Even the most experienced trekkers sometimes avoid certain hikes. From unfriendly wildlife to high altitude sickness and narrow footpaths, some trails are so perilous you might be happy just reading about them from the comfort of your home or office.
Fodor’s put together a list of the most dangerous hikes on the planet, compiled by their extensive team of writers and editors.
Let’s explore these incredibly risky routes:
1. Everest Base Camp
It’s perhaps no surprise that Everest Base Camp is often considered the most dangerous trek in the world.
While hiking Everest is relatively easy, the main dangers are the duration of the trek and the lack of oxygen at high elevations.
Between three and 15 people pass away each year on this Himalayan trek. It remains a popular choice for thrill-seekers.
2. Drakensberg Grand Traverse
The Drakensberg Grand Traverse in South Africa is considered the second most dangerous trek globally, an undeniably extreme hike regardless of skill level.
This remote, multi-day hike has a dangerous history, with hikers becoming hyperthermic or falling from poorly-made chain ladders.
In 1985, the 130-mile trail had seen 55 fatalities, and the government has stopped counting deaths since then.
3. Kalalau Trail
Often listed as one of the deadliest hikes in the US, the danger on Kauai’s Kalalau Trail doesn’t primarily come from muddy, slippery paths.
An official signpost warns that the beach’s unpredictable riptide can sweep hikers away, a circumstance that has claimed over 85 lives.
There’s also a notorious spot called “Crawler’s Ledge” which has resulted in fatalities for unprepared hikers. Kauai now requires a permit to hike the 25-mile trail.
4. Corcovado National Park
Located in Costa Rica, the hike through Corcovado National Park is so treacherous that the government mandates trekkers be accompanied by a trained guide.
Unlike many dangerous trails, this one doesn’t feature unpredictable weather or extreme elevation.
The primary threat is when mapless hikers get lost in the dense jungle brush, which is crawling with lethal wildlife like Pumas, crocodiles, jaguars, and over four types of highly venomous snakes.
5. Devil’s Causeway
The name itself is a clue. At 11,500 feet elevation in Colorado, hikers navigate through valleys and narrow paths.
After a roughly 10-mile journey, they reach a pencil-thin landbridge that is so intimidating it might make major thrill-seekers reconsider.
6. Huayna Picchu
Nicknamed “Machu Picchu Stairs of Death,” Huayna Picchu is known for its peril. Even deadlier than the four-day Inca Trail trek, this steep and slippery 2.5-mile summit hike results in countless injuries yearly and has even claimed lives.
7. The Precipice
Found in Acadia National Park, Maine’s most dangerous hiking trail offers unbeatable views of New England foliage, if you can reach the end.
The hike involves serious rock climbing, scaling three miles of steep mountain using occasional iron rungs. A single slip or misstep can lead to a fall of hundreds of feet, as has happened to many before.
8. Angel’s Landing
Fodor’s reported that the death toll at Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, Utah, makes it among the most dangerous hikes in America.
The main danger here is overcrowding. Trekkers, often of varying experience levels, are frequently shoulder-to-shoulder on paths barely wide enough for one person.
Hikers must navigate a thin, rocky path with heavy chain rails that offer little reassurance while staring down into a deep chasm.
9. Parvati Valley
Known grimly as the “Valley of Death” and “India’s Bermuda Triangle,” Parvati Valley is inherently dangerous due to its long winding routes, unstable footing, sheer drop-offs, and unpredictable weather.
However, its nicknames also stem from something more mysterious: over the past several decades, more than 30 visitors undertaking this hike have vanished without a trace or passed away under strange circumstances.
10. The Mist Trail to Half Dome
Another top-rated American national park, Yosemite, hosts danger on The Mist Trail to Half Dome. This hike requires permits and clip-in cables for safety.
Over the last 15 years, 13 hikers have died from falls, and 290 accidents have been reported. Adventurers navigate slippery conditions through Vernal Falls, followed by a grueling 18-mile hike with a 5,000-foot elevation gain.
With shaky legs, hikers must then climb ladder-like cables to the summit, which is often where disaster strikes.
11. Mount Huashan
Centuries ago, a Taoist priest in China nailed thin boards to Mount Huashan to reach the summit. Many tried and failed to follow.
Estimates suggest at least 100 hikers have plummeted from rickety platforms. While still risky, the hike is now equipped with new wooden platforms and clip-in harnesses.
12. Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim Trail
Despite being a popular tourist destination, the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim trail is deceptive, and over 800 people have died attempting it.
Even seasoned hikers can face danger. Many exhaust their energy hiking downhill in the cool morning, only to face a difficult 10-mile climb up steep canyon switchbacks to exit. Asking for help is not possible in the remote recesses of the canyon.
13. Mount Ijen
Located in Java, Indonesia, Mount Ijen is described by Fodor’s as the most inhospitable landscape on Earth.
It features an active volcano and an electric blue-acid lake capable of melting metal and searing skin.
Hikers braving the trail battle putrid gas and volcanic ash on twisting trails, requiring a gas mask to potentially witness the cerulean flames extending from the volcano.
14. Death Valley National Park
Aptly named, Death Valley National Park is full of danger. It is the hottest recorded place on Earth, with landscapes often exceeding 120+ degrees, making even short trails capable of inducing heatstroke.
Poor cell service makes navigation difficult. The presence of three species of venomous snakes scattered throughout the ravines adds significantly to the danger.
15. El Caminito del Rey
Imagine walking along a rickety wooden plank trail while clinging to a sheer cliffside, with a river far below.
Formerly one of the world’s most dangerous hikes due to thrill-seekers plummeting from rotten boards, authorities restored El Caminito del Rey in Spain for safety in 2015. Now, while still offering an adrenaline rush, hikers must wear a helmet.
16. Mount Washington Summit
Known as the most dangerous hike in New England, climbing Mount Washington Summit is potentially life-threatening despite its relatively low elevation of about 6,000 feet.
Over 180 fatalities have been recorded. The main hazard is rapidly changing weather, which can surprise hikers who start in 75-degree, sunny conditions only to encounter below-freezing temperatures halfway through the trek.
Alicia Richards