Yellowstone National Park is teeming with wildlife such as bison and grizzlies. While attacks do happen from time to time, that's not the park's biggest killer.
In fact, since 1872, bison have only killed two people. Meanwhile, bears have killed eight people in total. However, one present danger eclipses them and more than doubles their deaths. Yellowstone's hot springs have killed 22 people since 1890, making them by far the park's biggest killer. According to USGS, hot springs have caused more injuries and deaths than anything else in Yellowstone.
One just has to take a look at the recent case of a New Hampshire woman. She burned herself badly after leaving the trail. Having visited Yellowstone myself, I noticed just how many thermal features the park has. There are clear walk signs and boardwalks. Park officials strongly advise visitors from leaving designated trails to avoid injuries.
Yellowstone National Park Killer
The park has more than 10,000 hydrothermal features. That includes geysers and hot springs as well. Of those features, many exceed 150°F in temperature. This means that they can be quite deadly if you fall in. Ever been splashed with burning water? Try taking a bath in one and you can realize just why they are so fatal. It's a brutal death I wouldn't wish on anyone.
The park first recorded a scalding injury in 1870. Explorer Truman Everts used a hot spring to survive for nearly 40 days in the wilderness by sleeping near it. A burst of steam injured him. The most recent death at Yellowstone due to hot springs was also one of its most gruesome. 70-year-old Hun Ro fell into a hot pool. The waters ended up dissolving most of his body with only his foot found in 22022.
In 2021, two people got seriously injured in the hot springs. A 20-year-old tried to save her dog after it fell in.
"We're already seeing new levels of stupidity this year," Jen Mignard, owner of the Facebook page Yellowstone National Park: Invasion of the Idiots, told Cowboy State Daily in April. "I suspect that with even more tourism, we're going to see a lot more really negative actions coming out of the park.'"
Be careful at the park.
