‘It’s Still Hot in the Park’: Heat Is Still Killing Hikers in National Parks

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This summer, we saw frequent news of hiker fatalities in national parks or National Park Service (NPS)-managed sites due to the heat. Unfortunately, heat is likely still playing a factor in some hikers’ deaths in national parks. In states like Texas, NPS warns that daytime temperatures can reach nearly 100°F, even in October. A hiker’s death this week in Texas’s Big Bend National Park underscored this message.

“On Monday, October 28, after an aerial and ground search by NPS rangers and U.S. Border Patrol supported by helicopters from the TX Department of Public Safety and U.S. Customs Air and Marine Operations, searchers located the body of a 24-year-old hiker along the Marufo Vega Trail,” wrote Big Bend National Park officials in a press release.

Big Bend describes the Marufo Vega Trail as a “spectacular yet challenging 14-mile loop” that winds through rugged desert and along rocky limestone cliffs. There is no shade or water on the trail, which makes it a potentially dangerous trek during warm months—and, in this part of country, October is still a warm month.

“Even though it is late October, daily temperatures along the Rio Grande and desert areas of Big Bend remain extreme; close to 100 degrees each afternoon,” Big Bend warns. “Park Rangers wish to remind all visitors to be aware of the dangers of extreme heat. Hikers should be prepared to carry plenty of water, salty snacks, and to plan on being off desert trails during the heat of the afternoon.”

Read our tips for hiking in the desert here.