What’s the Most Dangerous Thing You Can Do in Montana?

With just over 1 million people spread out over 94,105,600 acres, how dangerous can Montana be? Someone posed the question on a Facebook page called Montana Travels & Adventures, and many of the comments were pretty funny. Before we get to the silly answers... here are some of the most dangerous things to do in Montana.

Going to work is dangerous.

OSHA says farming/agriculture, logging, mining, and trucking all make the top ten Most Dangerous jobs list. Those employed in the hunting or fishing industry take the #1 spot. Coincidentally, Montana has lots of farming, logging, mining, trucking, and outdoor jobs. So work here is dangerous.

Driving is dangerous.

Forbes just released the 2023 Most Dangerous States to Drive In list and guess who's number one again. Montana. Insert sarcastic "yay" here. South Carolina remains second. Regarding why it's so deadly to drive here, they wrote,

Speeding is responsible for more than a third of fatal crashes in both states, but impaired and negligent driving led to nearly 90% of Montana’s auto fatalities.

Can we please stop drinking and driving? I know winter roads and mountain passes are dangerous, but everything on the highway is less dangerous when we're all sober.

Having fun is dangerous.

Our "work hard, play hard" mentality doesn't just mean boozing it up. Montana provides ample outdoor opportunities and most of them carry a fair level of risk. Hiking, mountain biking, riding ATVs, skiing and boarding, horseback riding, rock climbing, hunting, and watersports are all somewhat dangerous. If they weren't, it wouldn't be fun, right?

The Montana Department of Health and Human Services notes that an average of 20 people per year drown in Montana, almost half of those on natural bodies of water. 32 people drowned in Montana in 2020.

Silly "dangerous" things.

The usual smattering of comments on the Most Dangerous Things to Do in Montana social media post include many that you've heard or said before. Petting the big furry cows in Yellowstone is dangerous. Not voting is dangerous. Moving here is dangerous. Having California plates on your car is dangerous too. Surprisingly, there were no snarky comments like "live in Billings." Some of the Most Dangerous comments were more original:

• Picking huckleberries with headphones on.
• Believing a local when they say "It's a short hike."
• Saying you're only going to have one.
• Driving 90 mph in the dark.
• Walking to the mailbox in January in shorts and flip-flops.
• Canoeing on Fort Peck in a thunderstorm.
• Trespassing.

What would you consider the most dangerous thing to do in Montana? Drop a comment on Facebook or chat on our Mobile App.

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