West Virginia has one of the most dangerous parks in America, study says

WEST VIRGINIA ( WTRF ) – West Virginia boasts some magnificent parks, but one study warns visitors to be cautious when visiting one 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 U.S.

New River Gorge has five deaths per million visits.

Someone dies in a national park every 29 hours, but most deaths are due to human factors rather than nature.

Top 10 Most Dangerous National Parks in America

The study analyzed data from official fatality rates occurring in 153 popular national parks across America. It gathered data from the U.S. National Park Service spanning 11 years, from the beginning of 2013 until the end of 2023.

Although the New River Gorge has only been a national park since 2020, it has been a tourism destination for years and houses some high-adrenaline activities that can be dangerous, including whitewater rafting, rock climbing, and BASE jumping—which happens at Bridge Day, an annual festival where people BASE jump off the 876-foot New River Gorge Bridge. Fatalities have been confirmed from all three activities, although none have been announced in 2024 so far.

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