List of National Parks that are Open During the Shutdown

As most people are well aware at this point, the vast majority of the parks within the national park system are closed due to the government shutdown. A few states have worked with the government and they have decided to reopened a few parks with state funds. It’s important to note that just because a state has decided to reopen some parks within their state, that doesn’t mean that all of the national parks sites within their state are open. The number of sites open is still only a small percentage of the 401 sites that make up the national park system. Below is the current list of sites that are currently open, along with the dates that they are scheduled to remain open:

Arizona

grand canyon national park arizona

Grand Canyon National Park (currently scheduled to be open from October 12 to 18)

Colorado

rocky mountain national park

Rocky Mountain National Park (currently scheduled to be open from October 11 to 20)

New York

statue of liberty

Statue of Liberty National Monument (currently scheduled to be open from October 12 to 18)

North Carolina / Tennessee

national park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (currently scheduled to be open from October 16 to 20)

South Dakota

mount rushmore

Mount Rushmore National Memorial (currently scheduled to be open from October 14 to 23)

Utah

Arches National Park

All Utah parks are currently scheduled to be open from October 11 – 20

Arches National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Cedar Breaks National Monument
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Natural Bridges National Monument
Zion National Park

Sex in National Parks: Where People Are Having It Most

It seems that nature lovers are doing more than admiring nature at our national parks, at least according to a press release survey from MissTravel.com which claims that 1 in 5 travelers have enjoyed sex on America’s public lands. Zion National Park was crowned the top place where couples have done more than explore nature based on the survey of 8,500 traveling singles.

Brandon Wade, Founder & CEO of the website that conducted the survey notes in the press release that “Mother Nature inspires people to shed their inhibitions and give in to their primal urges. At a National Park, there are lots of secluded areas off the beaten path, and it wouldn’t be too difficult to find a quiet, romantic spot for two people to be alone together.”

While the one in five number may at first appear rather high, it’s important to remember that there are some national parks that have hotel lodging and camping within the park. Below are the top 10 parks where people are having sex according to the survey:

Number 1: Zion (Utah)

Zion national park
Photo: Jeffrey Strain

Number 2: Dry Tortugas (Florida)

Dry Tortugas national park
Photo: Richard Lopez

Number 3: Redwood (California)

redwood national park
Photo: Jeffrey Strain

Number 4: Mammoth Cave (Kentucky)

Mammoth Cave national park
Photo: Jeff Kubina

Number 5: Arches (Utah)

Arches national park
Photo: Jeffrey Strain

Number 6: American Samoa (American Samoa)

American Samoa national park
Photo: eutrophication&hypoxia

Number 7: Biscayne (Florida)

Biscayne national park
Photo: Bruce Tuten

Number 8:Big Bend (Texas)

Big Bend national park
Photo: Robert Hensley

Number 9: Congaree (South Carolina)

Congaree national park
Photo: Hunter Desportes

Number 10: Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee)

Great Smoky Mountains national park
Photo: Carl Wycoff

Black Bear Cub Opens Car Door Great Smoky Mountains National Park

A good example of why you don’t leave car doors open. A black bear cub manages to pry open a door on a car at Great Smoky Mountains National Park and get inside. While definitely cute, it’s not a habit that young bears should be learning:

From the video information:

While going to our cabin in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we saw a baby bear cub pry open a barely opened car door and climb in. All of this happening while the mother bear and another bear cub waited a couple feet away. Nobody was in the car while this happened, nobody got hurt, the bear didn’t damage the car, and the bear didn’t get anything unhealthy to eat