This Dangerous Type Of Encounter Park Rangers Face Has Nothing To Do With Wildlife

Working as a national park ranger may seem like a dream job. Your office is stationed in one of the most beautiful places in the country, and your coworkers are majestic animals who are indigenous to the land. Your job is to preserve and protect these sacred spaces and their inhabitants, and inspire a love of all things nature with people from all over the country and the world. Anyone would be lucky to have this job, right?

While the job has many rewarding aspects, many people don't realize that there is a dangerous dark side to working as a National Park Service ranger. Many park rangers have desk jobs, yes, but many others are out in the thick of the action. From spending days, sometimes weeks, stationed in remote locations, to working during severe weather and surviving risky wildlife encounters, there are many reasons to think twice before you accept that job and put on a uniform. But one difficult aspect of being a national park ranger that most people don't think about is that your most dangerous encounter may not be with wildlife — it'll be with other humans visiting the park.

There are 433 sites across the United States protected by the National Park Service (NPS) — including 63 national parks — that cover over 85 million acres and receive millions of visitors every year. It is the job of park rangers to manage crowds and investigate illegal activity so they ensure the safety of all visitors. National park rangers recommend important safety advice to visitors that is sometimes ignored or dismissed. The enforcement of rules can lead to angry and at times violent tourists.

One recent example of park rangers dealing with violent guests occurred in Staunton State Park in Colorado. A seasonal park ranger was stabbed in the torso during an alleged argument with a man on August 19, 2025. The suspect ran off into the woods and was not captured. However, law enforcement said the attack was targeted and there was no reason to believe the man was an ongoing threat to the community. The park ranger was doing well though he had to be transported out of the park and to a nearby fire station, and then airlifted to a hospital. Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose told CBS News that violent attacks from visitors is "just part of the job."

This was not the first and likely will not be the last incident that takes place in a site managed by NPS. In 2022, a Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) study found a significant rise in crime and an "explosive growth" in park search and rescue operations, all during a continuing decrease in NPS staff. Search and rescue missions (such as the infamous Gabby Petito disappearance) more than tripled from 2015 to 2021, and there was a four-fold rise in the number of violent crimes between 2014 and 2019.

Remember that park rangers can help you make the most of your national park experience, but part of their job is to keep you safe and to preserve this country's natural wonders. If you find yourself getting frustrated by a park ranger trying to enforce the rules, take a deep breath and try to understand that it's in everyone's best interest to listen to them.