Ralph Collinson
AANR-Florida President
Nudist beaches have a long history in Florida. Native Americans swam nude in the ocean. The office of the superintendent of Canaveral National Seashore has a mural depicting Native Americans swimming at Playalinda. During the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, there were many beaches available to nudists. As the state became more developed and the population increased, these beaches disappeared to textile use.
Florida has over 1,350 miles of coastline, yet only five miles is currently available for clothing-optional use. The first thing one will notice when visiting a clothing-optional beach is its popularity. On any given day 60 to 85 percent of visitors at the beach are on the nudist portion. All walks of life visit the beaches. Aside from being naked, nudist beaches are no different than textile beaches. Vulgarity, unwanted advances, lewd behavior, profanity, and body shaming are unwelcomed and not tolerated.
Nudists worldwide are aware of Haulover Beach in Bal Harbour (North Miami Beach). It is frequently selected as one of the top 10 nudist beaches in the world and has been highlighted on Tripadvisor, The Travel Channel, CBS News, and numerous travel publications. This one-third-mile strip of sand was founded in 1981 by South Florida Free Beaches (SFFB), who has supported the beach ever since. It is one of the most popular nudist destinations in the world, drawing visitors from the U.S., Canada, and the rest of the world. The beach has ample parking (fee required), concessions for food, chairs/beach umbrellas, lifeguards, bathrooms, and showers. On a sunny weekend in season, one will find several thousand people enjoying the sand and surf in the nation’s only urban, nudist beach.
Further north is Blind Creek Beach, Florida’s newest clothing-optional beach. Blind Creek Beach is supported by the Treasure Coast Naturists, and it is situated on Hutchinson Island between Ft. Pierce and Jensen Beach. Blind Creek Beach has ample parking (free) and portable toilets. There are no concessions or lifeguards. On a busy weekend, one may find 300 to 400 people on this two mile stretch of beach, which gives nudists a lot of room to spread out. This beach is great for fishing and surfing or beachcombing to find shells and other treasures.
Further north, in Titusville, is Playalinda Beach at the Canaveral National Seashore. One can enter the park through the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which has some of the best birdwatching opportunities in the U.S. After paying the entry fee at the ranger station, proceed east and go to parking lot 13. On busy weekend days, the nudist beach will expand to parking lot 12. Bathrooms are available in the parking lot; however, one must not disrobe until one is on the beach. There are no other facilities. One can wander north to the backcountry sign and south to the beach ramp for parking lot 12. Similar to Blind Creek Beach, there is a lot of room to spread out. The beach is also popular with surfers and fishing enthusiasts.
At the north end of Canaveral National Seashore, one will find Apollo Beach, which is accessible through New Smyrna Beach. Once one enters the park, drive to the end of the road and park in parking lot five. Access the beach from the walkover, and the nudist beach extends south to the backcountry sign. Because of the limited parking, this beach has fewer visitors and is never overcrowded. There are bathrooms in the parking lot, but no concessions.
These beaches bring considerable tourism dollars to Florida. Nude recreation is one of the fastest-growing industries in the country. We estimate that visitors to clothing-optional beaches and nudist resorts/clubs produce an annual $7.4 billion of economic impact in Florida. Seventy-three percent of Floridians are in favor of land being set aside for nude recreation, which encourages AANR-Florida and other free beach organizations to press the legislature to set additional public land aside for clothing-optional recreation.
In 2019, AANR-Florida and the B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation joined together in a government affairs plan to clarify state law governing nudity under chapter 800.03 of the Florida statutes and to amend Florida Park Rule 65D, which prohibits nudity in state parks. Our actions in Tallahassee have been positive to date, and we hope to soon increase clothing-optional opportunities, especially on the west coast of Florida.
To continue their efforts, nudists need the help of nudists everywhere. If one lives in Florida, email one’s state legislators and urge them to support legislation to protect those using nudist/clothing-optional beaches and to support a change to state park regulations that prohibit nude recreation in state parks. Ask that land be put aside for nudist use. We are especially interested in expanding nudist use at MacArthur, Honeymoon Island, and Bahia Honda State Parks. If one does not live in Florida, one can still write to Florida’s legislators explaining that one is a nudist who visits Florida’s beaches and resorts and that one spends one’s nudist dollars in Florida on nude recreation. Opening more public lands to nudists will mean increased tourism dollars to the state and local economies. Check out www.stateofflorida.com/state-legislators to look up the email addresses of Florida legislators.
In support of this effort, Florida is fortunate to have several, very active nudist beach groups. These groups support the beaches in their areas or promote family-friendly nudist values and the expansion of clothing-optional opportunities. They meet with local government officials, business leaders, and community groups to advocate for nude recreation. As mentioned earlier, there is South Florida Free Beaches at Haulover Beach (www.SFFB.com), and Treasure Coast Naturists at Blind Creek Beach (www.TreasureCoastNaturists.org). Also, Tampa Bay Free Beaches is advocating for a beach at Honeymoon Island (www.tampabayfreebeaches.com) and Palm Beach Naturists (www.palmbeachnaturists.org) is advocating for a clothing-optional beach at MacArthur State Park. If one lives in Florida, check these groups out. If one likes what they see, become a member.
