Hiking is one of the best ways to get outside for some exercise and enjoy the scenery of this beautiful country we call home. For the majority of hikers, their trips are uneventful and relaxing.
Unfortunately, plenty of others were unprepared or just plain unlucky, and their hike quickly turned into a nightmare. Here are some locations that can be downright dangerous to hike because of quickly changing weather, exposed trails, or wildlife that may not like you being in their territory.
So, if you’re looking for an easy hike, you may want to take a look and avoid some of these places in the future.
The Maze – Utah
The Maze is located in an extremely remote and difficult-to-access section of Canyonlands National Park. This area is full of slot canyons that pose rockfalls and flash flood hazards of which there can be little warning.
The remoteness and twisting canyons can quickly leave hikers disoriented, and climbing out to get service to signal for help can sometimes be impossible.
Mt. Washington – New Hampshire
At only 6,288 ft tall, Mt. Washington doesn’t seem all that imposing initially, but it is well known for having some of the most extreme weather in the entire country, if not the world. Its location and prominence create the perfect storm that has led to wind speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour at the summit.
Even during the comparatively calm summer months, the weather can change quickly, and hikers are frequently left in perilous situations that necessitate search and rescue teams to help them reach safety.
Kalalau – Hawaii
This lush tropical trail on the northern coast of Kauai can feel like a dream, with stunning cliffs and warm blue water that stretches as far as the eye can see. However, its tropical island location often leads visitors to head out underprepared for the trail’s muddy conditions, swift river crossings, heat, and long distances.
Hikers frequently cross the rivers early in the day, only for an afternoon rain storm to move in over the mountains above, leaving the river uncrossable later in the day. These events have resulted in rescues of dozens of hikers in a single day. Some storms have stranded hikers and backpackers on this remote trail, so even day hikers should be prepared for an overnight stay.
Half Dome – California
Half Dome is one of the most iconic hikes in America, but it is not for the faint of heart. First, the trail is 14 miles long and has close to 5,000 feet of climbing. Second, the heat that can settle over the Yosemite Valley during the summer months can leave hikers dehydrated and exhausted miles from the trailhead.
Last but not least, the scariest part for most hikers climbing this iconic route is the cables. The final ascent to the top of the dome requires climbing up a 45-degree slope of slick granite. During the summer months, cables attached to the granite provide assistance on this final route, but the steep slope and extreme exposure still leave plenty of hikers paralyzed with fear before reaching the top.
Maroon Bells – Colorado
Any trail with the nickname “The Deadly Bells” should give you some insight into the dangers that an area poses. These iconic peaks near Aspen, Colorado, are one of the most picturesque places in all of Colorado, but the climb to the top has claimed the lives of many hikers over the years.
Steep, loose slopes, extreme exposure, and the temperamental weather that can quickly move into the mountains during the summer months in Colorado can turn a fun day in the mountains into a nightmare. A Forest Service sign posted on the access route notes that these mountains can “kill without warning.”
Angel’s Landing – Utah
The Angel’s Landing trail is one of the most popular destinations in Zion National Park despite the very clear danger presented along this narrow and very exposed route. The route isn’t particularly long or hard at only 5.4 miles and 1,500 feet of climbing. Still, the steep cliffs present an acute danger that can quickly turn deadly when combined with insufficient footwear, dehydration, or heat exhaustion.
It is estimated that 14 people have been killed along this route since 2000 so heed the warnings issued at the trailhead and make the trek safely.
Mt. Rainier – Washington
Mt. Rainier is the tallest peak in the Pacific Northwest and the fifth tallest in the continental United States. What makes this peak particularly dangerous, though, are the extensive glaciers that cover most of its upper reaches.
Crevasses that crisscross the glaciers can easily swallow up climbers or drop icefall onto unsuspecting hikers below. The fickle Pacific Northwest weather, especially at these high elevations, can quickly turn a decent day for climbing into a whiteout blizzard where hunkering down on the exposed slopes is the only hope for survival.
Longs Peak – Colorado
Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park is considered the deadliest mountain in Colorado and averages 2 deaths per year on its slopes. The long approach crosses sheer rock faces where rockfall is always a risk. Once on the upper reaches of the mountain, lightning storms can quickly move in, and when that happens, there are no options other than to hunker down under a rock or hope you can descend quickly enough to reach safety.
Bright Angel Trail – Arizona
Leading down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon from the southern rim, the Bright Angel Trail is tackled in its entirety by an estimated 100,000 people per year, with hundreds of thousands more hiking parts in the upper portions. The trail is well-graded and easy to hike down, which is both a blessing and a curse as many tourists find themselves too deep in the canyon to safely make it back up.
The further you get into the canyon, the higher the temperatures rise, so heat exhaustion can quickly set in during the strenuous hike back up.
Big Bend National Park – Texas
Big Bend National Park in southern Texas is an incredible and underutilized park, but its remote location and extreme heat can quickly make even a short hike dangerous. The park is also home to black bears, javelinas, and more venomous snakes, scorpions, spiders, and centipedes than you can count.
Even something as minor as putting on your shoe can result in a sting or bite from a poisonous animal, and help is a long way away in this remote park.
Glacier National Park – Montana
Glacier National Park offers up some of the country’s most stunning scenery with its high jagged peaks. The real danger here is the approximately 300 grizzly bears that call this park home.
The hiking trails that lead to some of the park’s most popular backcountry areas are also prime bear habitats, and a quick look through the park’s incident reports reveals dozens of reports of bear attacks over the years within the park’s boundaries.
Denali National Park – Alaska
One of the country’s wildest parks, Denali National Park, is home to the tallest mountain in North America. Every summer, tourists fill the park’s buses to ride the Denali Park Road, where they can take photos of the grizzly bears, moose, caribou, wolves, and dall sheep that call this park home.
Within the park, there are virtually no trails, as hikers are encouraged to spread out to prevent damaging the fragile arctic tundra that covers the ground. This means that once you’re out away from the road, you’re a long way from anyone except the animals.
With all that mentioned, there is a very real danger up on the mountain, as well, although climbing this massive peak is far beyond the scope of hiking!
