4/00

Last summer, my husband and I went camping in the White Mountains National Forest of New Hampshire. The campsite we were in wasn't too thickly populated, so I took my shirt off. About an hour later, a park ranger came up to our spot. He had received a complaint about a 'naked woman' and had to investigate. I asked if I was doing something illegal. He said 'not really, but I'm supposed to ask you to cover up'. He then gave us the option of moving to a more secluded camping area. We took the second option, and I put my shirt back on to move.

We moved to another spot further along the highway where the campers were much more widespread. From then on, we had no negative run-ins. Nobody said much of anything. While hiking Sunday morning, we encountered a younger couple. The guy asked if what we were doing was legal. I told him 'yes, as long as you don't wander into a crowded camping area'. As we hiked onward, we saw the girl taking off her shirt and bra. We never did find out who complained about us, but we're looking forward to going back this summer.

--Cheryl, Plymouth, MA