8 of the Best Nudist Beaches from Hawaii and San Francisco to New Jersey and Florida

One of the country’s most spectacular nude beaches is, unfortunately, one of the hardest to access. Be prepared to take on a lengthy hike or difficult climb no matter which of the four access routes you choose to reach this remote outpost of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve just north of San Diego’s upscale seaside community of La Jolla.

Your reward is one of the biggest and most stunning nude beaches in the States, which also bears the historical distinction of being this country’s first public nude beach. The nude section is in the northern area, where a wild edge-of-the-Earth quality attracts adventurous nudies looking to lose themselves in nature while the southern section is more popular with surfers getting set to tangle with some of Southern California’s most legendary surf breaks.

No, not everyone in Martha’s Vineyard looks like they just stepped out of a Gap ad. Despite the island’s Andy-Bernard-from-The-Office reputation when it comes to style, it’s not all yacht clubs and penny loafers here. The hippie spirit remains alive and well in certain sections of the island, including the clothing-optional Gay Head Beach. Located beneath the stunning Gay Head Cliffs, the beach is tucked away on the southwest section of the island near the sleepy community of Aquinnah.

Take the Moshup Trail down to the beach to discover good quality sand and a crowd whose nude-to-clothed ratio is roughly 50/50 on most days. Admire the towering cliffs, play around in the surf, and scale the rocks in your birthday suit.

The biggest clothing-optional beach on the East Coast is also the only legally sanctioned nude beach within close proximity to New York City, which means this stretch of sand located in the Sandy Hook Bay within Gateway National Recreation Area is quite popular on a hot summer weekend.

The best way to get here is by taking an approximately 45-minute ferry cruise from NYC on a vessel unironically dubbed the Seastreak. Alcohol is allowed on the beach here, which does contribute to a sometimes boisterous party vibe, but it rarely gets overly irritating for those who just want to strip naked and soak in the sun or strut along the beach.

The granddaddy of Uncle Sam’s nude beach scene, Miami’s Haulover Beach is the country’s largest nude beach attracting more than one million visitors per year. Unlike many nude beaches that are hidden away on a less than ideal slice of sand, Haulover is a spectacularly beautiful beach with food stalls for nude snacking.

It’s all very nice and normal, with crowds ranging from the typical wrinkled elders you’ll see at most nude beaches to families and tourists to the occasional model or two. The nude section is the northern one-third of the larger 1.4 mile Haulover Beach Park, the longest stretch of undeveloped beach in Miami-Dade County, where you can also fish, fly kites, rent electric bikes, and hit food trucks on Tuesdays.

Ah yes, this is what Hawaii is all about. Drum circles, dudes in dreadlocks, and yoga poses are not uncommon sights on this picturesque, all-black sand beach located near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. Soul seekers, surfers, and families gather here—with or without clothing—to take in the sun, attend weekly parties, or enjoy some nude night swimming under the moonlight. The beach is small, so you’re unlikely to have the place to yourself, but you are likely to meet some interesting people along the way.

With approximately a half-dozen nude beaches in the Bay Area, it’s perhaps unsurprising that San Francisco’s famously open-minded attitude also extends towards clothing (or, in this case, lack thereof). Located on a prime strip of real estate overlooking the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Natural Recreation Area, North Baker Beach is easily the most beautiful and popular of the area’s nude beaches.

With that popularity and easy beach access also comes weekend crowds and the infamous fog that can often spoil your view. But there are few places better to just let loose and be yourself than this famous one-mile beach that was at one time the original setting for Burning Man. So yeah, they’ve pretty much seen it all here over the years. Nude sunbathers, who gather at the north end of the beach, are nothing out of the ordinary.

One of the few nude beaches in Florida that combine nudity with alcohol, this breezy beach located within Canaveral National Seashore may be less famous than Miami’s Haulover Beach, but it’s almost as beautiful.

At first glance, the beach seems very family-oriented thanks to its location near the Kennedy Space Center and its first 11 parking lots being in the non-nude section of the beach, but those seeking the full nudie experience need only to travel onward to parking lots 12 and 13 to discover the nude section. Despite allowing alcohol, the beach remains (mostly) quiet and laid-back, so listen to the breeze blowing in the grassy sand dunes or crack open a novel to read in the nude with a drink in hand. There’s just one rule: no glass, for obvious reasons.

In a party-centric destination where nude skiing is never out of the question, Lake Tahoe provides an ideal setting to let your freak flag fly. On the quieter and more secluded northern end of the lake, you’ll find Secret Cove—a drop-dead gorgeous spot of sand well known to locals but more of a “secret” to most visitors.

Unlike some hikes in the area, accessing the beach is not very strenuous (although the downhill hike on the way there is certainly more of a challenge on the way back). The beach is not large, but it’s spectacular. Let the soft white sand sink beneath your toes as you admire panoramic views of the clear blue waters and snow-capped mountains that surround the lake alongside a small crowd of nudies taking in the sunshine seeping in through the fresh alpine air.