Body of Washington 19-year-old found in Arizona national park campground, rangers say

The remains of a 19-year-old were found at an Arizona national park, rangers said.

Saguaro National Park officials recovered the body of a woman from Washington on Sept. 29. The remains were found near a campsite that requires backpacking uphill to reach.

Grass Shack campground in the Rincon Mountains has three campsites. They are 10 miles from the nearest trailhead and 5,200 feet in elevation, according to the national park service.

Park rangers shut down the campground to investigate the woman’s death.

“At this point in the investigation the death appears to be an accident,” Chief Ranger Kelsey Cassidy said Friday in a news release. “However there is additional work that needs to be done to understand what happened leading to this tragic result.”

The woman’s identity was not released Friday because her family had not been notified.

In 2020, more than 3,460 people camped in the backcountry of Saguaro National Park, according to the National Park Service.

The Saguaro Wilderness Area in the Rincon Mountains encompasses 100,000 acres of land. People who stay overnight are encouraged to bring at least a gallon of water with them.

The weather can also change quickly without warning, according to the National Park Service.

This story was originally published October 4, 2021 at 7:38 AM with the headline "Body of Washington 19-year-old found in Arizona national park campground, rangers say."