I think it’s more likely just someone hoping to post something that will get responses and interaction.
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I was referring specifically to grand canyon, which is in a hot desert
Falls still cause more deaths than heat in Grand Canyon NP. From 2007-2023 40 people died from falls there, and less than half that died from hyperthermia.
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Death Valley, on the other hand, I’m sure the top cause is hyperthermia. That is one area of the US I don’t even want to drive through without a GPS emergency beacon.
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I doubt it. Maybe @Nezuko is just trying to plan a trip to Yellowstone and wants more information. I don’t see many reasons for a bot to post a question like that, especially on the iNaturalist forum, of all places. But you have more experience with this than I do, so maybe you’re right.
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Death Valley is quite pleasant T-shirt weather in winter however. The main things to think about when visiting any national park or other “wild” area: carry water with you, recognize signs of heat fatigue, wear proper clothing and footwear for the conditions, know in advance where you are and where you’re going, and if you’re traveling alone try to leave info with park staff or someone else on where you’re going to be. And heed any warnings about hazards in the area. Most deaths and injuries result from people not realizing the hazardous conditions they can encounter, whether it’s heat, cold, flash floods, dangerous heights, etc. Plus their own physical limitations.
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I’ve messaged this user directly about it. As far as I can tell, they do not have an iNaturalist account. Unclear whether the question is sincere or made to stir up controversy.
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I travel to Yellowstone National Park every Fall to increase the chances of actually seeing more wildlife than traffic jams - and avoiding ad hoc pullovers where somebody thought they might have seen a magpie. There is the issue of mortality rates in national parks - but the other issue is - we are loving the parks to death.
https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/mortality-data.htm
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When in doubt, let’s not assume ill intent without evidence. Not that you need me to say so. It seems to be the default policy.
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Personally I don’t see anything about this that looks trollish or trying to hit hot button issues, just looks like a nature question to me
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The second and third responses asked for clarification of the question. People have continued providing answers from various perspectives for several hours, now.
Can’t we just consider the question answered, unless and until Nezuko responds or asks a follow-up question?
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Heard back and it’s a legit question, the OP is trying to plan a vacation. I apologize if my post insinuated that the question was not legit, I was trying to say it was currently unknown.
I hear you. We do definitely get some people here who I think come with the intent to stir up stuff, and safety at Yellowstone/how many people act towards wildlife there can be a hot button issue so that that raised a few red flags. Which is why I asked them for clarification.
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TLDR: I think YS is 99.9% safe if you follow the park rules, and stay on paths. Really just knowing risks, taking some precautions. You should be good.
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In my opinion, no, travelling to Yellowstone is not currently safe, as it requires one to enter the United States of America, and it is becoming abundantly clear that non-citizens have no rights, and are no longer accorded any common curtesy at the border.
If you are LGBT+ it is particularly not safe to visit at the moment.
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So much for no politics.
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I think it is useful to separate international travel issues from risks of the park itself, most visitors to the park are likely from the US and do not have to cross any international borders. I interpret this question as about hazards in the park, not the safety of international travel. I’m not saying international travel risks shouldn’t be taken seriously, I just think they are a separate issue from what OP is asking about
I’m not aware of any blanket rule that politics cannot be mentioned if relevant to a nature topic of discussion, but I do think this thread should be mainly about park hazards and not focus on international issues
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Certainly if the OP is referring to the risk of a volcanic eruption, I’d put the likelihood on a par with being hit by lightning from a clear sky. It can happen, but that shouldn’t stop you walking outside your door.
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Well, no place is `100% safe. Even your home isn’t completely hazard-less, let alone a national park.
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Most of the Grand Canyon, including the most visited parts of the park, are not in a desert.
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And even if were are talking about international travel, the US, even in its current state, is far from the most dangerous country to travel to. Quite the opposite, in fact.
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