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Admin
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 Posted - 03/26/2002 : 6:55:18 PM
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There are two kinds of nude beach, the official and the unofficial. The official nude beach is one recognised by the local government as having been set aside for nude use. A good example of this is Haulover Beach in Miami, which is a clean, county maintained facility enjoyed by thousands of nudist families, couples and singles every weekend of the year. See our listings of nude beaches for a beach in your area.
The "unofficial" nude beaches are a different story. These are little hideaways scattered throughout the coastline where people have traditionally enjoyed being nude, but that might be closed to nudists if there was too much publicity. Check the section on "unofficial nude beaches" for more information on beaches that have closed over the years.
To find one of these unofficial beaches, the best way would be to join a local nudist group that has a few boaters. Some groups have regular club trips to local nude beaches. The locations of these beaches cannot be published in the open, since the nude use is not yet sanctioned by ordinance, and certain opponents might have the beach closed to nudists. This is why we protect some of our unofficial nude beaches by secrecy, so that we always have them to enjoy.
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Beach
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Posted - 09/17/2002 : 8:43:50 PM
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THE BUCKET / Northern California
Carmel Valley's oldest swimming hole was once surrounded by trees and other foliage that kept it hidden from view. However, ever since a flood stripped away the greenery around the cool, refreshing pool of water, nude use of the little riverbank has been plunging. Suited bathers and sunbathers take over the site on weekends and sometimes on weekdays too. Directions: from Highway 1, go east on Carmel Valley Road (G-16) for about 13 miles, until you come to Camp Stephanie Road. Just after the Camp Stephanie Road sign (which you'll see on the right), begin looking for a place to park. For the next 50 feet, you can park on either side of G-16 (if you're next to a vineyard, you know you're in the right place), but if you go any farther than that, you'll need to turn around and come back to park. Next, walk east on G-16 for a quarter mile until you arrive at a hairpin turn at a white bridge or, if they haven't rebuilt it, the stumps of a bridge. Stay on G-16 and continue past the bridge. About 100 feet ahead on the right is an iron gate with a Stone Pine sign. Just before it, look for a hole in the fence and the path that starts there. Take the path down the hill. Note: the trail here is steep, so keep your hands free. Follow the trail as it winds through a 50-foot-long grassy field to a fork in the path, then take the right branch some 20 feet to the creek. Cross it, pick up the path (fainter but still going in the same direction) on the other side, and a few minutes later you will be at the beach.
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Beach
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Posted - 09/17/2002 : 8:44:29 PM
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ELSEWHERE NEAR THE BUCKET
Two other little swimming holes dot the river near the Bucket: Bucket Bend and Rope Swing. They're upstream from the previous entry. Bucket Bend is the most private and deepest of these pools of water. It's a small sandy beach that's some 50 feet from the Bucket, while the Rope Swing – named after a rope swing that no longer exists – is a large, shallow, clothing-optional. For Bucket Bend, follow the directions above to the Bucket. When you get there, you will find a second fork in the trail. Go right. You'll know you're going the correct way if the path leads you upstream and around a sharp bend to a little sandy beach. To reach Rope Swing, follow directions to the Bucket. At the first fork in the path, instead of going right, turn left. That will take you to the Rope Swing area. You'll probably have these spots all to yourself
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Beach
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Posted - 09/17/2002 : 8:45:05 PM
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LOS PADRES RESERVOIR
One of the Carmel area's best-kept secrets is the fact that people skinny-dip in a local reservoir. Going naked isn't allowed, but on hot days some persons remove their clothes and jump in anyway. The preferred swim areas are about 20 miles east of Carmel and some 5 miles east of Carmel Village, off Carmel Valley Road (G-16). Rangers are rarely present, but even though the area has had a long history of nude use, skinny-dippers are subject to citation. From Highway 1 in Carmel, follow G-16 about 20 miles east, passing Carmel Village, to Cachagua Road. Turn right on Cachagua, then right on Nason Road. Take Nason to the dirt parking lot at the end. From the lot, follow the path until it forks. Follow signs to the dam, rather than the campground. Skinny-dippers usually pick spots between a half mile and a mile up the trail.
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Beach
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Posted - 09/17/2002 : 8:45:41 PM
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CARMEL MEADOWS
Want to pretend you're on the set of a movie? Carmel Meadows is just a half mile away from where a Monterey cypress tree featured in the movie Play Misty For Me, staring Clint Eastwood, was shot. The site, which usually gets no more than five or six nude sunbathers, is under some bluffs near the large public beach at Carmel River State Park. But the beach can't be seen from the homes on the bluffs. Directions: Head south on Highway 1. After Monterey and most of Carmel, look for the junction of Rio Road and Highway 1 (the Crossroads Shopping Center and the Barnyard are both at the intersection). Stay on Highway 1. About one mile south of Rio, check for Ribera Road, then turn right on Ribera and go about a half mile, watching for a round turnout on the right. Park in front of the gate. Follow the trail to the beach, then go left 150 feet until you are in front of a row of homes. Parking is limited on Ribera. For easier parking, from the stoplight at Rio, drive two miles south until you see the first beach next to the road. Park in the lot there, walk to the ocean, and go north. One of the first things you'll pass is the cypress tree from Misty. Then, a half mile later, you'll come to a row of houses without any cliffs. Keep walking north until you arrive at the next set of homes atop some bluffs. The narrow, 30- to 40-foot-wide nude beach is in front of the houses.
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Beach
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Posted - 09/17/2002 : 8:46:06 PM
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SOBERNALES CREEK
Just four miles south of Point Lobos and its protected sea otters and beautiful scenery is an old-fashioned nude swimming hole used mainly by local residents. Users say rangers seldom visit the riverbank. The site is at the end of an easy trail, off the inland side of Highway 1, as it approaches Garrapata State Park. The best landmark is a large Garrapata State Park sign you'll see as Highway 1 climbs toward the state park (see next entry) just ahead. The path to the skinny-dipping hole is about a quarter mile south of the sign, so if you pass it turn around when it is safe to do so. Directions: take Highway 1 south, being careful to measure from one or more of the above locations. Just before the Garrapata sign, across from cars parked on the west side of the highway, look for a small pullout or vehicles pulled over on the east (inland) side of the road. "Two trails begin there," says a senior citizen who's been swimming in the hole nude with his wife since they were youths. "Instead of taking the Rocky Ridge Trail to the left, follow the Sobernales Canyon Trail to the right." Stay on the path around 1.5 miles until it ends. Then look for a path that leads off to the side, down to the creek.
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Beach
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Posted - 09/17/2002 : 8:46:38 PM
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GARRAPATA BEACH
Recommended!
Just 15 minutes south of Carmel is a coastal treasure trove: a mile of clean sand, a creek, lagoon, coves, caves, flower-laden hills, and on the north end of the beach, a nude enclave that attracts mostly gay sun worshippers. Says supervising ranger Glenn McGowan, "We do require that you be clothed." But state ranger Chuck Bancroft tells a different story: "If there are some people at the north tip of the beach, we're not looking except if there's a real problem, such as aggressive [sexual] approaching or if there's aggressive behavior toward people who don't follow the same belief or lifestyle." Other rangers, adds Bancroft, ignore the nudists completely, urging him to "'Don't really look at that one little [nude] section,' but I don't agree with that personally." Rangers, though, will react to complaints about nudity and the area has antinudity warning signs. Garrapata Beach is near milepost 63.1 on Highway 1. From the corner of Rio Road and Highway 1 in Carmel, take Highway 1 south exactly nine miles. Park on either side of the road. That will put you next to an access trail, which takes you onto the north end of the beach. But the trail is a little hard to find. Alternately, after some open hills and then a stone house with tall windows on a plateau, look for a large parking area on Highway 1 about 9.6 miles south of the Rio light. After parking, come down the trail with a guardrail, which will take you to the middle of the beach, and walk north. If you drive all the way to Garrapata Creek Bridge, you've gone too far.
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Beach
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Posted - 09/17/2002 : 8:47:12 PM
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ANDREW MOLERA STATE BEACH
Always a favorite among nature lovers, Andrew Molera used to attract a flock of nude sunbathers, who came to snare a great tan while watching birds and seals. But a few years ago, floods on the Big Sur River washed away some of the beach. With the nude area gone and law enforcement on the increase, only a few naturists remain. Often, Molera is too cold for disrobing anyway. Directions: Andrew Molera State Beach is five miles north of the town of Big Sur on Highway 1, between Bixby Creek Bridge (the last major landmark going south) and the Big Sur campground. From the parking lot, take the footbridge and trail about one mile to the sea. The nude area has been south of the point where Big Sur River meets the sea. To reach the site, wait until low tide and then wade south to the nude coves. We advise going nude only in the southernmost coves – and with discretion.
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Beach
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Posted - 09/17/2002 : 8:48:02 PM
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COYOTE FLAT
Coyote Flat is a skinny-dipping hole on the Big Sur River that's a great place to enjoy hot summer days. "It's the main local nude spot," a local resident says. "A lot of people go there and they do sometimes go naked." Within Andrew Molera State Beach, but usually far from the prying eyes of rangers, the hole can be reached via a trail that starts across from the beach's main parking lot. The invigorating, six-foot-deep river pool with a little beach is in a shady spot, so the best time to visit is usually midday. Molera is five miles north of the town of Big Sur on Highway 1, between Bixby Creek Bridge and the Big Sur campground. From the parking lot, cross the river to its west side and look for the River Trail. Follow the River Trail until it ends at Big Sur River. The swimming hole is at the end of the path. For more information, see Hiking the Big Sur Country: The Ventana Wilderness, by Jeffrey Schaffer
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Beach
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Posted - 09/17/2002 : 8:48:33 PM
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BIG SUR RIVER
One of the oldest clothing-optional enclaves along the Central Coast is a little riverbank beach at the Big Sur River, behind the Big Sur River Inn, off Highway 1 at Pheneger Creek. Used by suited and unsuited local residents and travelers, the site features a mix of sand and rocks. Directions: from the last stoplight in Carmel, drive south about 23 miles (around 40 minutes) to Andrew Molera State Beach. Continue south on Highway 1 two more miles until you see Big Sur River Inn on your right. The beach is on Big Sur River, not far from the inn.
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Beach
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Posted - 09/17/2002 : 8:49:18 PM
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FERNWOOD
At a streamside bank near the Fernwood Bar and Grill, visitors should expect "a typical Big Sur scene, almost a flashback to the '60s," says Fred of Pacific Grove. "Look for old couches on the riverbank, naked people, and a river." Or, quite possibly, you'll be the only one there. "The good news is that nobody bothers you there," adds Fred. Legal status is unknown. The beach is about a quarter mile north of Fernwood Bar and Grill and three quarters of a mile north of Pfeiffer Beach (see next entry), so if you pass either, turn around and go back. Just south of the Big Sur River Inn (see previous entry) on Highway 1, look for St. Francis Church and an old sign on the ocean side of the road directing visitors to the Fernwood Bar and Grill. Follow the path that begins at the sign; it will lead you down to a creekside swimming hole used by local skinny-dippers. "You'll know you're at the right place if you come to some couches next to the river,"
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Beach
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Posted - 09/17/2002 : 8:49:47 PM
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PFEIFFER BEACH
Want to watch a sunset in the nude? One of the best places to do it is on the north end of Pfeiffer Beach, in the Big Sur area. Not to be confused with a similar-sounding state beach, this federal property is known for its stunning scenery, gorgeous sunsets, and wind (bring a windbreak in case the breeze picks up). Clothed users hang out just north of Pfeiffer Creek, near the parking lot. The clothing-optional area is past a rocky promontory on the north end. Together, they form a horseshoe-shaped cove, where rangers usually ignore nudists unless someone complains. Look for Pfeiffer Beach about 30 miles south of Monterey and 3 miles west of Highway 1. Coming from the south on Highway 1, start counting the mileage from the Esalen Institute; the beach is about 12 miles north. If you are coming from the north, turn right (toward the sea) onto poorly marked Sycamore Canyon Road, about a half mile south of the main entrance to Big Sur State Park, just past the Pfeiffer Canyon highway bridge and the Ventura Store. Follow tree-lined Sycamore to the beach parking lot. Entrance fee is $5. After parking, walk north along the sand a quarter mile. A rocky outcropping separates the public and nude beaches. Walk around the bend, and you're there.
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Beach
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Posted - 09/17/2002 : 8:50:20 PM
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FULLERS BEACH
Fullers Beach, just south of Pfeiffer Beach (see previous entry), draws rave reviews from the surfers and small numbers of nude sunbathers who frequent the sand. "I love it there," says George, a state parks aide who carries his surfboard up and down the steep, sometimes poison oak-infested trail, which takes about 20 minutes to walk. "It's kind of a secret beach, even to people here in Big Sur. Just remember to take a shower with liquid soap when you get home, and you shouldn't have a problem from the plants." On good wave-riding days, most of the crowd will be in the water. Occasionally, though, a few naturists hang out on the shore, which is a mix of rocks and coarse sand. Directions: off Highway 1, south of Big Sur and Pfeiffer Beach, look for the Nepenthe Restaurant, 29 miles south of Carmel, 2 miles south of Pfeiffer Beach, and 63 miles north of San Simeon. A few miles south of the restaurant, before Highway 1 curves to the east (Grimes Canyon), check for cars pulled over on the west (ocean) side of the highway in a little pullout next to a telephone pole. A larger pullout is on the east side of the road. Follow the little path from the west pullout to the beach.
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Beach
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Posted - 09/17/2002 : 8:51:23 PM
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ARROYO SECO
If you're in good physical shape, then you may want to visit a spot that means "dry canyon" but is anything but dry. Nudists who visit the area walk, wade, and swim to get from one end of a dozen swimming holes to the other. The water is up to 40 feet deep and the canyon walls soar to 100 feet. Being nude is "the recommended attire, as any clothes you choose to wear will be soaked," says Rob van Glabbeek. "I hiked and swam for two hours," reader Franz Gall, of Munich, reports. "It's a beautiful place." But don't visit too early in the year or you may find the whole place under water. And to avoid complaints in this part of the Ventana Wilderness, between Soledad and Greenfield, don't go unclad on weekends. From Salinas, take Highway 101 south past Soledad to Arroyo Seco Road. Follow Arroyo Seco west to the U.S. Forest Service campground in Arroyo Seco Canyon. Entrance costs $5 a car. A lot of picnic people are at the entrance of the canyon. But you won't see them after 10 minutes of walking. Go through the picnic area right along the river. There aren't any signs or maps. You can walk for about an hour until you come to a point where you have to start swimming every 10 minutes. The water's crystal clear. The stones aren't covered with anything slippery, so it's a really easy hike. But you should use sneakers.
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Beach
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Posted - 09/17/2002 : 8:51:50 PM
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SYKES HOT SPRING
After a 10-mile hike, there's nothing like a dip in a natural hot tub to help you relax. That's what you'll get at clothing-optional Sykes, plus you'll have six pools on the Big Sur River from which to choose. Problems include a trail that's steep and, for the first few miles, sun-baked, increased garbage, and, often, a wait to use the two most popular hot springs. "It's almost always overused," says visitor Jeffrey Zimmerman, of Petaluma. More visitors show up in spring than any other season. When the river is high, it may cover the shallow soakers. Most users go nude. From Monterey, go south on Highway 1. Park at the Big Sur Ranger Station off Highway 1. Get a hiking permit and map, then follow Pine Ridge Trail for 10 to 11 miles as it winds along and roughly parallels the Big Sur River. After some switchbacks, the trail levels and goes downhill. It leads to the pools, including one that holds five people next to a fallen tree and large boulder and another on the river. Two campgrounds are in the area.
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Beach
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Posted - 09/17/2002 : 8:52:28 PM
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ZMUDOWSKI BEACH STATE PARK
Zmudowski continues to draw a few clothing-optional users to its rolling sand dunes. But because the spot that was once known as Hidden Beach is now mostly a clothed, family property, the wise thing to do is to keep your swimsuit on when rangers or anyone who might complain is present. Look for the beach south of the Pajaro River, in the northern part of the county. Follow Struve Road from Highway 1, just north of Moss Landing, to tits intersection with Giberson Road. Then take Giberson to its end, at the state beach parking lot. Hike to the north end of the beach via the dirt access road that starts at the small lot. The path runs parallel to the shore, but clothing-optional bathers usually gather behind the dunes. Beware of cops and riptides.
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