National Park Deaths Dropped in 2025—but One Demographic Accounts for 84 Percent of Them

June 2, 2026

In 2025, 198 people died at National Park Service (NPS) sites across the United States, according to a recent NPS report. But one demographic accounted for the vast majority of those deaths, representing 83 percent of all reported fatalities: men.

Every year, the NPS releases its mortality data, tracking how many people died and from what causes across the country. Outside dug through the data, which was released in April, and found that 114 of the deaths last year were men. Another 23 women died, while the sex of 61 individuals was not recorded.

Dan Whitten, 57, a search-and-rescue expert, told Outside that men have certain traits that make them more susceptible to backcountry accidents. Men are more likely to take risks and also make up a higher proportion of those engaged in high-risk activities such as solo backpacking or off-trail climbing. Now retired, Whitten spent 26 years leading search and rescue operations in California’s rugged San Bernardino Mountains. Outside