How risky is Yellowstone?

As in other parks, some Yellowstone visitors die just about any year from drowning, falling off cliffs, and crashing vehicles.



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Hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than encounters with wildlife. Boardwalks and trails are there to protect visitors, and off-boardwalk hiking is very dangerous - scalding water underlies most of the thin, breakable crust around hot springs.

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Always stay at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards (23 m) away from all other animals, including bison and elk. Hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature. Keep your children close and don't let them run.

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Drownings have resulted in five known deaths in the park. Looking at all national parks, the survey indicated that falls were by far the most common way to die, accounting for a total of 245 deaths.

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If another large, caldera-forming eruption were to occur at Yellowstone, its effects would be worldwide. Such a giant eruption would have regional effects such as falling ash and short-term (years to decades) changes to global climate.

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Yellowstone's greatest geological threat isn't a supervolcano. It's a magnitude-7 earthquake. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. – While concerns about a potential eruption of the supervolcano beneath this iconic park may garner the most alarming headlines, a more likely hazard in the coming decades is a large earthquake.

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Hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature. Keep your children close and don't let them run. Animals that become dependent on human food may become aggressive toward people and have to be killed. Keep all food, garbage, or other smelly items packed away when not in use.

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If you do any hiking or camping in Yellowstone, you SHOULD bring bear spray. Generally, you don't need bear spray when visiting the popular and crowded geyser areas and villages, such as Old Faithful and Canyon Village.

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So can you even swim in Yellowstone? The short answer is yes. The long answer is: it's pretty limited. Although there are many rivers, lakes, and springs in the park, it's very important to note that the vast majority of the waters are incredibly dangerous.

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A: For the most likely type of volcanic eruption in Yellowstone, everywhere would be safe except in the immediate vicinity of the advancing lava flow. In the highly improbable event of a large catastrophic eruption, the great the distance from the eruptive center, the safer it would be.

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Elk. Elk or wapiti (Cervus canadensis) are the most abundant large mammal found in Yellowstone; paleontological evidence confirms their continuous presence for at least 1,000 years. Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872, when market hunting of all large grazing animals was rampant.

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Protect yourself and the sights you plan to enjoy by following a few simple rules:
  • Never approach wildlife. The animals in Yellowstone are wild and unpredictable, no matter how calm they appear to be. ...
  • Stay on boardwalks and trails in thermal areas. ...
  • Never feed wildlife. ...
  • Never park in the road or block traffic.


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It's perfectly possible to spot a bear any time of day in the Park, especially in cooler weather, but mid-summer you are unlikely to see bears out in the heat of the day, when they tend to nap in the forest. You don't need to go hiking into the backcountry to see bears.

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Approximately 150–200 with home ranges wholly or partially in the park. As of 2021, 1,063 estimated in greater Yellowstone.

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If you have bear spray, have it out and ready to use.
  1. If you have bear spray, have it out and ready to use.
  2. Do not run. This could trigger a chase response from the bear.
  3. Remain calm.
  4. Slowly back away from the bear.
  5. Say, It's okay bear, or I'm leaving bear, to let the bear know you are a human.


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Grizzly bears are active primarily at dawn, dusk, and night. In spring, they may be seen around Yellowstone Lake, Fishing Bridge, Hayden and Lamar valleys, Swan Lake Flats, and the East Entrance.

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Lamar Valley Valleys and meadows are the best places to spot Yellowstone bears. And what better place to start looking for grizzly bears in Yellowstone than the area known as “America's Serengeti”?

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Yes, guns are permitted in Yellowstone National Park Park visitors are able to openly carry legal handguns, rifles, shotguns and other firearms per a federal law approved by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama in February 2010. Concealed weapons are allowed by state statute.

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