Tragedies on world-famous peaks like Mt. Everest get a lot of attention, but the reality is that right here in the U.S., we have a lot of mountains that often make headlines in a bad way because people often get lost, injured, or killed on them.
For this article, I’m focusing on mountains that an average fit outdoorsperson might want to take on, not peaks that are objectively more dangerous but which are the province of expert alpinists only. This doesn’t mean you should stay away from the peaks here, but you should know the risks and prepare yourself for them.
Mount Rainier, Washington
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Most people who attempt to climb this peak, which is the most heavily glaciated one in the Lower 48, are seasoned mountaineers or clients of certified professional guides. However, storms and other dangerous conditions can challenge anyone, and a lot of inexperienced climbers trying to make it up on their own get into trouble here.
Mount Hood, Oregon
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Hood is the highest peak in Oregon and is considered one of the easiest of the Cascade volcanoes to climb. However, there’s still a lot of snow and ice up there, and there are very steep sections as well. A lot can still go wrong, and it’s no surprise that this mountain sees several rescue expeditions a year.
Half Dome, California
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This famous peak in Yosemite Valley is also the site of one of America’s most famous summit routes: the Cables. The Park Service has installed cables to use as handholds on a section that would otherwise be too steep and dangerous for unroped climbers. But all it takes is one slip…
Mount Whitney, California
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Located on the border of Sequoia National Park and the John Muir Wilderness, Whitney is the highest peak in the Lower 48. The standard route up it is merely a hiking trail, but it’s a hiking trail that’s 12 miles each way and gains 6000’ in elevation. Exhaustion and injuries resulting from it are concerns, as is exposure to storms when you’re well above treeline.
Granite Peak, Montana
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Granite Peak in the Beartooth Mountains is the highest peak in Montana. The approach to the summit climb itself is over 10 miles, and then the standard route requires technical climbing skills. Also, the Beartooths have the worst and the most unpredictable weather of the mountain ranges in the Yellowstone region.
Grand Teton, Wyoming
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“The Grand” is not Wyoming’s highest peak (it’s #2), but it is its most famous. All summit routes require technical climbing; the relative “ease” of some of those routes leads many climbers to go without ropes, which heightens the risks and consequences of a fall. The Tetons also get more precipitation than any other Yellowstone-area range does, and powerful storms can develop rapidly and with little warning.
Gannett Peak, Wyoming
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Gannett is the highest peak in the Wind River Range and in all of Wyoming. The traditional route to its summit requires glacier travel. Additionally, the approaches to that route itself are long and tiring, and the high altitudes mean constant exposure to potential altitude sickness and deteriorating weather conditions.
Longs Peak, Colorado
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Rocky Mountain National Park’s highest peak dominates the skyline from Denver and north up the I-25 corridor. At 14,255’, Longs poses dangers from altitude sickness, sun exposure, and unstable weather. The Keyhole Route, which is the most popular way up the peak, is 8 miles each way, with 5000’ of elevation gain (do the math– this is quite a bit steeper than the Whitney hike), has scrambling, and some of it is in highly exposed terrain where a fall would be fatal.
Maroon Bells, Colorado
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Located outside Aspen, these two “14ers”– peaks above 14,000’– are among the most beautiful and most photographed peaks in the country. Some, though, know them by their nickname: the Deadly Bells. This is due to the loose, treacherous nature of much of the rock on these peaks. And of course, you also have to worry about things like weather, exhaustion, and altitude sickness just as you have to with every other peak on this list so far.
Angels Landing, Utah
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Now we get to peaks where at least altitude sickness isn’t an issue for almost all people. Angels Landing is the most popular summit route in Zion. The final stretch is steep and narrow enough that the Park Service has installed cables for assistance, and people have fallen to their deaths here. The main causes of trouble on this route, though, are dehydration and heat exhaustion. Unfortunately, many people head out on this little adventure utterly unprepared for the conditions.
Enchanted Rock, Texas
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A granite dome in the Hill Country of Central Texas, Enchanted Rock is a statewide favorite, and its Summit Trail can draw hundreds of hikers, even on an inferno-like summer day. Heat exhaustion and dehydration are common here, and there are rescues almost every weekend during the warmer months. Another common cause of injuries and evacuations is falls from the many boulders that people like to scramble up.
Old Rag Mountain, Virginia
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For many people in the D.C.-MD-VA region and even in the wider Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, Old Rag in Shenandoah National Park is their first “real” mountain that they climb. The super-popular Ridge Trail has scrambling sections that get some people in over their heads, and the steepness of the route also causes issues. If you have doubts about your ability to handle this route, try the Saddle Route instead; it’s a little longer and not as much fun, but it doesn’t have scrambling.
Mount Washington, New Hampshire
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You can drive to the summit of New England’s highest peak, which cracks treeline and has alpine tundra on its upper expanses, and if you do, driving hazards are all you really have to worry about. But if you go up by foot, you should be aware that Washington is known for some of the world’s worst, windiest, and most capricious weather. Even in summer, you should be prepared to protect yourself from snow and ice.
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