[KarlMalone]

Originally Posted by MFN

Years ago there were no restrictions against nudity in the National Parks. However, many Rangers didn't know this, and arrested you anyway. You'd eventually get off, after they searched their regulations and couldn't find any authority to arrest you for nudity. This was a hassle. So, even though we were legal being nude we tried to not get arrested in the first place, even though we knew we'd be set free.

The Rangers usually didn't care if they saw you naked; but if some other visitor complained, the Ranger had to arrest you, unless they knew there was no legal basis. After a while, we realized that visitors might complain about a man (me) being naked, but never seemed to mind a good-looking woman (my gf, later my wife) being naked.

So, if we were on an isolated trail, we'd both hike wearing only our hiking boots and maybe a sun hat, but if we heard some one approaching I'd quickly don my shorts. Meanwhile her entire outfit remained in her small backpack. When we caught up to or passed the other hikers, we'd stop for casual conversation about the weather, conditions ahead, where we were each from, etc., all the time with my gf being the only one naked, just carrying on her part of the conversation as if clothed. Nobody ever complained.

We never did walk into a Visitor Center naked, although we had every right to. We just didn't want to push the limits too far.

My father hikes quite a bit in state and national parks and he has told me he has stumbled upon naked people, both women and men, quite a bit!