This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Two Utah national parks are among the most popular in the United States for doing the deed, if you believe a survey from "the world's first destination-dating website," MissTravel.com.
MissTravel.com public relations manager Jennifer Gwynn, who went to school at the University of Utah, says the company polled 8,500 single travelers who voted Zion as the most lust-accommodating national park and Yellowstone and Everglades national parks as the biggest mood-killers — at least among people who take part in surveys for travel dating websites. Arches was fifth-most sexy, and the survey also found that 20 percent of MissTravel.com travelers have had sex on public lands.
At Zion, "it's very easy to get lost and not see anybody for a while," Gwynn reasons. "It's also a very popular national park, and it's warm for a long period."
Zion National Park Superintendent Jock Whitworth declined comment. "It's a beautiful place, that's all I can tell you," said Zion Natural History Association spokeswoman Tracy Jones — who honeymooned at Zion — of the park's past as a lovemaking hub.
MissTravel.com says it pairs "generous travelers" with "attractive travel girls (or guys)" who are looking to fly at a reduced cost. Slogan: "Attractive people fly free."
Gwynn says no social scientists were involved with the report.
Twitter: @matthew_piper —
Sexiest National Parks
1 • Zion National Park, Utah
2 • Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
3 • Redwood National Park, California
4 • Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
5 • Arches National Park, Utah
6 • American Samoa National Park, American Samoa
7 • Biscayne National Park, Florida
8 • Big Bend National Park, Texas
9 • Congaree National Park, South Carolina
10 • Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee