America’s national parks are wonderful places to visit, but they can also be dangerous. Some visitors don’t seem to realize that they’re not in a theme park, and they automatically assume that every square inch of the place is hazard-free.

The folks at outforia.com were curious to see how many deaths were reported at our country’s national parks, so they submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the National Park Service. Then, they ranked the parks from most deaths in the last decade to least deaths. Zion National Park was near the top of the list.

If you’re planning a visit to this incredible national park, there’s no better time to visit than during National Park Week. Learn all about this celebration of America’s great outdoors — including fee-free days throughout the year!

Zion National Park is one of the most beautiful places in the world, but it has many hazards: steep cliffs, fast-flowing rivers, severe weather conditions. Over the last ten years, 43 people have died during their visit. Zion ranked number 10 out of the 54 national parks that had at least one death between 2010 and 2020.
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The number one cause of death across all the national park was falls, and that was the number one cause of death at Zion National Park. 22 people have fallen to their deaths here since 2010.
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Angel's Landing can certainly be deadly. Hikers traverse a narrow spine of rock to reach the top, and the fall is hundreds of feet.
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Falls occur in other places of the park, too. Upper Emerald Pools has been the site of several deaths. The river runs right across the trail at the top, and the algae that grows in it is slippery. Hikers who get too close to the edge have slipped and fallen.

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The second highest cause of death at Zion in the last decade was due to "Environmental Factors." The park service includes heat, cold, lightning, and rock falls in this category. Eight visitors at Zion died from environmental causes.
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Weather at Zion can be brutal, with temperatures reaching 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Visitors should drink plenty of water, but it's easy to become dehydrated here. During winter months, temps can plunge below freezing.
Drowning was the cause of three deaths at Zion over the last ten years.
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Flash floods and fast-moving rivers are hazardous, and the slot canyons can be particularly dangerous when the water is high.
Medical issues accounted for four deaths at the park.
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The national park system divides medical deaths into several categories: death during physical activity, such as hiking or boating, death not associated with physical activity, and medical deaths with unknown causes.

Visitors to Zion often underestimate the difficulty of some of its steep trails. For instance, many visitors suffer heart attacks while hiking Walter's Wiggles - a steep set of of switchbacks at the beginning of the Angels' Landing trail.
Six of the deaths at Zion in the last decade are in the "Undetermined" category.
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The National Park System reports deaths in this category when the coroner cannot determine a cause of death, or the data was captured by a local law enforcement agency.

Considering that Zion National Park welcomes nearly 4.5 million visitors every year, the number of deaths here is actually quite low. Still, it’s important to remember that the park has inherent dangers, and take appropriate precautions when visiting. You can learn more about safety at Zion National Park on its website.

Curious where the rest of Utah’s National Parks ranked for deaths?

  • Canyonlands National Park ranked number 24, with 13 deaths.
  • Arches National Park and Capitol Reef National Park both ranked number 31, with 6 deaths each.
  • Bryce National Park ranked number 42, with 3 deaths.

 

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Featured Addresses
Zion National Park Visitor Center, Zion National Park, 1 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767, USA