Glacier National Park announced that a hiker, an Iowa woman, tripped and fell 450 feet to her death from the Highline Trail last Wednesday. The park identified the woman as Diane Bunker of Muscatine, Iowa. She was 73 years old.
“Staff were alerted of a female who had fallen off the Highline Trail,” wrote Glacier National Park in a press release. “While hiking with a large group, Bunker tripped and fell off the edge of the trail, out of sight from her hiking party. The fall occurred between Big Bend and Triple Arches.”
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The Highline Trail is a nearly 15-mile trek that AllTrails calls a “must-do hike.” The popular hike includes spectacular views and steep, narrow sections. This tragic story is a reminder to all. No matter how experienced you may be, anyone can trip and fall.
Glacier National Park says after the hiker fell, park officials closed a section of the Going-to-the-Sun Road. It took about an hour to conduct a recovery of the hiker’s body.
This situation is still under investigation, and details may change.
Header stock image of the Highline Trail at Glacier National Park by Jeffrey Ross/Getty Images