Current Status: Legal Nude Beach!
Whales Cave Conservancy
PO Box 12814
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403
Website: https://www.facebook.com/whalescc/
This county beach is open to legal nude use. The water can be cold, but they have a very nice group of people, and they play volleyball regularly on the weekends. Pirate’s Cove is a tough climb if you are out of shape. It is a very tranquil setting excerpt on Saturday night. This is when the clothed college kids come down and have drinking parties around a bonfire and dance until the middle of the night. The nudist group, Whales Cave Conservancy, are usually stuck cleaning up the beach the morning after. They work hard to preserve the ancient native American caves nearby from graffiti and vandalism. They are incorporated and are officially recognized by the county on matters pertaining to the beach.
In December 2020 San Luis Obispo County Parks Department granted a Coastal Development Permit to improve the parking lot area of Pirates Cove. The plan includes improving the parking lot by adding fill and leveling out all the deep ruts in the parking lot, adding a few ADA parking spaces, adding trash enclosures, interpretive signs, and a maintenance and operation plan.
But the most important part to us is that the project includes retaining the current clothing optional use of the beach. In the past, nude beach access at other beaches across the country has been taken away when local Parks Departments simply changed their rules and regulations to prohibit nudity. Having this permit means that our right for nudity at this one beach cannot be taken away without a public hearing to amend an existing Coastal Development Permit.
Parking on nearby streets is closely regulated so please obey any no parking or restricted parking signs as you will be ticketed!