The great outdoors are full of adventure but can also be perilous, if not deadly if you are not careful- or just unlucky.

Overall, Texas state parks are safe, and the odds of a serious injury or death are very low—but not nonexistent.

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The National Park Service keeps detailed records of all deaths that occur at national parks, revealing some interesting (if somewhat macabre) trends about how and where people die.

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Most people who die at national parks are males and elderly, and they die either in automobile accidents or by suicide*. Suicide accounted for 93% of intentional deaths.

*If you are in crisis or are thinking about suicide, help is available. Call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 as they can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service is available to anyone. All calls are confidential. http://www.988lifeline.org

Of course, that's just the general picture based on the numbers.

And different parks have different hazards. For instance, a park that has lakes, rivers, and rapids will likely have more drownings than one that has fewer water features.

So which Texas state park has proven the deadliest, and how do people die there?

Big Bend

I did a bunch of data sorting so you didn't have to, but if you're hands-on, you can find it here, then scroll down until you find a link to the Excel spreadsheet. It lists every death from 2007 to 2024 (so far).

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After eliminating all non-Texas parks, it was revealed that Big Bend had the most deaths during that period.

However, the amount of deaths is still quite low and some may have been inevitable no matter where the person was.

Big Bend does have some hazards that come with its wild beauty. It's absolutely worth visiting, just remember to play it safe.

So HOW Do people die there?

Let's take a look at how people died at Big Bend between 2007-2024.

How People Die At Big Bend, The Most Dangerous Texas State Park

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