While the majority of people who are considering a tour of a National Park are thinking about using a service like ours for the convenience aspects, there are very real safety concerns with self-guided tours as well. Many people hike and explore regularly, and appreciate the serenity and sense of accomplishment that comes along with going it alone out in the wilderness. Many people are also injured or even killed each year by this activity, many times due only to the fact that they are quite unprepared for the potential accidents that can occur at any time. As an example, on a recent hike in the Mount Potosi area just outside of Las Vegas, a couple decided to venture toward the mountain range from an access road roughly five miles from Route 160. The area is quite desolate and uninhabited, and was actually made famous many years ago when a plane carrying Carol Lombard went down nearby. The search and rescue efforts were nearly impossible due to the remote location, and complete lack of services for miles in all directions. During a routine day hike, one member of the couple fell and slid down a steep incline, overturning a large boulder in the process. The boulder rolled over her back and legs, injuring her enough to make walking nearly impossible. Only at this point did it become recognized that they had no cell service, and were alone in an area that is almost never traveled. Even the car being parked on the side of the road would very well go unnoticed for days while the couple was stranded and injured more than two miles away, with no survival training or gear. Although this story has a happy ending and the woman was not so severely injured that she could not make it down the mountain and back to the car, these types of everyday accidents can have far more grave outcomes.
National Parks are purposefully kept free of development, and the Federal Government attempts to make the spaces as safe as possible while still maintaining the wild and open nature. For this reason, National Parks are lacking in many of the safety aspects that tourists would completely take for granted if they have never ventured into an undeveloped area before. Many people who have spent the majority of their time in cities or in areas that are not undeveloped are so used to the safety that they are provided that they do not even realize that when they venture into a National Park they are not being monitored, and are essentially on their own. While National Parks are certainly more traveled than the example above, and would probably have a far greater chance of having others exploring the same area that you are if you become injured and need assistance, it is still a good idea to enlist the services of a company that will provide an extra level of safety during your journey. A professional touring company like ours will provide your group with a guide who is familiar with the potential dangers, knows what to avoid in order to keep you safe, and can also make sure that you receive proper care if you were to become injured.
The case of an injury happening while on a guided tour is quite rare, but accidents do happen and being prepared with a plan on how to deal with an accident is the best contingency plan. Many who venture into National Parks on self-guided tours have almost no preparation for potential accidents, and will find that this lack of preparation is quite dangerous in remote places. Always go with a group, and an experienced leader.