California smacks nude beach buffs

by Tom Johansmeyer on

After having been left alone for a while, California isn’t tolerating nudity any more. The state’s Department of Parks and Recreation is putting out the word that it will crack down on bare crack this year at San Onofre State Beach. So, if you like to sun in the buff or skinny-dip in the sea, you could be out of luck. Nudists call it a “tremendous setback.”

The nudist community worries that the California decision could trigger a chain reaction across the country. Bob Morton, executive director of the Naturist Action Committee, says, “There are other states in which there are sanctioned nude beaches. They’re all looking to see what California is doing.”

There’s a secluded stretch of San Onofre State Beach, 1,000 feet long, that’s been popular for sunning sans threads for more than three decades, and it has such a reputation that visitors from out of state seek it out. Cliffs stretching 300 feet into the sky block the views of would-be gawkers, making it comfortably private. And, there’s a certain justice in the fact that it was a decision by President Richard Nixon that opened the beach to the public.

Neighbors bothered by naturist B&B

by Sean McLachlan on

Neighbors of Domain Farm, a recently opened naturist Bed and Breakfast in Staffordshire, England, are complaining about seeing more than they want to of the guests.

The B&B is a converted farm and features a sun deck, hot tub, and barbeque area, and while it’s set in a rural landscape, it is within sight of other homes. This brings it into the ongoing controversy, not limited to naturism, of where to draw the line between individual liberty and consideration of others. The owners are busy planting trees and shrubs around the property, but their efforts aren’t quick enough for the locals.

Despite the weather, naturism or nudism is quite popular in the UK. British Naturism, the official naturist organization, reports a membership of more than 16,000. There are numerous clothing-optional beaches in places like Brighton, and naturists are encouraged by the fact that there is no law explicitly banning public nudity, only indecent exposure. What this breaks down to in reality is that if you bare all in front of Buckingham Palace, you’ll be hauled away. If you hike in the nude, you’ll probably be fine. In fact, British naturists say nude hiking is quite popular, although I’ve never seen any on my hikes.

I have, however, seen nude hikers at Seven Falls in the Catalina Mountains near Tucson, Arizona, where nudity is clearly not legal. The falls are several miles up a rugged canyon far away from public view, so the cops don’t bother doing anything about it. What with all the car thefts and meth labs in the city, they have better things to do.

So if you like to get your kit off, as the English say, don’t dismiss the UK as a travel destination. The Naturist UK Fact File has tons of information. It may get cold and rainy, but at least you won’t have to deal with the desert sun and cacti like those Arizona naturists!
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Photo courtesy of Peter Rivera from the Gadling flickr pool. These are statues in the Louvre, not pasty-skinned British nudists after a long winter.

Hikers on new trail in Germany may see more “nature” than they want

by Katie Hammel on

Apparently, nudity is big in Germany. The German Nudist Association organizes outings for naturalists to nude beaches and campgrounds and now, there’s even a special path for naked hikers. Yeah, I said naked hikers.

The 11-mile long trail will run from Dankerode to the Wippertal dam and officially opens in May. The trail will be marked with signs warning hikers that nudists are in the area. “If you don’t want to see people with nothing on then you should refrain from moving on!” one says. While Germans anxious to hike au naturel have been trying out the unfinished trail, not everyone is excited to encounter naked hikers. The nearby town of Appenzell has banned nude hikers – anyone caught hiking in the buff, an act town officials have called “shameless behavior”, faces fines of up to £120.

I can kind of see the appeal of nude beaches – I’m no fan of tan lines – but nude hiking makes no sense to me. Poison oak and mosquito bites in uncomfortable places and sore, um, jiggly bits? No thanks. But I’m glad that those with a passion for hiking in their birthday suits now have a place to go. And I’ll echo the sentiments of the Deputy Director at the German National Tourist Office: “To the locals I would say: hike and let hike. To the nude hikers, I would say: Mind the brambles and high thistles.” Ouch!

[via Daily Mail]

Swiss say no to naked hikers in the Alps

by Scott Carmichael on

Voters in the Swiss Canton of Appenzell Inner Rhodes got to have their say in a proposal put together to ban naked hikers in their region of the Alps.

The (primarily German) hikers had been prancing through the Alps without any clothes, much to the chagrin of the residents.

People caught in the buff will now receive a 200CHF fine (about $176).

Residents of the Inner Rhodes area have described the naked tourists as “thoroughly disturbing and irritating,”

Their neighbors in the Appenzell Outer Rhodes Canton are preparing a similar ban which will probably bring an end to the German web sites describing the activity as “a special experience of nature, free and healthy”.

Still, these German naturists could always check out this recently opened hotel in their own country.

Clothing not optional at this German hotel

by Scott Carmichael on

Guests arriving at Hotel Rosengarten better be prepared for their stay, this is not the kind of hotel where you show up at the very last minute, not knowing what to expect.

The hotel in the German Black Forest has a strict “no clothing allowed” policy, and guests are expected to be naked in all common areas.

Of course, nudity is still pretty much a taboo in the United States (unless it is on DVD’s made here and sent abroad), but the Germans are so comfortable with nudity, that 2 villages in the vicinity of the hotel are working on legislation that will permit naked hikers to use some of the paths in the area as “nudity approved” routes.

The hotel does have a couple of rules guests will have to adhere to – sex is not allowed in any of the common areas, and photography is only allowed if those being photographed grant permission.

Check the gallery below for some folks who should NEVER go to a clothing-optional resort.

“For more galleries like this, visit Asylum. Be sure to check out their list of 26 places every man should visit!”