More than four million people from around the world visit Yellowstone National Park each year to admire its grandeur and beauty. Unfortunately, not all visits end with great photos to show to friends. All those visitors statistically ensure that some trips will occasionally go wrong or turn deadly. But should you fear for your life while hiking through Yellowstone? The Beck, Amsden and Stalpes legal team in Montana recently reviewed nearly two decades of death reports from the popular national park to get a sense of the unfortunate results and quickly identified some key findings.

After counting tragedies between 2007 and 2024, they discovered that a total of 75 people died within Yellowstone. However, the vast majority had very little to do with the park’s natural wonders. Medical emergencies caused 18 deaths, while car accidents came in second with 17 deaths. Fewer than 10 people drowned or died from falls, while only three reported wildlife incidents were fatal. The positive is that Yellowstone appears to be fairly safe from violent crime: only one homicide was confirmed in the 17 years of data.

Who is succumbing to these diseases? The numbers are pretty clear there too. Basically, 3 out of every 4 deaths in the park were men, and 57 percent of those who died were at least 45 years old. Children and teenagers emerged virtually unscathed, and only four percent of the deaths occurred among visitors under 14 years of age. In addition to simply driving through Yellowstone, enjoying the sights on foot resulted in 15 deaths from accidental falls, exposure, unexpected medical problems, and encounters with animals such as bison or bears.

One of the least surprising details is when These deaths are the ones that occur the most. Yellowstone sees the most deaths during the tourist months of May through October, with July accounting for nearly 25 percent of all recorded tragedies.

So if you’re an older man driving during the summer, you’re statistically the most at-risk visitor to the historic national park. Of course, simply following the iconic preserve’s guidelines and safety tips will greatly increase your chances of survival, no matter who you are.

At the very least, it’s highly unlikely that anyone else will end up as a poor traveler. The man reportedly fell into a boiling spring while looking for a place to soak on June 7, 2016. Due to the extreme heat and acidity of the water, his body completely dissolved in just 48 hours, with park rangers only finding his melted shoes and a wallet.

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