Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The first version of this article appeared in the August 2010 issue of The Guide, sadly the last issue of that late, great, gay magazine.
This article owes much to Robert Boyd, author of Naked Places, A Guide for Gay Men to Nude Recreation and Travel and to the editors of Naked Magazine, who published the Worldwide Guide to Naked Places. Alas, both resources are out of print.
Gay and bisexual men are humanity’s great adventurers: We dare to venture where others refuse to go. For over a century, gay and bi men have been at the vanguard of the naturist movement, celebrating the joy and beauty of the naked male body, our own and others’. Thus, it is no surprise that clothing-optional beaches are largely frequented by queer men. This article lists some of the more popular nude beaches in North America. Though none of them are exclusively gay, they are all popular with gay nudists and have “gay sections” where gay and bi men gather. Which is the gay section? Just look for the absence of women and children.
We start our tour in California, which has more nude beaches than any other state in the Union. The Golden State has 840 miles of coastline and enjoys a progressive political climate that allows for clothing-optional recreation. In 1993 my partner Michael Greenspan (of blessed memory) and I traveled California’s scenic coastline, from San Diego to the Wine Country, and visited some of the state’s nudist sites. On the top of the list was San Gregorio Beach, in San Mateo County. San Gregorio is America’s oldest nude beach, established in 1967. It is also the gayest, especially at the northern end. On any day there may be 200 people (mostly gay men) searching for the perfect spot to disrobe. San Gregorio is privately owned, which allows it to ignore the state’s anti-nudity laws. It has two miles of soft sand strewn with driftwood, tide pools, and a lovely lagoon, all of it framed by dramatic cliffs. Though the beach is at the end of a cliff side trail, its fascinating scenery, human and otherwise, makes the hike well worth it.
Heading south toward San Diego, Black’s Beach in La Jolla is one of the most popular and well-known nude beaches in America. For decades Black’s Beach has survived campaigns conducted by moralists and politicians against public nudity. Nudists are advised to disrobe at the northern end of the beach, which happens to be the gay section. Today Black’s Beach is frequented by gay and bi nudists who find a more welcoming atmosphere than they would at the nearby San Onofre State Beach. Black’s Beach is also hard to reach, which deters away gawkers and law enforcement officials.
San Franciscans have several clothing-optional beaches at their disposal. Land’s End Beach, in San Francisco, is only a quarter of a mile but offers the visitor spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay. It doesn’t hurt that Land’s End is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area [GGNRA] where nudity is legal. Marshall’s Beach is a secluded, clothing-optional beach located north of Baker Beach. Perhaps the closest thing to an all-gay nude beach, Marshall’s is on the west side of the Golden Gate Bridge, previously reached by means of a sidewalk reserved for bicyclists. In recent years the federal government added walking paths, which only served to attract (from some gays’ perspective) unwelcome straights to the Beach.
Any review of California’s clothing optional beaches would be incomplete without mentioning More Mesa Beach, also known as Bates Beach. Located north of Santa Barbara on Highway 101, this beach combines sweeping views with a wide ribbon of sand and a carnival atmosphere and real sense of community not found in most nude beaches. Equally gay, in both senses of the word, is Red Rock Beach, located in Marin Country. Red Rock enjoys a dedicated following – visit redrockbeach.com to see what I mean – who get together to enjoy games of Frisbee, paddle ball and board games along with the more usual beach activities.
If Florida had leaders as progressive as those in California, it would be a nudist paradise. Instead, we will have to make do with the likes of Haulover Beach, Miami-Dade County’s pride and joy and my own personal favorite. The clothing-optional section of Haulover Beach is the most popular nude beach in North America. It is also one of the most-accessible, with none of the hair-raising cliff-side hikes one must endure to reach some of the other beaches. Only the northern end of Haulover Beach Park is clothing-optional; and only the northern end of that section is gay. Nevertheless, on a warm, sunny day Haulover Beach is what heaven would be if God was a gay nudist: friendly naked men, an almost-idyllic weather condition (except when it rains), a well-kept beach and the reassuring presence of the folks from South Florida Free Beaches, who make it all possible.
Outside of Haulover, the Sunshine State is sadly lacking in nude recreation. We have to drive north to Playalinda Beach in Brevard County and Apollo Beach in Volusia County. Both are parts of Canaveral National Seashore, and both are attractive and popular naturist hangouts. Playalinda in particular has a history of nude sunbathing that goes back to the sixties. Unfortunately, Playalinda is in Brevard County, where anti-nudity laws are strictly enforced. Not surprisingly, nudists have since moved their beach-going activities to Apollo Beach, located in the more tolerant Volusia County.
As an archipelago, Hawai’i enjoys many beaches, most nudist and textile. I’m only familiar with one: Little Makena Beach, in Maui. Herring Cove, on Cape Cod, is only notable for its proximity to Provincetown. On the other hand, Sandy Hook or Gunnison Beach, part of the Gateway National Recreation Area in New Jersey is the best and most popular nude beach on the Atlantic seaboard north of Haulover. Under any standard, Sandy Hook/Gunnison is heads-over-bare-feet above other nearby beaches. In addition to its nude recreation opportunities, Gunnison Beach offers fishing, hiking, bird watching and views of the New York City skyline and the Statue of Liberty. On any given weekend you will find up to 5,000 sunbathers of every shape, color and sexuality. Queer nudists hang out at the south end of the beach though you will find them all over. New Yorkers who want to stay close to home may visit the naked Jones Beach, part of the State Park of the same name.
Nudists who live in Texas, as well as nudists who visit the Lone Star State, frequent the over-rated Hippie Hollow at Lake Travis, also known as McGregor Park. They would be better off going south and visiting the beach on the north side of South Padre Island, Texas, also known as UFO Beach. According to Shane Andrews, writing for the Worldwide Guide to Naked Places, “South Padre Island is one place where nudity is not only practiced, but is also legally tolerated. If you are looking for a peaceful nude beach getaway, South Padre Island may be just the place for you. Most of the year it is not crowded, the weather is warm, and the people are very friendly.” Since I’ve never been to South Padre Island, Andrews’s words will have to do.
Canada, our neighbor to the north, is not a good place for nude recreation; its cold weather prevents nude beaches in many places and for much of the year. One nude beach that defies expectations is Wreck Beach, located near Vancouver in British Columbia. Michael Boyd called Wreck Beach “the best-known nude beach on the globe.” Located in Pacific Spirit Regional Park, at the foot of the cliffs that surround the University of British Columbia, Wreck Beach boasts a clothing-optional section that stretches for miles from Acadia Beach to the north to Booming Grounds Creek on the south. Though the cold Pacific waters are not for the faint of heart, the ocean breezes keep the summer temperatures down. As in other nude beaches, the gay section is off the beaten path, in this case in the remote area south of Trail 6. Keep an eye out for the naked vendors who, in G. T. McCallan’s words, “ply the beach offering water, beer, sandwiches, and a surprising array of narcotics.”
This article ends where it began, at California’s San Gregorio Beach. On April 22 a Palo Alto environmental group, the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), signed a deal to buy the 195-acre San Gregorio Ranch (including the cliffs and the Beach) from the family of Walter Bridge, who owned the property until his death in 2005. “It’s a beautiful, iconic part of the San Mateo County coastline, with stunning bluffs and a long beach,” said Gordon Clark, president of POST. “It’s a very rare opportunity.” Whether or not San Gregorio Beach continues to be clothing-optional remains to be seen.
Jesse’s Journal
By Jesse Monteagudo
Jesse Monteagudo is a freelance writer and South Florida resident since 1964. Share your own experiences with him at jessemonteagudo@comcast.net.
