Although legal to shed your inhibitions — along with your bathing suits — at very few beaches, some states do allow skinny dipping. New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Florida let you bare your bum at several select beaches. Additionally, Texas, Nevada, California, and Oregon chime in with au naturel options that also include shorelines at lakes and rivers. After settling into your vacation rental, just wear a smile and some sunscreen at these cheeky nude beaches in the U.S.
1. UFO Beach, South Padre Island, Texas
The locals nicknamed it UFO Beach after an evacuation pod resembling a flying saucer washed up here. Although it lacks posted signs designating it as an official nudist beach, locals consider it clothing-optional. A few miles north of Beach Access 6 on South Padre Island, this spot gives you an ideal place to get an even tan. It gets rowdy during spring break when the kids overrun the beach, but it’s quite peaceful the rest of the year.
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2. Moshup Beach, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
Also known as Aquinnah Beach, Moshup Beach on the west side of Martha’s Vineyard typically gets overlooked by tourists. On this half-mile stretch of pristine beach, nude bathers often treat themselves to mud baths, using the clay from the Aquinnah Cliffs. Find the Gay Head cliffs to reach the stretch of shoreline where sunbathers feel free to strip. The other side of the beach attracts more people, including families who opt to wear their clothing. Join the tradition by piling up some stones among the hoodoos before heading home.
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3. Haulover Beach, Bal Harbour, Florida
Miami-Dade County runs a clothing-optional beach in Florida: Haulover Beach. Besides being close to Bal Harbour’s luxurious shopping district, this mile-and-a-half beach sits in Haulover Park. Signs mark the north end of the beach as “naturist,” which means it is clothing optional. You pay for parking, and the beach closes at dusk. Just a few miles north of Miami, the sparkling sand and beautiful Atlantic Ocean help make this beach popular with adult nude bathers of all ages.
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4. Eight-Mile Beach, Boulder, Nevada
Eight-Mile Beach doesn’t exist; at least, not officially. This spot is so secluded that people call it that because of the dirt track, 8 Mile Road, which dead-ends just before you reach the Lake Mead shoreline. Located just an hour from Las Vegas, this place is so secluded that few people even know of its existence. Drive your vehicle almost all the way to the shoreline to unload your cooler, chairs, and for an unparalleled getaway.
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5. Gunnison Beach, Sandy Hook, New Jersey
When you shed your towel at Gunnison Beach, settle back to enjoy the soft, white sand, golden sun, and refreshing white surf lapping the shore on New Jersey’s only legal nude beach. This relaxed, clothing-optional beach on the southern side of the Sandy Hook peninsula takes about an hour drive to reach from Brooklyn, giving you a stunning view of the Manhattan skyline.
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6. San Gregorio Private Beach, San Mateo, California
Let not your heart be troubled about nude sunbathing at San Gregorio Private Beach. Recognized as the oldest official nudist beach since 1967, you find lots of driftwood shelters to contain your initial shyness. Unofficially, the gay community tends to migrate to the north end of the beach while straight folks are known to stay mostly at the south end. Just be careful not to go too far south of the beach access, as you might encounter a park ranger and get a citation for appearing nude the on public beach.
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7. Mohegan Bluffs Beach, Block Island, Rhode Island
The beach, the waves, the cliffs, and the stunning blue Atlantic Ocean make Mohegan Bluffs Beach worth the 141 wooden steps it takes to reach this paradise. If you want strict privacy, you can find it on this clothing-optional stretch of sand. You see people in bathing suits, some topless, and some nudes — no one minds how you choose to exercise your options.
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8. Johnson Beach, Pensacola, Florida
After parking the car and unloading your beach gear, walk about half-a-mile to the sign that indicates primitive camping ahead. Beyond this point, you see very few people, and find a casual, clothing-optional atmosphere. The aquamarine water is perfect for swimming. The area is largely undeveloped, and in this spot, you can enjoy a bonfire on the beach.
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9. Black’s Beach, San Diego, California
As long as you’re up to the hike down–and back up–the steep, stairs to Black’s Beach, you find a balmy hideaway. There’s also a 550-yard rugged path, which presents challenging and slippery footing. You find between that La Jolla and Torrey Pines State Beach, towering cliffs protect this secluded paradise for nude bathers, swimmers, and surfers. Glistening bits of fool’s gold mingle with the soft, flat sand, adding to the enchantment of the area. As a result of the strenuous climb back up the cliff, most visitors carry little more than their towels down to the beach.
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10. Baker Beach, San Francisco, California
Nude sunbathers on Baker Beach stay on the end close to the Golden Gate Bridge, where rough surf and rip tides preclude swimming. While you pay no entrance or parking fees, this day-use beach closes before sunset. It’s fine to take Fido — he’s allowed to go mostly nude, except for his collar and leash. Picnic facilities make this a great place to spend the day, but leave containers at your San Francisco vacation rental or in the car.
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11. Collins Beach, Sauvie Island, Oregon
Less than an hour’s drive north of Portland, Collins Beach on Sauvie Island allows total nudity. Signs clearly mark the clothing-optional swimming beach, which features dark tan sand and driftwood along a quiet waterfront of the Columbia River. This tree-lined, shady one-mile stretch of shoreline sits amid a beautiful, protected wildlife sanctuary. Pay attention to the signs to avoid wandering too far north onto the -nude end of the beach where families prefer to remain clothed.
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12. Hippie Hollow Park, Lake Travis, Austin, Texas
Hippie Hollow Park, in this great big land of the free and home of the brave, gives you a place to shuck your duds in liberal surroundings. What this haven on the Lake Travis shoreline lacks in sand and waves, it makes up in smooth, large boulders, the ideal size for sunning yourself. The clothing-optional boundary for the 109-acre park begins past the parking lot.
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