Call it getting back to nature. Or experimenting with minimalism. Or maybe, it’s a sense of total freedom you’re looking for. Whatever the desire, nude beaches in the US can be found from coast-to-coast allowing sunbathers to go ‘au naturel.’
In some states, nude bathing is completely legal. Feel free to bare it all in Miami where Haulover Beach is clothing optional. In places like Oregon and California, there’s a pretty lenient attitude when it comes to nudity. In other states, beach patrols just turn a blind eye to those frolicking naked in the ocean or working on their seamless tan.
It’s worth mentioning that rules and laws around nudist beaches in the U.S. can be confusing. Some are ‘clothing-optional’ while others allow only topless bathing. So, before you completely disrobe and bare it all, double-check local laws.
Now, let’s head to some popular nude beaches in the US.
Black’s Beach, San Diego, California
I have to start with Black’s Beach because this is found in my hometown of San Diego. It is also renowned as one of North America’s biggest nude beaches.
Located in La Jolla, the beach offers some of the best ocean swells attracting surfers and on-lookers. You have to be motivated to get here, it takes a bit of a hike to climb down to this secluded spot.
Little Beach, Maui, Hawaii
This is utopia minus the swim trunks. You’ll have to hike an overland trail and go over a hill from Big Beach to reach Little Beach, also known as Pu’u Ola’I, but it’s well worth it to find this secluded piece of paradise. This unofficial nude beach gem in Makena State Park is often overlooked because there is no direct parking or visibility. It’s quiet, laid-back, and you’ll have plenty of uninhibited privacy.
When the surf is calm, Little Beach is great for swimming, snorkeling and body boarding.
Haulover Beach Park, Miami, Florida
As one of the most popular nudist beaches in the U.S., Haulover Beach attracts more than 1.3 million sun-worshipers a year. It’s also one of south Florida’s most stunning clothing-optional beaches, with almost a half mile stretch of white sand and bare bottoms in Miami Beach.
While most of Florida’s naturist beaches are tucked away in relatively remote areas, Haulover Beach is not. As a matter of fact, there is abundant parking, restrooms, concessions, rentals, and of course, a generous section of seashore.
Florida has a number of clothing optional beaches on its eastern seaboard.
Baker Beach, San Francisco, California
You had to figure that freedom-loving San Francisco would have at least one clothing-optional beach. And it does, with spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge to boot. If you’re really lucky, you’ll see playful porpoises frolicking in the frigid waters of the bay.
The one-mile beach is located at the foot of the Serpentine Cliffs that sport hiking trails and two abandoned coastal artillery batteries. Most naturalists tend to stay together within a certain zone on Baker Beach. The area also offers restroom facilities and barbeque grills nestled in a cypress grove at the east end of the sand.
Moshup Beach, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
Located on the exclusive barrier island of Martha’s Vineyard, this clothing-optional beach also known as Aquinnah Public Beach, or to the locals ‘the cliffs beach,’ is a jewel.
Multicolored cliffs are a National Landmark owned and protected by the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah. With colors ranging from orange, red and mustard yellow to dark purple, these bluffs provide a stunning backdrop to the azure waters of the Atlantic.
UFO Beach, South Padre Island, Texas
Tucked away in a very secluded part of South Padre Island, UFO Beach is a mecca for nudists. The locals named it UFO Beach after an evacuation buoy resembling a flying saucer drifted ashore in 2010. But it honestly has nothing to do with UFOs or aliens.
What is true, however, is that getting to this beach requires some work. Located seven to eight miles north of South Padre Sand Dunes, this stretch of beach requires either a four-wheel drive vehicle or a hike as the road terminates at the dunes. And that buoy is now artistically decorated bearing the words “NUDE Beach and No Tan Lines.”
Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
We’re heading to the powdery white sands and crystalline waters of Gulf Coast Florida to bring readers another incredibly picturesque beach for nude bathers.
Situated less than 10 miles from Destin, Santa Rosa Beach on the Emerald Coast is stunningly gorgeous. With silky sands, this laid-back and quiet beach is a hidden gem for all beach and surf lovers, but its more secluded areas are used by nature-loving nudists. While not strictly legal, authorities tend to turn a blind eye.
Kauapea Beach, Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii
Also known as ‘Secret Beach,’ this stretch of sand is a frequent pick on Hawaii’s best beaches lists. Its golden sands, remote location and scenic outlooks make this a stellar beach to visit. However, like many other secluded nude beaches, getting here takes some effort.
Backed by a steep cliff covered with lush vegetation, access to the beach is down an unmarked trail maintaining its hidden and ‘secret’ status. Everything you need has to be carried down and then back up again, and the trail can be treacherous after a rain.
So why is it such a great location? About half-way on the hike, you’ll see a waterfall trickling down the cliffs into a freshwater pool. At low-tide, the tide-pooling is magnificent, and we’ve seen whales and dolphins frolicking offshore. The far end of the beach is popular with nudist bathers.
Gunnison Beach, Middletown, New Jersey
Many believe this is one of the best nude beaches on the East Coast. When your beach slogan says “Life is Short: Play Naked,” there’s no mistaking what you’re getting in for.
Signposts on the beach also let other visitors know that past a certain point they may encounter nude sunbathers which tend to gather at the southern point, a good distance from the carpark.
On a clear day, views of the Manhattan skyline and New York Harbor from this Sandy Hook area beach are stunning. Amenities include restrooms, showers and shops that rent beach gear and water sport equipment.
Hippie Hollow, Austin, Texas
This is more than just a nudist beach. Hippie Hollow is an entire clothing-optional park just 30 minutes from liberal downtown Austin. No, it’s not a coastal beach, but it is situated on the picturesque shores of Lake Travis.
As the name suggests, the park became popular during the 1960s Free Love era. Though the shoreline isn’t sandy, but rather rocky in nature, the waters of the lake are a deep teal blue and many have likened the beauty and atmosphere of this area to the Greek Islands.
Of no surprise, 99 percent of visitors clearly know why they’re coming here. Most of the sunbathers however subscribe to the nude beach etiquette of keeping to themselves and just enjoying the warmth of the sun.
So, when looking for places you can ‘dare to go bare,’ there are even more options than the ones we’ve mentioned. Florida and California have the most nude beaches in US followed by Hawaii with others across the Northeast and Northwest.
Last Updated on February 2, 2023