Despite recent deaths, U.S. national parks generally safe

By Mark Morgenstein, CNN
2 minute read
Updated 2:33 PM EDT, Tue August 11, 2015
The National Park Service is made up of 405 sites, including 59 specially designated national parks, plus national seashores, recreation areas, historical sites and other designations. Here are the top 10 most-visited spots in 2014 across all of the park service sites, followed by a list of the top 10 most popular National Parks. California's Golden Gate National Recreation Area, shown here, was the most popular Park Service site for the second year in a row.
1. Golden Gate National Recreation Area —
The National Park Service is made up of 405 sites, including 59 specially designated national parks, plus national seashores, recreation areas, historical sites and other designations. Here are the top 10 most-visited spots in 2014 across all of the park service sites, followed by a list of the top 10 most popular National Parks. California's Golden Gate National Recreation Area, shown here, was the most popular Park Service site for the second year in a row.
ROBERT GALBRAITH/REUTERS/LANDOV
This spectacular overlook near Mount Mitchell on the Blue Ridge Parkway, No. 2 on the park service's list of most-visited sites, is in North Carolina. The parkway also crosses into Virginia.
2. Blue Ridge Parkway —
This spectacular overlook near Mount Mitchell on the Blue Ridge Parkway, No. 2 on the park service's list of most-visited sites, is in North Carolina. The parkway also crosses into Virginia.
Tim Hass/VisitNC.com
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, No. 3 on the list of most-visited park sites, is in North Carolina and Tennessee. It is also the No. 1 most-visited national park.
3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park —
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, No. 3 on the list of most-visited park sites, is in North Carolina and Tennessee. It is also the No. 1 most-visited national park.
National Park Service
George Washington Memorial Parkway in Washington, Virginia and Maryland came in fourth place on this list of most-visited park sites in 2014.
4. George Washington Memorial Parkway —
George Washington Memorial Parkway in Washington, Virginia and Maryland came in fourth place on this list of most-visited park sites in 2014.
Visions of America/UIG via Getty Images
The Lincoln Memorial in Washington came in fifth place for visitation.
5. Lincoln Memorial —
The Lincoln Memorial in Washington came in fifth place for visitation.
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images
The Lake Mead National Recreation Area, in both Arizona (shown here) and Nevada, came in sixth place on the National Park Service list of most-visited park sites.
6. Lake Mead National Recreation Area —
The Lake Mead National Recreation Area, in both Arizona (shown here) and Nevada, came in sixth place on the National Park Service list of most-visited park sites.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images/FILE
The Sandy Hook Lighthouse in New Jersey is part of Gateway National Recreation Area, which is also in New York. It came in seventh place on the list.
7. Gateway National Recreation Area —
The Sandy Hook Lighthouse in New Jersey is part of Gateway National Recreation Area, which is also in New York. It came in seventh place on the list.
John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Natchez Trace Parkway, shown here near Tupelo, Mississippi, also crosses into Alabama and Tennessee. It came in eighth place on the most-visited sites list.
8. Natchez Trace Parkway —
The Natchez Trace Parkway, shown here near Tupelo, Mississippi, also crosses into Alabama and Tennessee. It came in eighth place on the most-visited sites list.
Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, which landed in ninth place on the park sites list, is in the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and West Virginia.
9. Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park —
The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, which landed in ninth place on the park sites list, is in the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and West Virginia.
MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images
Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park nudged out last year's tenth place holder, the Delaware Water Gap National Creation Area, to claim the tenth place spot.
10. Grand Canyon National Park —
Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park nudged out last year's tenth place holder, the Delaware Water Gap National Creation Area, to claim the tenth place spot.
Courtesy Michael Quinn/National Park Service
Many of the most famous parks in the world are among the U.S. National Park Service's 59 headliner national parks. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was the third most-popular park site in 2013 and 2014, was also the most popular national park for both years. Shown here is the view from Purchase Knob.
1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park —
Many of the most famous parks in the world are among the U.S. National Park Service's 59 headliner national parks. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was the third most-popular park site in 2013 and 2014, was also the most popular national park for both years. Shown here is the view from Purchase Knob.
national park service
Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona was the second most popular national park last year. Shown here is <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/03/travel/grand-canyon-inversion/index.html?iref=allsearch">an inversion:</a> cold fog trapped in the canyon by a "lid" of warm air. What makes it rare are the sunny skies accentuating the layers of air.
2. Grand Canyon National Park —
Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona was the second most popular national park last year. Shown here is an inversion: cold fog trapped in the canyon by a "lid" of warm air. What makes it rare are the sunny skies accentuating the layers of air.
from erin whittaker/national park service
Yosemite National Park, which celebrates<a href="http://www.nps.gov/featurecontent/yose/anniversary" target="_blank" target="_blank"> the 125th anniversary of its existence as a national park in 2015</a>, was the third most-popular national park last year.
3. Yosemite National Park —
Yosemite National Park, which celebrates the 125th anniversary of its existence as a national park in 2015, was the third most-popular national park last year.
David McNew /Newsmakers/Getty Images/File
Yellowstone National Park, which is mostly in Wyoming but also in Idaho and Montana, was the fourth most-popular national park last year.
4. Yellowstone National Park —
Yellowstone National Park, which is mostly in Wyoming but also in Idaho and Montana, was the fourth most-popular national park last year.
DEA/ C.DANI /I.JESKE/De Agostini/Getty Images
Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, which turned 100 in 2014, moved up one spot in the rankings to take fifth place last year.
5. Rocky Mountain National Park —
Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, which turned 100 in 2014, moved up one spot in the rankings to take fifth place last year.
Kevin Moloney/Getty Images
Olympic National Park in Washington state dropped one spot to sixth place last year.
6. Olympic National Park —
Olympic National Park in Washington state dropped one spot to sixth place last year.
Couresty National Park Service
Zion National Park in Utah remained in seventh place on the park service's list of most popular national parks for the second year in a row. Here, a hiker wades up the Virgin River in the Zion Narrows.
7. Zion National Park —
Zion National Park in Utah remained in seventh place on the park service's list of most popular national parks for the second year in a row. Here, a hiker wades up the Virgin River in the Zion Narrows.
MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images
Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, which came in eighth place, is home to grizzly bears (shown here), black bears and other wild animals.
8. Grand Teton National Park —
Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, which came in eighth place, is home to grizzly bears (shown here), black bears and other wild animals.
Danielle Lehle/National Park Service
Maine's beloved Acadia National Park is the ninth most-popular national park in the country.
9. Acadia National Park —
Maine's beloved Acadia National Park is the ninth most-popular national park in the country.
National Park Service
Glacier National Park in Montana held onto tenth place for the second year in a row.
10. Glacier National Park, Montana —
Glacier National Park in Montana held onto tenth place for the second year in a row.
National Park Service
Most-visited national park sites 2014

Story highlights

The National Park Service hosted nearly 2 billion visitors from 2007 to 2013

1,025 people died in national parks in that period -- a tiny percentage of visitors -- mostly from drowning or crashes

CNN  — 

After people died last week in Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park and New Mexico’s White Sands National Monument, some of the millions of vacationers headed to national parks may be concerned about their safety.

But those deaths, apparently the results of a grizzly bear encounter and of 100-degree temperatures, are an anomaly, according to National Park Service statistics.

A total of 1,025 people died in national parks from 2007 to 2013. While the loss of those lives is tragic, it’s a minuscule proportion of the nearly 2 billion visitors to national parks in that time span – and exponentially lower than the mortality rate in the general population of the United States: 821.5 deaths per 100,000 population in 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Despite all the wild animals in protected parkland, wildlife only killed six people over those seven years. Grizzly bears killed four people, a mountain goat killed one visitor, and one person died from a snakebite, the NPS reports.

The NPS says 87 visitors died from natural/environmental causes between 2007 and 2013 – including 26 from heat illness. That’s a far cry from the 2,000 U.S. residents a year who die from weather-related causes, including some 600 a year from heat exposure, according to the CDC.

The vast majority of deaths in national parks turn out to be from things that could happen anywhere to anyone: drownings, crashes, and slips and falls.

While the statistics suggest you’ll be relatively safe in national parks, following park rules and signage and listening to park rangers help contribute to everyone’s safety.

Many parks, including Yosemite and Yellowstone, post warnings about active wildlife such as bears both online and in the park and ask visitors to take protective action, such as locking food away in bear-proof boxes, to keep the potentially dangerous animals away from populated areas.

Child survives after contracting the plague in Yosemite

And many parks offer suggestions for safe hiking practices, such as staying on the established trail. White Sands National Monument’s newsletter advises hikers to carry 1 gallon of water per person.

So don’t be afraid to visit the United States’ natural wonders. But be prepared, be careful and be aware of your surroundings.