25 Best Nude Beaches in the U.S.

You might expect that in the land of the free, where you have a god-given right to arm bears, you might also have the right to bare all. Generally this is not at all the case, and it seems that compared to their European counterparts Americans are on the whole far more prudish.

Laws vary from state to state, but the good news is more liberal attitudes on the coast mean there are a number of great clothing optional spots if you know where to look. Whilst a number of America's most popular nude beaches operate on the basis of the law turning a blind eye there are a number of wholly legal nude beaches. Often as not these are a hidden away, and can involve a bit of a hike. However, there are a handful of notable exceptions which are very much front and center.

Below we have listed a fairly extensive selection of the U.S.'s best nudist beaches where you can enjoy a skinny dip and get an all-over tan with relative impunity.

The Best U.S. naturist beaches...

  • Santa Rosa Beach // Florida

    Santa Rosa Beach
    © Barbara Reddoch

    Powdery white sand and the clear waters of the Gulf are all par for the course along Florida's Emerald Coast and Santa Rosa beach is no exception. Situated less than ten miles away from the ever popular beaches of Destin, what you get at Santa Rosa is a more laid back, and dare I say, upmarket experience. You can instantly tell there is money here… read more »

  • Mohegan Bluffs Beach // Rhode Island

    Mohegan Bluffs Beach
    JJBers

    Mohegan Bluffs Beach is situated on the southeastern coast of Block Island. The beach takes its name from the towering cliffs which reach up to 200 feet above the coast. From atop the cliffs, visitors can admire some stunning views out over the Atlantic Ocean.

    The beach itself is fairly sandy but littered with large rocks close to the cliffs - which are in a constant… read more »

  • Miami South Beach // South Florida

    Miami South Beach
    © sborisov / 123RF

    South Beach is perhaps the ultimate urban beach. It has it all; history, style, quirkiness, class and as much partying as you want, not to mention a vast swathe of white sand beach bordering clear blue ocean. This is where the beautiful and rich come to play in the sunshine before hitting the nightlife of Ocean Drive after dark. South beach is brash, colorful and… read more »

  • Baker Beach // Northern California

    Baker Beach
    UltraView Admin

    Situated between San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge to the north, Baker Beach is a flat, wide expanse of golden sand approximately 800 metres in length.

    In the city's Presidio area, its natural vistas are improved by views of the entirety of the Golden Gate Bridge on all but the foggiest of days. Within Golden Gate National Recreation Area, it also boasts a coastal… read more »

  • Moshup Beach // Martha's Vineyard

    Moshup Beach
    C. S. Imming

    Located on the exclusive barrier island of Martha's Vineyard, Moshup Beach aka Aquinnah Public Beach is a gem. It's also known as Gay Head or referred to by locals as "the cliffs beach" as that's what it is.

    The cliffs are multicolored providing a stunning and dramatic backdrop to the beach. These cliffs are so special they are a National Landmark and are owned and protected… read more »

  • Bonny Doon Beach // Central California

    Bonny Doon Beach
    Nick Amoscato

    Pretty Bonny Doon Beach is a gorgeous sandy cove backed by high cliffs and flower-covered slopes creating a natural amphitheatre.

    Situated just off the Cabrillo Highway near Bonny Doon Road in Santa Cruz, it is part of Coast Dairies State Park with free parking but no facilities. The paved parking lot is open 8am to sunset but it quickly fills up. Beach access involves… read more »

  • Collins Beach // Oregon

    Collins Beach
    © Just Me BN

    Collins Beach is a rare thing - not an ocean beach but a river one. It is located on the eastern side of Sauvie Island, on the border between Oregon and Washington state, with sands that disappear beneath the waters of the Columbia River.

    Approximately 1.5 kilometres in length, it is also worth noting that Collins Beach is in part a clothing optional beach, one of… read more »

  • Jacob Riis Park Beach // New York

    Jacob Riis Park Beach
    Steven Pisano

    Jacob Riis Park Beach makes up the westernmost part of the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. Named after the social journalist who urged the city authorities to purchase the land to create a public park and beach, its long length of sand is dotted with original art deco structures from the 1920s and 30s, including the bathhouse (bath pavilion).

    The beach's northern end is paralleled by a… read more »

  • Haulover Beach // South Florida

    Haulover Beach

    White sand, clear turquoise sea - nothing unusual there for a Florida beach. Oh, and clothes are optional! That's right, the northern third of Haulover is an officially sanctioned nude beach.
    But there is more to Haulover beach than getting naked - this beach has a fantastic array of amenities and things to do making it one of the best family beaches in… read more »

  • St George Island State Park // Florida

    St George Island State Park
    Todd Van Hoosear

    St George Island State Park is on a barrier island off the western coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. The sand is white and soft, and it stretches endlessly along the turquoise waters of the Gulf coast. This is a wonderfully wild place where you watch the most amazing sunsets and then see the stars as they brighten up the nighttime sky.

    During… read more »

  • Secret Beach // Kauai

    Secret Beach
    dronepicr

    The western end of Kauapea Beach is known as Secret Beach or just "Secrets" by locals. At high tide these two neighbouring sandy coves are separated by a rocky outcrop.

    Secret Beach is a frequent feature on lists of Hawaii's best beaches, and its golden sands, secluded location and scenic outlook to Moku’ae’ae Island make it a real gem.

    Backed by steep cliffs covered… read more »

  • Kauapea Beach // Kauai

    Kauapea Beach
    dronepicr

    Hugging the northern shoreline of Kauai between Kalihiwai Beach and Kilauea Point, Kauapea Beach merges as one with Secret Beach at low tide. The golden sands are quite large by Kauai standards, stretching for half a mile or so with black lava rocks dotted here and there sheltered by tree and vegetation covered cliffs.

    The beach is accessed down a steep unmarked trail, maintaining… read more »

  • Lucy Vincent Beach // Martha's Vineyard

    Lucy Vincent Beach
    N. Friedler

    Located near Chilmark on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Lucy Vincent beach is a beautiful stretch of golden sand that runs along the Atlantic coast. Sadly, unless you are a resident or renting a house in town, you cannot access this beach from June 1 through September 15. Beach passes are required during that time.

    The beach was originally owned by the town librarian, Lucy… read more »

  • Little Beach // Maui

    Little Beach
    dronepicr

    Little Beach is so called, not only because it is fairly small, but because it is next door to the longest beach on Maui's south coast - Big Beach. Both are beautiful stretches of golden sand backed by the near-pristine tropical greenery of Makena State Park, it's just the scale is different... well mostly that.

    Perhaps what Little Beach is most famous for is the… read more »

  • San Gregorio State Beach // Northern California

    San Gregorio State Beach
    Nathan Siemers

    Close to Silicon Valley in the South Bay Area, San Gregorio State Beach is a popular beach with a large car park and good amenities. Located on a wild stretch of the California coast this is a great place for picnics, birdwatching, beach activities, walking, hunting for fossils and exploring the trails.

    Accessed from La Honda Road and Cabrillo Hwy, you will find restrooms, picnic tables… read more »

  • Black's Beach // Southern California

    Black's Beach
    Raquel Baranow

    Situated on the beautiful California coastline north of San Diego, Black's Beach is north of La Jolla at Torrey Pines, just below the famous golf course of the same name. The name Black's Beach comes from the horse farm in the area that was once owned by the Black family.

    A little off-the-beaten-track, the beach is accessed down a steep sandy trail from the Gliderport Parking… read more »

  • Hippie Hollow Beach // Texas

    Hippie Hollow Beach
    LoneStarMike

    Hippie Hollow is the only legally recognized clothing-optional public beach in Texas and was originally known as McGregor Country Park. The word "beach" is somewhat misleading as it is really a lakeside park and access to the water involves scrambling over the smooth limestone rocks when the water level is low.

    Located on the shores of Lake Travis, the park is managed by the Travis… read more »

  • Muir Beach // Northern California

    Muir Beach
    Jesse Wagstaff

    Twenty-five kilometres from San Francisco, Muir Beach is the first beach you'll come across heading north into Marin County. One of the cleanest beaches in California according to official data, it is a part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

    While not the longest of beaches, at around 300 metres in length, it is wide, at 60 metres. The broad sweep of dark sand is… read more »

  • Gunnison Beach // New Jersey

    Gunnison Beach
    Richard Arthur Norton

    Washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Gunnison Beach is a beach that is difficult to fault. It is situated within Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Proving Ground Historic District, part of Gateway National Recreation Area. Its views include those of Verrazano Narrows Bridge, connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn, New York. During the summer months there are even direct ferry services between Manhattan… read more »

  • Apollo Beach // Florida

    Apollo Beach
    Peter & Michelle S

    Located on Florida's eastern Atlantic coastline in New Smyrna, Apollo Beach is on the Canaveral National Seashore (National Park). Great for beach lovers, it has an endless strip of pristine golden sand and, being more secluded, it is one of the top nudist beaches in Florida. (This should not to be confused with the other Apollo Beach on Florida's Gulf Coast near Tampa!)

    Located… read more »

  • Gay Head Town Beach // Martha's Vineyard

    Gay Head Town Beach

    Many continue to call Gay Head Town Beach by its original name, although Gay Head Town has been known formerly as Aquinnah (meaning ‘land under the hill') by its population of 440 since 1997. At the end of Massachusetts' famed island of Martha's Vineyard, the beach is best known for its dramatic cliffs and the ocean views they deliver.

    Designated a National Natural Landmark by the… read more »

  • Pfeiffer Beach // Central California

    Pfeiffer Beach
    Robert Brett

    Pfeiffer Beach is in the Big Sur area of California. Roughly a mile long, it is located down a twisting and unmarked two-mile paved road that is unsuitable for RVs and trailers as it has only five points at which vehicles are able to pass one another in opposite directions.

    However, this beach more than makes up for the slight difficulty in getting there in sheer… read more »

  • Gray Whale Cove State Beach // Northern California

    Gray Whale Cove State Beach
    Christopher Michel

    When you hear that Gray Whale Cove State Beach is on an area of coastline known as "Devil's Slide" this should help convey that the descent to the beach is steep and tricky.

    Just 18 miles south of San Francisco, situated between Pacifica and Montara, this state beach is popular for whale watching during the spring migratory season, hence its name. Great white… read more »

  • Anne's Beach // Florida Keys

    Anne's Beach
    Ved Ivanov

    Located at Lower Matecumbe Key, Anne's Beach can be found in the village of Islamorada. Named for a local environmentalist called Anne Eaton after her death in 1992, its stretch of white sand provides a secluded spot to sunbath or enjoy some time in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

    Surrounded by native planting, the immediate entrance into the water is both shallow and… read more »

  • More Mesa Beach // Southern California

    More Mesa Beach
    Brian

    More Mesa Beach near Santa Barbara is a secluded sandy beach between Arroyo Burro and Goleta Beach.

    It is accessed from Mockingbird Lane in the Vista La Cumbre development, however there is no parking in that area so you need to park on Puente or Vieja Drive. Enter the park and walk about ¼ mile across the open cliff top towards the ocean and… read more »