These two national parks in Washington are among most dangerous in U.S., analysis finds

Bellingham Herald mcclatchy
·1 min read

The alluring Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks draw people from around the world. But both appear to be among the nation’s most dangerous parks.

An analysis of search-and-rescue incidents recorded by the National Parks Authority between 2018 and 2020 shows that Olympic has become the ninth most-dangerous national park in America. Mount Rainier comes in at No. 13.

The 2021 analysis by online outdoor research guide Outforia determined that in those three years, Olympic National Park had 204 search-and-rescue incidents.

Mount Rainier National Park rangers, meanwhile, tallied 60 search-and-rescue operations in 2020, the most in the past five years, according to park data.

Rangers said hikers, skiers and snowshoers were drawn to the mountain amid a pandemic that forced so many inside for months, but many were challenged by the wintry weather conditions and inexperience.

With elevations up to 14,000 feet and an area of 369.3 square miles, it doesn’t take a big stretch to imagine how a person – experienced or not – could find themselves in trouble in this park.

Nationwide, Washington had the seventh most search-and-rescue incidents over the three-year span, with 465 incidents around the state, the analysis found.

Mount Rainier National Park is the 13th-most dangerous national park in the U.S., according to an analysis of search-and-rescue incidents recorded by the National Parks Authority between 2018 and 2020.
Mount Rainier National Park is the 13th-most dangerous national park in the U.S., according to an analysis of search-and-rescue incidents recorded by the National Parks Authority between 2018 and 2020.