California Beach & Club Information

At its heart, SCNA is a “travel club”, which means our members visit a lot of places each year putting their lifestyle to practice. The purpose of this travel page is to be a source of information regarding current events in and around Southern California regarding nudity at local beaches, hiking trails, and hot springs. We make every effort to keep the news up to date and accurate. If you visit any of these locations and wish to add your experiences to our web site, please contact us.

We are also including the experiences and observations made by many of our members. We encourage you to submit articles about your trips to various naturist resorts or locations around the world.

Map courtesy of Waterproofpaper.com.

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY

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Pirate’s Cove (East of Avila Beach)

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!

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

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More Mesa Beach

Current Status: Exercise Caution.

The beach has long been a destination for naturists, hikers and joggers; however deputies have been known to visit the beach once or twice a year to issue tickets (usually responding to a complaint from another beachgoer about inappropriate behavior).

Neighbors who live along Mockingbird Lane (the short cul-de-sac which leads to the mile-wide mesa one hikes across to get to the beach cliff) will complain if beachgoers trespass on their property. This triggers police responses to the beach. They also issue parking tickets to those who leave their cars without noticing the restrictive signs. You are warned!  Please be polite and respectful of the neighborhood!

The cut path into the cliff down to the beach can be hard if one is out of shape.  The beach itself is stunningly beautiful most days and during the summer there can be as many as 60-100 visitors. Nude use is always to the right of the cliff path, never to the left (a sure ticket!). The crowd tends to be a mix of college age (from nearby UCSB) and older gay couples.

Summerland Beach

Current Status:

Summerland is no longer safe for nudity. Local deputies vigorously enforce the anti-nudity laws here. Police also love to ticket people who park illegally along the railroad tracks to avoid paying for parking in the designated lot.

Spring, 2021 - Repair work continues on the beach to reseal several leaking oilwell caps, left over from when there was major drilling there 80 years ago. This construction should last into 2022. Construction has also begun on widening the freeway between Summerland and Santa Barbara. Expect traffic delays for about the next three years.

Gaviota State Beach

Current Status:

Nude use of Gaviota State Beach is no longer legal. Citations and arrests may occur at any time without warning.

Bates (North Rincon) Beach

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1072 Casitas Pass Road, Suite 427

Carpinteria, CA 93013

Website: https://friendsofbatesbeach.org

Email: friends@friendsofbatesbeach.org

 

Current Status:

Nudity is accepted on the northern-most end with restrictions.

This is a non-profit group promoting nude use of Bates (North Rincon) County Beach.

The designated nude area starts at the concrete retaining wall about 1000 yards west of the ramp down to the beach.  This is not the complete legal restoration! Tickets will be given if nudists wander east of that boundary.  Although we reached a verbal agreement with the County Parks Department and SB County Sheriff’s Department in late April 2017, local deputies want the right to ticket should the circumstances warranted it. The sheriff’s department agreed not to come down to our section except on complaint, and then will only request the nudists get dressed for the remainder of the day to avoid user conflict.  Please follow their instructions. Tickets still will be issued for lewd activity, which the sheriff’s department still will enforce with the help of the FOBB Beach Ambassadors.

The County Parks Department did not remove the “No Nudity” sign at the top of the ramp. Since the law had not changed just the enforcement of it, they reasoned, they would not take it down. Please do not vandalize the sign.

For the latest information, visit Current Bates Beach Status.

VENTURA COUNTY

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Current Status: There are no nude beaches in this county.

However, there are several hot springs and hiking trail. Read Where to Hike Nude in California.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

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Current Status: There are no nude beaches in this county. There is a county ordinance against it and you risk getting a ticket. That has not stopped some people from finding small out-of-the-way spots to skinny-dip, such as the coast between Paradise Cove (Malibu) and the Ventura County line. Law enforcement checks these small coves infrequently unless some local resident complains. Use at your own risk.

Read the Letter from LA County Sheriff Lee Baca if you plan to hike in the Angeles National Forest as it spells out enforcement on this federal land.

ORANGE COUNTY

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Current Status: There are no nude beaches (or hiking trails) in this county. There is a county ordinance against it and you risk getting a ticket.

The Naturists in the OC (NitOC) club in the county that organizes hikes, trips to beaches and nearby nudist parks.

Naturists in the OC (NitOC)

9042 Garfield Avenue Suite 306

Huntington Beach CA 92646

Phone: 714-330-6573

Website: http://www.nitoc.org

Email: info@nitoc.org

SAN DIEGO COUNTY

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San Onofre State Beach (Oceanside)

Current Status: 

Trail 6 at San Onofre Beach has been closed to nude use since 2011. This does not mean people do not go down there, but deputies are pretty enthusiastic about issuing tickets. Nudists have been crossing onto the other side of the fence to the south of the state park onto federal land (Camp Pendleton) out of the ranger’s jurisdiction. Be aware that this is a major trespass, and you will be prosecuted should the Marine base there choose to send MP’s down to arrest you! This is a very rare occurrence except when the Marines are performing maneuvers nearby. Use at your own risk!

Black’s Beach (La Jolla)

Current Status: 

An active and friendly nude beach! This is actually Torrey Pines State Beach as one must turn right at the bottom of the trail from the Torrey Pines Gliderport parking lot. Black’s Beach is a San Diego City Beach to the left at the bottom of the trail and nudity is illegal there and you will be ticketed. Don’t sit too close to the cliffs (falling rocks) nor the water (tides will sweep away your belongings.)

De Anza Springs Resort (Jacumba Hot Springs)

1951 Carrizo Gorge Road

Jacumba Hot Springs, CA 91934

Phone: 619-766-4301

Website: https://deanzasprings.com

Email: stay@deanzasprings.com

 

Current Status: 

This park has more than 500 acres about an hour’s drive east of San Diego. It has been open since the mid-1990s and is located alongside the Anza Borrego State Park, providing miles and miles of hiking trails to explore.

Sale of the resort to a pair of young San Diegan investors was completed in February 2021. The new owners have started construction projects around the park to improve the landscaping, and for road and site maintenance. The resort is comprised of 311 RV sites with full hook-ups, plenty of tent sites for dry camping, and 10 motel rooms.

From October 30, 2023 clothing will be required at DeAnza Springs Resort.

INLAND EMPIRE

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Deep Creek Hot Springs

Current Status: 

Clothing optional on public Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, a few miles south of Hesperia. Hot water spills out and is caught in an assortment of natural pools. Access is not easy though. There’s a long washboard road into the area and then a two-mile hike with a 1000’ elevation change. It is well worth it. Overnight camping down at the springs is not allowed although the owner of the parking lot at the entrance often allows it in the parking lot for a small fee. Naturists visit almost every weekend except in the dead of winter and the high heat of mid-summer.

Glen Eden Sun Club (Temescal Valley)

25999 Glen Eden Road

Corona, CA 92883-5223

Phone: 800-843-6833

Website: https://www.gleneden.com

 

Current Status: 

Now that COVID restrictions have been lifted they have reopened to visitors and many planned events and activities are starting up again. In 2021 they opened several new pools and new patios, relocated its lawn, and made improvements to its pavilion area. Each June, GE hosts a 5K Run through the park. In the summer, they hold a Nudestock music festival weekend.

For a complete list of activities and admission requirements, visit their website (see link above).

Olive Dell Nudist Ranch (Colton)

26520 Keissel Road

Colton, CA 92324

Phone: 909-825-6619

Website: http://www.olivedellranch.com/

Email: bnude@earthlink.net

 

Current Status: 

Open to visitors every day except Tuesday and Wednesday.  Restaurant open on Fridays and Weekends and Holidays. Clothing is optional everywhere except in pool area, jacuzzi and sauna, but nudity is encouraged everywhere.

Every April, ODR hosts one of the best attended 5K nude runs in the country. A challenging course attracts over 300 runners each year. Except for running shoes and optional support bras for women, runners were required to run nude.

For a the most recent information on events and activities, visit their Facebook page ore their website (see link above).

Desert Sun (Palm Springs)

1533 N Chaparral Road

Palm Springs, CA 92262

Phone: 760-322-5800

Website: https://www.desertsunresort.com

 

Current Status: 

Desert Sun Resort has acres of landscaped grounds, 3 Swimming pools, 2 Jacuzzis, lit tennis court, restaurant on site, spa, fire pit, night club, and gym. It also has the world-famous Baxandall nudist bridge that crosses Indian Canyon Drive, one of the main boulevards in Palm Springs.

Please note this nudist resort is for adults only. Day passes and annual memberships are for couples only. It is not affiliated with either AANR or The Naturist Society.

KERN COUNTY, INYO COUNTY, AND THE SIERRAS

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Current Status: 

There are presently no organized nudist parks or clubs in this part of the state. However, there are numerous secluded hiking trails, hot springs, and lakes from which a nudist can select to enjoy.

Where to Hike Nude in California

Saline Warm Springs, Inyo County

Current Status:

No problem with nudity at this remote oasis near Death Valley. It is best visited in Spring and Fall as the area gets extreme heat during summer and snow frequently blocks the only road in/out during the winter. No amenities! You must bring in everything you will use and remove it when you leave. Warning: the local burros are very smart and will enter your unattended tents and open ice chests in search of food!

CENTRAL COAST: BIG SUR TO SANTA CRUZ

Esalen Institute (Big Sur)

55000 CA-1

Big Sur, CA 93920

Phone: 831-667-3000

Current Status: 

Esalen is a non-profit American retreat center and intentional community in Big Sur, California, which focuses on humanistic alternative education. Founded in 1962, the institute played a key role in the Human Potential Movement beginning in the 1960s and it still focuses on self-help workshops and classes to this day.

It is located on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean just south of Big Sur. Parts of the grounds are clothing-required but anything in or near water (pools, hot tubs, etc.) are definitely clothing-optional. The clothing-optional tubs, perched on cliffs just above the Pacific, are only available to registered guests.

You need to make reservations in advance!

Private rooms can cost as high as $750 per person and workshops can run as high as $2,000 for a weekend. However communal sleeping is also available for much lower rates.

Bonny Doon Beach (N of Santa Cruz)

Current Status:

This clothing optional beach is found at the corner of Bonny Doon Road and Highway 1, milepost “SCR 27.6” (about ten miles northwest of downtown Santa Cruz). It has been an extremely popular naturist beach for over 50 years. A semi-cylindrical cove at the northwest end of the beach provides wonderfully warm protection from the wind; most nudists gather there. In recent years it has come under State Park jurisdiction and except for occasional visits from rangers, the clothing optional status has never been challenged.

Red, White & Blue Beach (N of Santa Cruz)

Current Status:

This beach at 5021 Coast Road is permanently closed to the public since owner Ralph Edwards retired at the end of 2006. He died in 2014 and the family has no plans to reopen the beach.

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Southern California Naturist Association

A 501(c) California Non-Profit Corporation

23679 Calabasas Road Suite 940

Calabasas, CA 91302

(818) 225‑2273

scna@socalnaturist.org

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