The Most Dangerous National Parks

National park rangers nationwide were surveyed in 2002 about which parks were most dangerous and why. Here are the top 10:

1. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
2. 
   Arizona-Mexico border
   • Drug trafficking and heavy illegal immigrant traffic
3. Big Bend National Park
4. 
   Texas-Mexico border
   • Drug smuggling, illegal immigrant traffic, plant and animal poachers along more than 100 miles of the border with Mexico
5. Padre Island National Seashore
6. 
   Texas Gulf Coast
   • Drug smuggling, illegal immigrant traffic, poaching of endangered turtles and their eggs, illegal commercial fishing, radio communications problems
7. Shenandoah National Park
8. 
   Northwest Virginia
   • No reliable radio communications on eastern side of the park, reduced ranger staff, plant and animal poaching
9. Lake Mead National Recreation Area
10. 
    East of Las Vegas, on Arizona border
    • Ranger staff too small by half
11. Grand Canyon National Park
12. 
    Northern Arizona
    • Crime caused by overcrowding; frequent, difficult and dangerous rescues of injured and exhausted hikers
13. San Juan National Historic Site
14. 
    Puerto Rico
    • Urban park with gang and drug problems, short staffed with just two commissioned rangers and one commissioned supervisor
15. Yosemite National Park
16. 
    Northeast California
    • Too few rangers, heavy workload, poorly equipped and staffed fire brigade
17. Biscayne National Park
18. 
    Southeast Florida
    • Illegal commercial fishing, drug smuggling, congested boat channels
19. Gateway East, Sandy Hook Unit
20. 
    Northeast New Jersey
    • More than 2 million visitors, state's only beach to allow alcohol and nudity, shrinking ranger staff, potential terrorist targets in major shipping lanes

Source: National Park Rangers Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police