How Many People Have Died on Mount Willey? 1 Hiking Death on Record
4,285 ft | Willey | 2 routes
As of 2026, 1 person has died hiking Mount Willey in the documented record — out of 1 incident in this database, 0 of which were survived. This counts hiking and backcountry incidents only — widely-cited mountain death tolls that include railway, auto-road, and aviation accidents run higher. The causes that recur most here are medical. Higher counts partly reflect how heavily a peak is hiked, not just how dangerous it is — it’s hiked safely far more often than not, but it rewards real preparation.
Hiking Mount Willey? Most of these were survivable with preparation. Start with today's conditions, the summit forecast and the fall gear guide.
Most common causes on Mount Willey
- Medical1 incident
When incidents happen
Documented incidents by month. Darker = more. Incidents cluster in November; winter incidents skew toward ice and traction, summer toward heat and exhaustion.
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survived | ||||||||||||
| Fatal | 1 |
Based on incidents with a known date. Use it to plan the season — not to assume any month is “safe.”
Every documented incident on Mount Willey
Each links to the full sourced report.
- Fatality · Willey Mountain TrailNov 30, 2010
Frequently asked
Is Mount Willey dangerous to hike?+
Mount Willey appears in 1 documented incident in this database, including 1 fatal. The most common contributing factors here are medical. Higher counts partly reflect how heavily a peak is hiked, not just how dangerous it is — Mount Willey is hiked safely far more often than not. Check the forecast, carry the Ten Essentials, start early, and be willing to turn back when conditions or daylight run short.
How many people have died on Mount Willey?+
This database documents 1 death on Mount Willey out of 1 recorded incident. The record reaches back into the historical archive and is updated as new reports are reviewed, so it captures the documented fatality record plus a growing, primary-sourced sample of rescues — not a complete tally of every call.
Part of the WMNF Hiker Incident Database. This tracks hiking and backcountry incidents — widely-cited mountain death tolls also count non-hiking fatalities (railway and auto-road accidents, aircraft, skiing, natural causes at the summit) that this database doesn't. Counts reflect the documented record, not every call NH Fish and Game responds to.