There’s no law that explicitly prohibits nude camping on most federally protected land. But that’s not an open invitation to get naked next time you’re overnighting at a national park, national forest, or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) site. Public lands are often subject to state and local legislation that prohibits nudity, and even if there’s no specific law against camping naked where you’re headed, rangers can issue citations or arrests if your conduct on federally protected land is deemed “offensive” or “obscene.” The language in the Code of Federal Regulations regarding disorderly conduct on public lands is vague, but unless you’re camping deep in the backcountry away from others, you may want to abstain from baring it all.
Again, state and county laws generally decide whether or not you can be naked on private property. As a rule, if you’re visible to others, nudity is a no-go — unless you’re camping somewhere that specifically sanctions it. Nudist resorts are one example, but Hipcamp also keeps a list of clothing-optional and nudist campgrounds where birthday suits are totally acceptable if you’re not looking to embrace the social nudity.
You’ll need to know some basics for camping in an established nudist community. Every nudist resort has its own rules, including whether clothing is optional or nudity is mandatory, but there is some fairly universal etiquette — no photography, for example. Outside of nudist sex resorts, public sex acts are almost always prohibited, and even overt PDA is discouraged. Other tips have more to do with common sense than common decency. Here are some to keep in mind.
Bring a towel: You may not need to cover up at a nudist resort, but it’s common practice to carry a towel to sit on in shared spaces for hygiene purposes. It’s also helpful to have a layer of protection between you and the ground if you choose to lay out anywhere. Most nudist resorts provide towels for these reasons, but it’s always a good idea to pack your own that’s easily identifiable.
Do wear shoes: Shoes are the one article of clothing you’ll definitely be wearing. In fact, you’ll probably want two pairs: sandals for lounging, and sneakers, hiking boots, or another type of closed-toe shoe more appropriate for the environment and your activities of choice.
Load up on sunscreen: This one’s self-explanatory. Put sunscreen on every part of your body exposed to the sun. Hats, sunglasses, and other outdoor accessories are also key. Nude camping is still camping, after all.
Maintain eye contact: For new nudist resort-goers, the question of where to look when you encounter another person — or worse, the fear that your gaze might wander inappropriately — could be cause for some pre-trip anxiety. Just remember that the rules for social conduct are the same at nudist resorts as they are anywhere else. Look people in the eye when you’re talking to them, and always refrain from ogling or objectifying others. It’s that easy.
Beyond the basics, there are two main resources that’ll help you get acquainted with the world of naturism: the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) and The Naturist Society. More than 180 nudist clubs and resorts, many of which have campgrounds, belong to the AANR network. Some require memberships, and most give special rates to AANR members. Many of these spaces also partner with The Naturist Society and offer discounts for members.
Photo: Google Maps
The Magic Circle: A little south of the La Posa Long-Term Visitor Area in Quartzsite, AZ, the Magic Circle is a 450-acre dispersed camping area on BLM land where clothing is optional. It’s not an official nudist community, but volunteers organize potlucks, movie nights, yoga sessions, and other events fairly regularly. Campers are welcome for up to seven months.
Where: Near Mile Post 102 off Hwy 95, Quartzsite, AZ 85346
Shangri La Ranch: Forty-five minutes north of Phoenix, Shangri La Ranch has tent and RV sites that campers can rent for up to two weeks, as well as rooms and cabins. Clothing is optional everywhere except for the pool, hot tub, and sauna, where swimsuits are not allowed. The resort also has a cafe and clubhouse where events like dance parties are held, along with hiking trails, tennis courts, horseshoes, and variety of other sports. Memberships are available.
Where: 44444 N Shangri La Ln, New River, AZ 85087
Photo: DeAnza Springs Resort
DeAnza Springs: DeAnza Springs is a clothing-optional resort in San Diego County on 500 acres near the southern tip of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. There 311 RV sites and tent sites plus furnished rentals, and a ton of amenities like heated pools, a gym, a lounge, a cafe, a game room, and a pet park. Activities range from pickleball to karaoke and the resort also hosts events like the Bare Booty 5K Run and Nudestock Musical Festival.
Where: 1951 Carrizo Gorge Rd, Jacumba Hot Springs, CA 91934
Glen Eden Sun Club: Glen Eden Sun Club is 150-acre, member-owned nudist club that prohibits clothing in the main recreation area. Clothes are permitted if the weather or a particular activity necessitates it, (for example, sports bras on the tennis courts). An hour southeast of LA, the club has tent and RV sites, as well as rental RVs and other rental units.
Where: 25999 Glen Eden Rd, Temescal Valley, CA 92883
Laguna Del Sol: Laguna del Sol is a clothing-optional resort outside Sacramento that only enforces nudity in the swimming pool and spa areas. There are shower and bathroom facilities, dump stations, electric sites, full-hookup sites, laundry facilities, and a picnic area with a gas barbecue in the RV and tent camping area. All tent sites face the lake.
Where: 8683 Rawhide Ln #1, Wilton, CA 95693
Lupin Lodge: A woman-owned and -operated resort in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Lupin Lodge caters to active naturists, with miles of nude hiking trails spread across 110 forested acres. Campers can snag a tent, van, or RV site on a first-come, first-served basis, or book one of the resort’s yurts. Clothing is optional everywhere but the clothes-free pools, hot tubs, and sauna.
Where: 20600 Aldercroft Heights Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95033
Olive Del Ranch: One of Southern California’s premier family-friendly nudist resorts, Olive Dell Ranch has tent sites and RV sites with hookups, as well as cabins for rent. The resort hosts events throughout the week, from comedy shows and polar bear swims to naked beer miles. It’s roughly an hour east of Los Angeles on the outskirts of San Bernadino National Forest.
Where: 26520 Keissel Rd, Colton, CA 92324
The Sequoians: Nudity is expected at all times at The Sequoians, a members-only nudist club in the Bay Area’s Castro Valley. The exception is the first Saturday of every month when clothes are optional between 10 AM and 2 PM. The club is open from April 1 to October 31, and reservations are recommended for tent and RV campers. Electrical hook-ups are available.
Where: 10200 Cull Canyon Rd, Castro Valley, CA 94552
Orvis Hot Springs: Western Colorado’s Orvis Hot Springs, at the base of the northern San Juan Mountains near Telluride, enforces a clothing-optional policy. In addition to bed-and-breakfast-style rooms, the hot springs resort manages a campground with both tent platforms and RV and car camping sites, all of which come with 24-hour access to the site’s 10 pools and ponds, tubs, sauna, and bathrooms. Massages can be booked from 9 AM to 9 PM.
Where: 1585 County Rd #3, Ridgway, CO 81432
Valley View Hot Springs: Central Colorado also has a clothing-optional hot springs resort in the San Luis Valley operated by the Orient Land Trust. Visitors to Valley View Hot Springs can reserve one of 24 tent sites, although specific spots are first-come, first-served. There are also 23 sites for vehicles (but no hook-ups or dump stations). You’ll need to bring all your own supplies, but there is a pavilion on-site with fire pits, grills, picnic tables, a stove, a microwave, and a sink. Note that fire bans are common in this part of Colorado.
Where: 64393 County Road GG, Moffat, CO 81143
Cypress Cove Nudist Resort: Nudity is welcome but not mandatory at Cypress Cove, a family-friendly nudist resort in Kissimmee. The property spans 300 acres: 130 are wetlands, another 50 is a lake, and 20 are dedicated to recreation like golf and cycling. Many guests rent villas, but there are also a tent and RV campgrounds.
Where: 4425 Pleasant Hill Rd, Kissimmee, FL 34746
Hidden Lake Resort: Hidden Lake resort is tucked away in Florida’s northwestern corner near the Alabama border. Nudity is expected. The resort offers a variety of camping options: primitive tent and RV sites with no water or electric hook-ups, tent and RV sites with water and electric hook-ups, and an RV lot with full hook-ups. Note that the RV sites with full hook-ups fill up fast, and you may need to join a waiting list. Along with weekly events like potluck dinners and movie nights, the resort also organizes several 5Ks and fun runs throughout the year.
Where: 4414 Wildhorn Trail, Jay, FL 32565
Lake Como Family Nudist Resort: No, not that Lake Como. This one’s 30 minutes north of Tampa, and the nudist resort covers 200 lush acres, complete with a 35-acre private lake. Nudity is expected throughout the property but only required in the pool, hot tub, and sauna. Guests can book tent sites by the day or week, and RV sites can be reserved for any length of time (though you’ll need to be a member to stay longer than five months).
Where: 20500 Cot Rd, Lutz, FL 33558
Sunny Sands Resort: Tent campers get prime real estate next to the pool at Sunny Sands, a family-friendly resort between Orlando and Jacksonville where clothing is optional. You can reserve a spot for up to 30 days, but only sites one through four have electrical hook-ups. There’s also a restaurant on site with a full bar and tons of birding to do on the resort’s 42 acres.
Where: 499 Alpha Pkwy, Pierson, FL 32180
Sunsport Gardens: Thirty minutes east of West Palm Beach, Sunsport Gardens is a clothing-optional resort that only requires nudity in the pool, hot tub, and sauna. Campsites range from primitive tent sites to full-hook-up RV sites, or you can rent trailers, cabins, and rooms. Sunsport Gardens hosts various festivals throughout the year, including young adult festivals and youth camps to promote the family-friendly naturist lifestyle.
Where: 14125 N Rd, Loxahatchee, FL 33470
Hidden River Resort: Hidden River Resort invites naturists to set up camp on its 88 acres in an RV or tent, with or without hook-ups. You’re also invited to bring a bike or even a horse to explore its rural trails on the Florida-Georgia border. Clothing is only optional for first-timers.
Where: 223 Reynolds Bridge Rd, St George, GA 31562
Photo: Provided by Blue Lake Resort
Blue Lake Resort: Both tent and RV campers are welcome at Blue Lake Resort, provided they respect the mandatory nudity policy. Should you wish to participate in social nudism while camping at the resort, meals and activities are hosted at the resort’s clubhouse weekly.
Where: 10430 Cooper Rd, Erie, IL 61250
Photo: Lake O’ The Woods Club
Lake O’ The Woods Club: Covering 130 acres about an hour from Chicago, LOWC is a beautiful setting for a camping trip, with a spring-fed lake, two beaches, a 20-acre creek, fishing and floating docks, and a 1.4-mile wooded trail around the lake. Nudity is required, though there are a couple of points on the hiking trails that are visible to the public where guests should cover up with a towel. Camping is primitive on the lawn by the tennis courts, but there amenities such as a kitchen and bathrooms in the nearby clubhouse.
Where: 1353 Sager Rd, Valparaiso, IN 46383
Sandy Terraces: Sandy Terraces is a nudist resort on Cape Cod open to both RV and tent campers. Tent campers enjoy forested surrounds, and all campers are invited to join resort functions, including pool parties, bocce on the beach, poker nights, and group meals.
Where: 570 Wakeby Rd, Marstons Mills, MA 02648
Photo: Spruce Hollow
Cherry Lane Nudist Resort: Camping at Cherry Lane is a choose-your-own-adventure experience, from primitive tent sites to full hook-up RV sites to rental trailers. Nudity is welcome everywhere but only mandatory in the pool area.
Where: 11540 N Adams Rd, North Adams, MI 49262
Forest Hills: Clothing is optional at Forest Hills, a state-licensed campground in central Michigan and the state’s oldest continually operating nudist resort. The 65-site campground is outfitted for RVs, trailers, and tent campers, all of which have access to electrical and water hook-ups, as well as a dump station. There’s also a clubhouse and various sporting venues that campers can use. Forest Hills is open from May 1 to October 31.
Where: 9355 Riverside Dr, Saranac, MI 48881
Spruce Hollow: Currently, Spruce Hollow is only open to women and couples who are welcome to pitch their tents on this 30-acre campground in Northern Michigan, a little south of Traverse City. The majority of Spruce Hollow’s campsites are primitive and first-come, first-served, though there are a handful of reservable sites with power. Note that pre-registration is required to enter the campground, which usually opens each year in early June.
Where: 8700 W 6 1/2 Rd, Mesick, MI 49668
Photo: Two Creeks Campground
Avatan Nudist Club: There are tent sites, RV sites, and cabins available for rent at Avatan, Minnesota’s largest nudist community just north of Minneapolis. There’s a clubhouse on-site, but campers are responsible for their own meals during the week. Guests can socialize by the pool, where nudity is strictly enforced, although clothing is optional elsewhere on the grounds.
Where: 524 Sims Rd NE, East Bethel, MN 55011
Two Creeks Campground: Two Creeks is a clothing-optional, 21-and-older campground on 100 acres in central Minnesota. It’s about an hour from the western tip of Lake Superior and surrounded by state forests. Open May 1 through mid-October, Two Creeks is a fully licensed campground with space for tents and camping vehicles up to 40 feet (with water, sewer, and electrical hook-ups), as well as trailers, cabins, and tents for rent. You can choose from secluded or more social campsites, depending on your preferred experience.
Where: 62399 Duxbury Rd, Sandstone, MN 55072
Natural Pines Resort: Natural Pines is not only clothing optional but also adults only, meaning you have to be 21 to visit. And swingers are welcome — it’s a judgement-free, sex-positive space for everyone. There are three cabins, two cottages, and several full hook-up RV sites, as well as unlimited primitive sites for tent campers. Guests have access to showers, a shared kitchen, and paddle boats.
Where: 18548 State Rte DD, Memphis, MO 63555
Empire Haven: Nestled between Summer Hill State Forest and Filmore Glen State Park in Moravia, Empire Haven is a clothing-optional nudist park that only enforces nudity in the pool, hot tubs, and sauna. Campers are welcome to pitch a tent on the property’s 97 acres, park at one of the full hook-up RV sites, or book one of the park’s eight rental units.
Where: 5947 Sun Ln, Moravia, NY 13118
Cedar Trails Nudist Retreat: Cedar Trails is in the foothills of the Appalachians about 1.5 hours east of Cincinnati. You’re expected to ditch your clothes upon arrival, though first-timers are afforded however much time they need to adjust to social nudity. In addition to five rental cabins, Cedar Trails has unlimited primitive tent sites but only a few first-come, first-served sites with electricity. RV sites are also available with electrical hook-ups.
Where: 11 Cow Run Rd, Peebles, OH 45660
Photo: The Woods Campground
The Woods Campground: Want to camp naked in the Poconos? Look no further than The Woods, a clothing-optional, members-only LGBTQIA+ campground for 18+ campers. The campground is open from May to October and welcomes seasonal campers, trailers, popup campers, and tent campers on its 161 acres, which includes three miles of hiking trails.
Where: 3500 Forest St, Lehighton, PA 18235
Dyer Woods Nudist Campground: Nudity is required in all common areas at Dyer Woods, which spans 200 acres, much of which is a nature preserve with multiple hiking trails. All tent and RV sites come with water and electrical hook-ups and fire pits.
Where: 114 Johnson Rd, Foster, RI 02825
Emerald Lake Naturist Resort: Emerald Lake calls itself “Houston’s premier nudist resort,” making it an excellent spot for nude camping in Texas. Tent sites are available with and without electricity, and RV slots are available for both short- and long-term campers. Guests can spend their days swimming in the on-site beach or pool, soaking in indoor and outdoor spas, fishing, hitting the game room, or trying to spot the resort’s resident bald eagle couple while birding. Nudity is mandatory.
Where: 23198 TX-494 Loop, Porter, TX 77365
Wildwood Naturist Resort: A little over an hour northwest of Dallas-Forth Worth, the Wildwood Naturist Resort has tent sites, full-hookup RV sites, and cabins available to both visitors and members. Clothing is only acceptable here if the weather or a health condition requires it. Beyond amenities like the pool and spa, you can also participate in an annual Skinnydipper 5K.
Where: 241 Private Rd 1179, Decatur, TX 76234
Whitetail Resort: At Whitetail Resort, nudity is a must. Even jewelry should be simple, meaning not hanging or connecting, according to the resort’s standards of behavior. Cabins, rooms, park models, and tent and RV sites are all available to guests. The resort is also stacked with tons of amenities, including a full-service restaurant and Olympic-sized swimming pool.
Where: 39033 Whitetail Dr, Ivor, VA 23866
Lake Bronson Club: Located at the foothills of the Cascade Range in northern Washington, the Lake Bronson Club sits on 320 woodsy acres with hiking trails, a spring-fed lake, an 85-foot waterfall, and its very own beach. Nudity is mandatory, weather permitting. There are 24 RV sites with electrical and water hook-ups and unlimited spaces for tent campers.
Where: PO Box 1135, Sultan, WA 98294
Triangle Recreation Camp: Also at the foothills of the Cascades, TRC is a clothing-optional, LGBTQ-owned and -operated campground open from April to early October. It’s only available to campers 21 and older with a maximum stay of two weeks. Tent sites come with communal fire pits and picnic tables. Beyond the campground, TRC oversees 80 acres of mountain and riverside trails available to guests.
Where: 47715 Mountain Loop Highway Granite Falls, WA 98252 