Which U.S. national parks are the deadliest?

UTAH (ABC4) – Without question, Utah’s National Parks are stunning. From Zion to Bryce Canyon and Arches to Canyonlands, the parks attract thousands of visitors every year. But with that attendance comes some dangerous situations.

A recent report from outdoor blog Outforia ranks the most dangerous U.S. National Parks based on data for the past decade from the National Park Service.

The report shows Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Great Smoky Mountain National Parks are the deadliest, reporting 134, 126, and 92 deaths, respectively.

Across all of the national parks, the data indicates the most common causes of death were falls, amounting to 245 deaths. Medical or natural deaths accounted for 192 while an ‘undetermined’ cause made up 166 deaths.

According to Outforia, these are the top 10 most dangerous national parks:

Grand Canyon
Yosemite
Great Smoky Mountain
Sequoia & Kings Canyon
Yellowstone
Denali
Mount Rainer
Rocky Mountain
Grand Teton
Zion

Utah’s Canyonland came in 24th, Arches and Capital Reef tied at 31st (with Glacier Bay and Dry Tortugas), and Bryce Canyon at 42nd (tied with Wind Cave).

Here’s a look at how many annual visitors the Utah parks have recorded, the causes of deaths, and how many deaths have been reported over the last decade, according to the National Park Service:

Zion

FILE – This Sept. 15, 2015, file photo, shows Zion National Park near Springdale, Utah. A California woman who was missing for about two weeks in Zion National Park in Utah has been found and left the park with her family who had feared the worst, authorities said. Holly Suzanne Courtier, 38, of Los Angeles, was found Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, by search and rescue crews after park rangers received a tip that she had been seen in the park, Zion National Park officials said in a news release.(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
Courtesy of Zion National Park

Visitors: 4,488,268

Causes of death:

Drowning: 3
Falls: 22
Environmental: 8
Other: 1
Medical/Natural Death: 3
Undetermined: 6

Total deaths: 43

Canyonlands

In this May 2013 photo mountain bikers near the end of their 75-mile trip as they make the steep climb on the Mineral Bottom Road after riding the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park. (Francisco Kjolseth/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)

Visitors: 733,996

Causes of death:

Falls: 3
Environmental: 2
Other: 1
Medical/Natural Death: 3
Undetermined: 4

Total deaths: 13

Arches

Hikers walk beside the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. – The park which has over 2000 arches that were formed over 100 million years by a combination of water, ice, extreme temperatures and underground salt movement. (Photo by Mark Ralston / AFP) (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
Pictured: Arches National Park (National Parks Service)
View of the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. – The park which has over 2000 arches that were formed over 100 million years by a combination of water, ice, extreme temperatures and underground salt movement. (Photo by Mark Ralston / AFP) (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)