
Three accidental deaths were recorded during this time at Saguaro National Park. No deaths were recorded at Petrified Forest National Park.
While Grand Canyon had the third-most accidental deaths in the nation, it had a lower risk factor with just 1.1 deaths for every 1 million visits.
In contrast, Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve recorded just nine accidental deaths, but had the highest risk per visit — 15.3 deaths for every 1 million visitors — because of its remote location and massive size. It's 13.2 million acres, described by the park service as the same size as Yellowstone, Yosemite and Switzerland combined.
Falls, extreme temperatures among leading causes of death
Falls were the leading cause of accidental deaths at national parks nationwide, with 217 recorded between 2014 and 2022. In Arizona, falls were responsible for 10 accidental deaths at Grand Canyon and all three accidental deaths at Saguaro during this period.
Motor vehicle crashes (128), drownings (98) and environmental causes such as extreme heat and flash flooding (92) also were responsible for a high number of unintentional park deaths. Wildlife encounters only accounted for four deaths nationwide, though these deaths tend to generate significant headlines.
While Outforia's analysis only goes back to 2022 and the park service's mortality database only goes back to 2019, reporting from The Arizona Republic found falls and extreme heat were factors in the high number of deaths in 2024 and 2026 to date.
National parks with the most accidental deaths from 2014-22
- Yosemite National Park (61).
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park (58).
- Grand Canyon National Park (53).
- Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (42).
- Grand Teton National Park (31).
- Death Valley National Park (27).
- Mount Rainier National Park (27).
- Zion National Park (26).
- Yellowstone National Park (22).
- Rocky Mountain National Park (21).
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Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How dangerous are Arizona national parks, per this 'deadliest' ranking
