How Many Deaths Have There Actually Been in Yellowstone National Park in 2025?

The supervolcano at Yellowstone National Park didn't erupt, of course, thankfully sparing countless animal and human lives. With that in mind, many tourists will continue to visit Yellowstone National Park in perpetuity, seeking once-in-a-lifetime views and attractions.

With so many people visiting the famous national park throughout every season, it is helpful and prudent to know if there have been a large number of deaths there in 2025.

If you are planning to visit Yellowstone National Park this year, you are probably wondering how many deaths have occurred in the national park this year. It's a fair question to wonder, both to ensure your safety while visiting and to respect the lives of the animals who call Yellowstone National Park home.

Continue reading to learn more about the death toll at Yellowstone National Park and how to stay safe while visiting.

Inappropriate interactions with wildlife at Yellowstone National Park tragically contribute to injuries and deaths alike for both humans and animals.

For instance, on May 15, the National Park Service reported that an 11-year-old male grizzly bear was trapped and killed because he had become reliant on human food.

"The bear became increasingly food-conditioned and posed a risk to public safety in one of the busiest areas of the park," per the news release on the National Park Service website. "The decision to kill the bear was made to ensure public safety and reduce the chances of other bears becoming habituated to human food."

In September 2017, the National Park Service similarly killed a grizzly bear reliant on human food and resources, calling the death a "management action."

On July 28, a report by WSMV 4 in Nashville noted that three individuals were killed in a plane crash near Yellowstone National Park. "The victims were identified by the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) as Rodney Conover, 60, of Tennessee; Madison Conover, 23, also of Tennessee; and Kurt Enoch Robey, 55, of Utah."

"GCSO said search teams were able to locate the site of the crash using the last known location of the smart watch from of the victims," according to the report by WSMV 4. "The single-engine Piper PA-28 aircraft left Montana’s West Yellowstone Airport just before midnight on Thursday, according to Federal Aviation Administration records released Monday."

While there have been notably few deaths in and near Yellowstone National Park, there have also been some dangerously close calls.

On July 29, Cowboy State Daily reported a 17-year-old tourist narrowly avoided death after a scary experience at Yellowstone National Park.

"The teenage male was on a hike in the Lone Star Geyser Basin 3 miles southeast of Old Faithful on Monday morning when his foot broke through a thin crust at the edge of the thermal area," per the report. "His foot plunged into the scalding water, which can range in temperature from around 160 to 200 degrees, causing significant burns to his foot and ankle."