Grand Canyon visitors face new safety risk

Summer can be a great time to travel in the U.S. The weather is warm, school's not in session, and work tends to slow down — at least for a lot of folks.

Of course, the downside of traveling during the summer is battling crowds.

Popular destinations can be packed with tourists, making those excursions more stressful and less enjoyable.

And while the warm summer weather is a good thing in theory, it can also make certain outdoor activities unbearable.

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Plus, there are severe storms to think about. The unfortunate reality is that extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common.

It's important to plan your summer travel destination carefully, accounting for all possible hiccups.

Grand Canyon visitors face a new safety risk.

Image source: Shutterstock

National parks are a popular summertime vacation spot

If you're traveling within the U.S., there are many interesting locations you could hit this summer.

There's Disney World, for example, which could be a fantastic option if there are young kids in the mix. Or, you may want to venture someplace a bit more low-key, like a beach or lake town.

National parks are another popular summer vacation destination, and for good reason. For one thing, the scenery at some of those parks is just breathtaking.

And depending on your itinerary, you may find that a national park vacation is a fairly affordable way to travel.

While there are dozens of national parks you can choose to visit, Grand Canyon National Park tends to be a popular choice among travelers. And unlike some of the more heavily trafficked national parks, it does not require a reservation ahead of time.

That gives you the option to travel more flexibly, and to visit at times when the weather is most cooperative.

Visiting the Grand Canyon just got more dangerous

There's a reason park rangers make a point to approach hikers before they start to make their descent into the Grand Canyon.

Not only is the hike surprisingly strenuous, but higher temperatures can easily lead to issues ranging from dizziness to dehydration.

The National Park Service says that more than 250 people are rescued from the Grand Canyon each year. And tragically, roughly 10 to 20 hikers pass away annually due to factors like heatstroke.

Still, with proper planning and precautions, you can mitigate that risk. That means bringing an adequate supply of food and water with you into the canyon and pledging to listen to your body if it's telling you to turn around.

But while hiking in the Grand Canyon can be a risky prospect in general, this summer, travelers face a whole new risk.

A case of hantavirus was recently reported among a Grand Canyon concessions employee. Hantavirus, if not treated promptly, can be catastrophic, and it's most commonly transmitted through rodent urine or droppings.

Two other Grand Canyon visitors, meanwhile, came into contact with a bat that tested positive for rabies.

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Thankfully, both visitors received prompt treatment, as did the employee infected with hantavirus.

Though these incidents are rare, between these reports and the expected crowds at the Grand Canyon this summer, you may want to start thinking about a different destination.