Eight documented incidents show what can go wrong at camp: a flash flood, generator exhaust, two bear encounters, hantavirus, lightning, desert heat and a dust storm. Each is paired below with the safety rule from the National Park Service (NPS), National Weather Service (NWS) or CDC.
Last updated: September 26, 2026
Chuck Price has 35+ years of RV camping experience and owns a 2018 Hymer Aktiv Class B.
These are documented camping incidents, most of them not RV-specific, and each account links to its source. Only two of the source records mention an RV: a generator death at a Maryland fairground and a 19-vehicle pileup on Interstate 10 in Arizona. The rest happened at campgrounds, park lodging, a wilderness camp and a trailhead. The hazards apply off-grid too. See also the most dangerous national parks.
Flash flood: 20 campers died at Albert Pike
A 2010 flash flood killed 20 sleeping campers at Albert Pike, Arkansas. It struck the Ouachita National Forest recreation area early on June 11, 2010, along the Little Missouri River and Brier Creek, per the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The NWS office in Little Rock says nearly 300 sleeping campers “were caught unprepared and 20 lost their lives.” Many campsites there are in low-lying, remote areas, and NWS says the Weather Radio signal cannot reach everywhere.
USGS modeling estimated mean inundation depths of 3.8 to 12.5 feet across the camp areas. NWS urged campers to check the forecast before a trip and test a NOAA Weather Radio before setting up.
What NWS says to do
The NWS flood safety page says, “If you live in a flood prone area or are camping in a low lying area, get to higher ground immediately.”
- “If told to evacuate, do so immediately.”
- Do not walk through flood water. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.
- “It is NEVER safe to drive or walk into flood waters” (NWS Turn Around Don’t Drown).
NWS pages differ on vehicle depths. Turn Around Don’t Drown says 12 inches carries away most cars and 2 feet carries away SUVs and trucks. The flood safety page says 12 inches can float a car or small SUV and 18 inches can carry away large vehicles. Neither makes a crossing safe in a motorhome or tow vehicle. For an emergency plan, see our boondocking emergency and first aid guide.
Carbon monoxide: a generator pointed at an RV
Carbon monoxide (CO) from a gas generator killed a 75-year-old man in his RV in Maryland in 2013. On the night of August 7 to 8, he and his 76-year-old wife started it near the rear of the RV at a Cresaptown fairground before going to sleep. The generator sat several feet away with its exhaust pointed at the RV, and fumes got inside, according to an Associated Press report carried by CBS Baltimore. His wife was hospitalized.
What CDC says to do
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns, “People who are sleeping, drunk, or under the influence of other substances can die from CO poisoning before they have symptoms.”
- Run portable generators “outside, more than 20 feet away from any windows, doors, and vents,” per CDC.
- Common CO symptoms are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.
- Check CO detector batteries when you change your clocks each spring and fall.
- Never use a portable gas camp stove indoors.
Each year more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires, per CDC. That annual U.S. count covers all settings and is not specific to RVs. For propane and fire precautions, see our RV fire safety guide.
Bears: a tent at Elkmont and a grizzly at Grand Teton
In both national park bear incidents below, bears were drawn by food smells or got food at or near campsites. Food storage rules are set park by park, so the rule depends on where you camp.
A black bear enters a tent at Elkmont
At about 5:20 a.m. on June 12, 2022, a black bear entered an Elkmont Campground tent holding a family of five and their dog, according to NPS. The bear injured a 3-year-old girl and her mother. Wildlife biologists captured the 350-pound male, and the park euthanized it on June 13, citing “extreme food-conditioned behavior and lack of fear of humans.” NPS said the bear “was likely attracted to food smells throughout the area, including dog food at the involved campsite.”
A grizzly gets campsite food at Grand Teton
From June 11 to 13, 2021, a male grizzly about 2.5 years old walked through a Grassy Lake Road campsite, was fed by visitors from a vehicle south of Lizard Creek Campground, then got unattended trash and a drink at a Headwaters Campground campsite, per NPS. The person who left the trash and drink received a food storage citation with a mandatory court appearance. The bear was captured, collared and moved by boat to the west side of Jackson Lake.
On July 20, 2021, a federal magistrate judge ordered an Idaho woman to pay $5,826.99 in restitution after she failed to properly store garbage and beverages at a Grand Teton campsite, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming. A grizzly got the items and was tranquilized, collared and relocated by boat. Neither release says whether the two records involve the same bear or visitor.
Food storage rules differ by park
To a bear, anything with a scent is food, including drinks, toiletries, trash, sunscreen, bug repellent and fuel, per NPS. NPS says, “Always check with the parks you plan to visit to learn their regulations.” Never store food in a pickup truck bed. Yosemite National Park rules state, “Food may not be stored in pop-up or tent trailers, or other soft-sided campers” (Yosemite bear rules).
| Park | Where food may go | Not allowed | Use case | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Smoky Mountains | Sealed in a vehicle (preferably the trunk) or solid-walled camping unit when not in use | Food, cookware, coolers, scented items or water containers left out when not in use | Elkmont and seven other campgrounds have a limited number of lockers | Campground regulations |
| Grand Teton | Bear-resistant food storage locker, or a hard-sided vehicle with doors locked and windows closed, day and night | Food, drinks, trash, coolers, cookware, toiletries, fuel, bug spray, sunscreen or pet food left unattended or stored elsewhere | Grand Teton campgrounds | Grand Teton bear safety |
| Yosemite | Out of sight in hard-sided trailers and RVs, with windows, doors and vents closed. Cars in daylight only | Soft-sided campers. Cars or trucks after dark | Hard-sided RVs and trailers | Yosemite bear rules |
| Rocky Mountain | Food storage lockers first. If full, a trunk with windows closed and doors locked, or low and covered from sight if trunkless | Food or coolers left unattended or improperly stored (violation notice) | Bear boxes in all campgrounds. Soft-sided vehicles and convertibles are encouraged to use them | Food storage at campgrounds and trailheads |
The NPS servicewide page says some parks allow food in a car only in daylight and others require lockers.
Bear spray and encounters
If any bear attacks you in your tent, the NPS bear safety page says to fight back and not play dead. The Smokies black bear page warns, “Violations can result in fines up to $5,000 and jail time up to six months.” For more on wildlife at camp, see our guide to boondocking with wildlife.
Hantavirus: mice in the Yosemite tent cabins
Ten people who stayed overnight in Yosemite National Park between June 3 and July 23, 2012, were confirmed with hantavirus infection, per a report in the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. Of the 8 patients with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, 3 died. Nine of the 10 stayed in a signature tent cabin in Curry Village, lodging the report found “significantly associated with becoming infected.” Rodent nests and tunnels were found in the cabins’ wall insulation. Deer mice carry Sin Nombre virus, which people mainly catch by breathing in airborne droppings and urine. The outbreak involved park lodging, not RVs.
CDC says, “Avoiding exposure to rodents and their urine and feces is the best way to prevent infection.” Its rodent cleanup guide has separate steps for “cars, trucks, campers, and other vehicles.” For a camper, CDC says to do this.
- Open the hood, doors and trunk and let the vehicle air out for 20 minutes.
- Wear plastic gloves and a long-sleeved shirt.
- Spray droppings, urine and nesting material with disinfectant until soaked and let it sit 5 minutes, or as the label says.
- Do not use a vacuum or high-pressure sprayer until the area is disinfected.
CDC also says, “Don’t vacuum or sweep rodent urine, droppings, or nesting materials.”
Lightning: a tent is not shelter
A 22-year-old man camping in Teton County, Wyoming, was killed by lightning in his tent on August 2, 2022, per the NWS 2022 lightning fatality list. He was a student on a National Outdoor Leadership School course in the Teton Wilderness near Yellowstone, FOX Weather reported. A group leader, also reportedly injured by the bolt, tried cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
The NWS lightning safety page says, “The only completely safe action is to get inside a safe building or vehicle.” A hard-topped vehicle with the windows closed counts as safe shelter. A tent offers no protection. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before you go back outside. Avoid ridge tops, hilltops and tall isolated trees.
Heat: 119°F at a Death Valley trailhead
Hyperthermia killed a 57-year-old hiker in Death Valley National Park on August 1, 2024, per NPS. After the one-mile round-trip Natural Bridge Trail, bystanders said his responses did not make sense. He then drove off a steep 20-foot embankment at the edge of the trailhead parking lot. Furnace Creek recorded 119°F that afternoon.
Summer 2024 was Death Valley’s hottest on record, with an average of 104.5°F from June through August, per NPS. Death Valley rangers give this advice.
- Stay in or near air conditioning (NPS).
- Do not hike at low elevations after 10 a.m.
- Drink plenty of water and eat salty snacks.
- Stay within a 10-minute walk of an air-conditioned vehicle (NPS).
- Wear a hat and sunscreen.
Dust storm: 19 vehicles, one RV, on I-10
On October 29, 2013, a dust storm cut visibility on Interstate 10 near Picacho Peak, Arizona, per a Fox News report. Nineteen vehicles crashed, including one recreational vehicle, 10 commercial vehicles and a tanker. The Arizona Department of Public Safety reported 3 dead and at least 12 hurt. NWS says haboobs and dust storms are most common in the Southwest.
If a dust storm catches you on the road, NWS gives these steps.
- Pull off the pavement as far as possible.
- Stop, turn off your lights and set the emergency brake.
- Take your foot off the brake so your tail lights are dark.
- Never stop on the traveled roadway.
Incident and lesson summary
If you often camp alone, see our solo female camping guide.
| Hazard | Incident (date, place) | Agency rule |
|---|---|---|
| Flash flood | 2010, Albert Pike, Arkansas | Get to higher ground immediately (NWS) |
| Carbon monoxide | 2013, Cresaptown, Maryland | Generators more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents (CDC) |
| Black bear | 2022, Elkmont, Great Smoky Mountains | Food sealed in a vehicle or solid-walled unit (park rules) |
| Grizzly bear | 2021, Grand Teton | Food in a bear locker or a locked, closed hard-sided vehicle, day and night (park rule) |
| Hantavirus | 2012, Curry Village, Yosemite | Do not vacuum or sweep rodent waste (CDC) |
| Lightning | 2022, Teton County, Wyoming | Shelter in a building or hard-topped vehicle, not a tent (NWS) |
| Heat | 2024, Natural Bridge trailhead, Death Valley | Stay within a 10-minute walk of an air-conditioned vehicle (NPS) |
| Dust storm | 2013, I-10, Arizona | Pull off, lights off, foot off the brake (NWS) |
Rules and conditions change, so check your park’s rules, the NWS forecast and current alerts before you go.
Frequently asked questions
Is boondocking safe?
No source cited here gives a risk rate for boondocking. The same hazards reach off-grid camps. In a flood, move from low ground to higher ground at once (NWS). Keep generators more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents (CDC). Never shelter from lightning in a tent (NWS).
How should you store food in bear country when you camp in an RV?
Follow your park’s rule. As of September 26, 2026, Yosemite allows food out of sight in closed-up hard-sided RVs, but not in pop-up, tent or other soft-sided campers. Grand Teton requires a bear locker or a hard-sided vehicle with doors locked and windows closed, day and night. Verify current rules before departure.
How far should a generator be from an RV?
CDC says to run portable generators outside, more than 20 feet away from any windows, doors and vents. Sleeping people can die from carbon monoxide before they have symptoms. Check your CO detector batteries when you change your clocks each spring and fall.
What should you do if a flash flood threatens your campsite?
NWS says to get to higher ground immediately if you camp in a low-lying area and to evacuate at once if told to. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet. NWS says it is never safe to drive or walk into flood water.
Is a tent safe in a thunderstorm?
No. NWS says a tent offers no protection from lightning. The only completely safe action is to get inside a safe building or a hard-topped vehicle with the windows closed. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back out.
How do you clean mouse droppings out of a camper?
CDC groups campers with vehicles. Open the hood, doors and trunk for 20 minutes, wear plastic gloves and a long-sleeved shirt, then spray droppings and nesting material with disinfectant until soaked and let it sit 5 minutes. Do not vacuum or use a high-pressure sprayer until the area is disinfected.
What happens if you leave food out at a national park campsite?
Yosemite lists fines up to $5,000, impoundment or removal from your campsite. Great Smoky Mountains says violations can bring fines up to $5,000 and six months in jail. In a 2021 Grand Teton case, a federal magistrate ordered an Idaho woman to pay $5,826.99 in restitution for improperly storing garbage and beverages.
