A new study by an Atlanta-area legal firm crunched the numbers to see which national parks are the deadliest during winter. Personal injury attorneys John Foy & Associates analyzed mortality data provided by the U.S. National Park Service to determine the number of deaths that occurred in parks between Nov. 1 and Feb. 28 from 2007 to 2023, andd we regret to inform you that several Arizona parks are on the list.
The highest-ranked Arizona park is shared with Nevada: Lake Mead National Recreation Area came in third, with 6.23 winter deaths per 10 million visitors – 112% above the national average.
Out of the 75 deaths recorded in the national park during the period, drowning, which accounted for 19 deaths, was the most common cause of death, followed by motor vehicle crashes, which accounted for 17 deaths.
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Fifth on the list is Grand Canyon National Park, which recorded 5.45 winter deaths per 10 million visitors – 85% above the national average.
The most common cause of death was medical, accounting for 14 out of the 45 deaths that occurred during the period analyzed. Falls were the second most common cause of death, accounting for 11.
Farther down the list of the top 20 deadliest national parks in winter were two more Arizona sites: Saguaro National Park at No. 15 and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area at No. 19.
More than 22.5 million people visited Arizona's national parks in 2023, the most recent year for which figures are available, and most come away with nothing more than great pictures and maybe a light sunburn. While any outdoor environment poses a certain amount of risk, common sense and basic safety precautions go a long way toward making a day at a national park both enjoyable and safe.
