The best nude beach in the United States, according to a recent ranking, is a scoop of sand along California's rugged Big Sur coastline, where the scenery is so stunning it could even upstage the sight of strangers' bare bums.
The spot we're referring to is the crescent-shaped Pfeiffer Beach, known for its golden and purple-tinted sands backed by dramatic cliffs. Nude sunbathing is allowed at the beach's northern end—and it's the country's best in-the-buff beachgoing, per an analysis released by VIP Grinders, an online poker platform.
To determine the 10 best nude beaches along the USA's 95,471 miles of coastline, researchers considered popularity (measured by monthly Google searches and total Instagram hashtags), visitor satisfaction (based on an average of user star ratings online), and weather conditions (based on average summer temperatures and monthly rainfall, which seems unfair to the Pacific Northwest).
With that criteria, the states of California and Florida, which are already popular, naturally fared best, with each landing four beaches on the list.
Aside from Pfeiffer in Big Sur, California is represented by second-place finisher Baker Beach, with its excellent views of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco; San Diego County's Black's Beach (in fifth place), considered the oldest legal nude beach in the U.S.; and the gay-friendly San Gregorio State Beach (ninth place) just south of San Francisco.
The highest-ranking Florida spot: Miami's famed Haulover Beach (tied for second), which often appears near the top of worldwide nude beach honor rolls. Other Floridian locales on the ranking are the largely undeveloped Apollo Beach (4th place) in Hillsborough County and, tied for 10th place, Blind Creek Beach on the Treasure Coast and Playalinda Beach on the Canaveral National Seashore.
The full top 10 is revealed (so to speak) below.
But first, two important considerations having to do with the law and with manners.
Before you strip down completely anywhere in public, find out whether nudity is legal there or merely tolerated, and make sure you get naked only in the areas of the beach where that is permitted. To help with that last part, we've included where the clothing-optional section is for each place listed below. (For some reason, the nude part is usually the north end.)
It's also a good idea to read up on our tips for nude beach etiquette so that you avoid committing a faux pas such as snapping a photo or otherwise making your fellow nudists uncomfortable.
The Best Nude Beaches in the U.S.
Here are the 10 top nude beaches in the United States, as determined by the report from VIP Grinders. The location of the clothing-optional section appears in parentheses.
1. Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, California (north side)
2. (tie) Baker Beach in San Francisco (north end)
2. (tie) Haulover Beach in Miami (northern end)
4. Apollo Beach in Hillsborough County, Florida (Beach #5)
5. (tie) Little Beach in Maui, Hawaii (north end)
5. (tie) Black's Beach in San Diego County, California (north end)
7. (tie) Secret Cove Beach in Lake Tahoe, Nevada (toward the back of the cove)
7. (tie) Ship Island near Gulfport, Mississippi (farthest end from the entrance)
9. San Gregorio State Beach in San Mateo County, California (southern end)
10. (tie) Blind Creek Beach in Fort Pierce, Florida (the whole thing)
10. (tie) Playalinda Beach in Brevard County, Florida (north end)
Frommer's Best of Florida
Frommer’s books aren’t written by committee, by AI, or by travel writers who simply pop in briefly to a destination and then consider the job done. We employ the best local experts to author our guides, in this case, Tampa-based journalist Beth Luberecki, Miami-based newspaper reporter Leslie Abrava...
Get the bookFrommer's Best of Florida
Frommer’s books aren’t written by committee, by AI, or by travel writers who simply pop in briefly to a destination and then consider the job done. We employ the best local experts to author our guides, in this case, Tampa-based journalist Beth Luberecki, Miami-based newspaper reporter Leslie Abrava...