Where do you think the deadliest national park in the United States is? The Grand Canyon? Zion? Yosemite? These parks, which have their fair share of risks, surprisingly don’t even crack the top ten.

NBC News reports that the deadliest national park is located in Washington. The North Cascades National Park, established in 1968, has the highest death rate of any park in the country.

NBC compiled this list by measuring the deaths per 100,000 visitors. North Cascades leads the pack with 3.7 deaths per 100,000 people. This is three times the rate of its second-closest competitor: the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Reserve in Alaska. While more people have died at places like the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, they get more visitors as well.

The reasons why the North Cascades National Park has the highest death rate aren’t complicated. The park, which only sees an average of 25,000 people per year, is popular with mountaineers, alpine climbers, and backcountry skiers. For climbers, using bolted anchors is banned, leading to much more risky ascents.

Ultimately, the lack of infrastructure and wilderness surroundings create many risks, even for the most experienced adventurers.

Image Credits: Rich Martello, Ashley, North Cascades National Park

 

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