West Virginia
West Virginia has one of the most dangerous parks in America
WEST VIRGINIA (WTRF) – West Virginia boasts some magnificent parks, but one study warns visitors to be cautious when visiting this Mountain State marvel.
Personal injury litigators at Triumph Law, P.C. found that New River Gorge National Park & Preserve is the seventh most dangerous national park in the US.
New River Gorge has 5 deaths per 1 million visits.
Someone dies in a national park every 29 hours and most deaths are due to human factors rather than nature.
Top 10 Most Dangerous National Parks in America
#
National Park
State(s) / District / Territory
Average yearly visits
Total deaths (2013-2023)
Deaths per 1 million visits
1
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
AZ
215,881
60
25.27
2
Virgin Islands National Park
VI
299,756
33
10.01
3
Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River
NY, PA
252,268
17
6.13
4
Colorado National Monument
CO
441,356
29
5.97
5
Big Bend National Park
TX
431,241
28
5.90
6
Denali National Park & Preserve
AK
478,153
28
5.32
7
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
WV
1,291,650
72
5.07
8
Redwood National and State Parks
CA
444,254
22
4.50
9
Death Valley National Park
CA, NV
1,219,446
51
3.80
10
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
CA
1,680,761
69
3.73
The study analyzed data from official fatality rates occurring in 153 popular national parks across America. it gathered data from the US National Park Service spanning 11 years, from the beginning of 2013 until the end of 2023.