State cracks down on San Onofre nude beach. Poll: What do you think of the nude beach?
May 30th, 2008, 8:47 am · 95 Comments · posted by Laylan Connelly, staff writer
For all you who thought the nude beach down at San Onofre was just an urban legend - I 
personally talked to enough naked people yesterday to know there is indeed a small stretch of beach long regarded as “clothing-optional.”
My fellow reporter Cindy Carcamo and I have been working on a story this week about the state wanting these folks to put their clothes back on. The 1,000 foot stretch of beach - hidden from the world from high rocky cliffs - has been a naturist area for decades. Read more about the area, and what the state plans to do.
So of course, I had to ask:
More from the Beach Blog:
Best Surf Shops Taking it to the Water
Grunion run at Doheny delights despite the rain
San Clemente takes home Red Bull surf contest
Warmer water brings sea life out to play, including season’s first blue whale
The naturists are the one’s paying the use fee and keeping the place operating during the off season. The State should leave things alone.
Most down on the beach don’t look good naked anyway! This isn’t Hefner’s beach…
Leave them alone. There is no harm having this tinny secluded beach designated for the naturalists.
I am not a nudist but I see no problem with it. The State officials should lighten up!
I’ve never been to this beach but I’ve been to nude beaches in Europe. It’s fun, it’s harmless, and it’s crazy to prohibit.
“In the past five years, officials have handed out 83 citations for lewd behavior and 35 tickets for indecent exposure in the area”
By that argument, they should also shut down the Catholic Church.
The usual arguments are made that make no sense.
If being naked at the beach was accepted, then there would be no citations for ‘indecent exposure’ and far less for ‘lewd behavior.’
Of course society should prosecute people who break the law, the case of the suspicion of molesting the 12-year old. But over the course of five years, there will be some arrest on some charge just about everywhere. We don’t shut down Huntington Beach or the local mall because someone commits a crime in those locations.
Arrest the people breaking the law, and leave the middle aged naked people frolicking in the surf alone.
I am a single woman and have gon to San Onfore clothing optional beach for years. I always felt safe there.
I bet that the citations that the previous poster mentioned were NOT at the nude section, the same the with the molestation charge. The nudists there are always watching out for children.
It would be sad if the state does close San Onofre down. The state would also lose a lot of money. Why punish many because of a few.
These folks aren’t bothering anyone. Why don’t you just leave them alone. Thank you.
So California has miles and miles of beaches and the state has to take away a tiny section where it’s been acceptable to be nude for decades? Where are their priorities? Certainly not going after “real” crime!
There are many people who feel uncomfortable with clothes draped on their sensitive skins, so why not let us alone in a spot like this.
We, as a couple, visit this portion of San Onofre quite often. Those that make jokes about us not being pretty enough to go naked on the beach don’t understand our nudist lifestyle. There in lies one of the problems within our society. Some have a distorted view of what is beautiful.
The problem lies with those individuals that venture beyond the fence line onto the Camp Pendleton portion of the beach to act like idiots in public. The are chased off and come north to the beach where the nudists are and then give us a bad name.
The state and the Dept of Parks and Rec. Director needs to focus on the real problem and not use shot gun tactics to remedy this.
Leave the beach open for the nudists and take care of the problem.
I have been to the beach many times over the years and found it to be clean, and family friendly. Do not close it down, we do not need to return to Victorian times when the body was considered leud and something to be ashamed of.
i find it utterly appauling that even the thought of making a beach clothing mandatory.
I’VE BEEN A NUDIST FOR YEARS AND HAVE ***NEVER** HAD A PROBLEM AT A NUDE BEACH
the real problems are the clothing mandatory beaches like pacific beach, mission beach and ocean beach which there are way too many people creating problems.
HAVE YOU EVER HAD ANY MAJOR CRIME AT A NUDE BEACH i highly doubt it.
please leave us alone the beaches that we must go to in order to enjoy being nude are hard enough to get to as it is.
chris
nudist from blacks beach
It’s beautiful and natural to have the option of sunbathing and playing nude in the sun. My children and I are very happy that there are nude beaches in San Diego.
Good Job Allen!!!!
I’m in agreement with JOHN.
It’s apparently safer to be at Trail 6 than it is to go to church.
Leave the people at Trail 6 alone.
One sign in the area that warns casual beach visitors that they’re approaching a nude beach should be enough of a warning. Heck! The beach is apparently a “cul-de-sac” of beaches; you can only (legally) get to it one way! And you have to pay to get in to the State Park, so that makes it a “Toll Beach” too!
What more can the State do to prevent “poisoning” of our minds?
Oh, right… don’t put a chapel there.
I have two words for the people who want to close this strip of beach….”LIGHTEN UP” . Its about time you all start to focus elsewhere to more serious matters at hand. Maybe if you all take a half of a day off on Friday and venture down to the this wonderful beach and partake in a little “nude beach time” you might just see the light.
Just like in the middle east (you know - the place with those crazy religious people?) we have the American god squad out to destroy personal freedoms. These fanatics must be stopped. VOTE and get rid of the Republican scum who claim to want “less government.”
I have absolutly no problem with nude beaches, the people are peasfull and self regulating, I think thet are healthy and natural, and shuld be left alone.
Is crime non-existent in the rest of the state park where you can send manpower to be at the beach at all times to enforce this policy? Or is crime non-existent in San Diego County should the assistance of sheriff deputies be called upon? Is it right to make this precipitous change to public policy without public input? It just does not make sense to me the abrupt sudden change that ironically has occurred after a recent change in superintendents. Change for something that has worked for years and the general public would probably agree. These certain park rangers have certainly erroneously reported information labeling the majority of us beach goers in a way that is simply not true. Some reports may have validity to lewd behavior, and certain individuals who the majority is against that participate in this type of behavior do indeed undermine our image as naturist. Not only are they not tolerated when it occurs; it is and has always been a custom to address individuals that what they are doing is unacceptable. So with that in mind thousands of people who visit San Onofre Clothing Optional area are again falsely labeled from incidents that may have occurred and erroneous reports that have been blown out of proportion. Would it cost more jobs if you lose revenue from one of the most active parks that bring in revenue from the day users? I say leave the nude sunbathers alone at this docile little paradise in North San Diego County.
With thousands of miles of coast can’t a few feet be preserved for nude use? The perverts will go there or move to a rest room at a department store, mall, air port or playground. You won’t eliminate the problem just the law-abiding nudists.
I’ve been to the clothing-optional section of San Onofre State Beach about a dozen times in the last eight years. Although I’ve seen a few people on the Camp Pendleton side of the (very poorly marked) boundary line, I have never seen any lewd conduct or other violations of law.
If in fact there have been any significant number of violations, other than tresspassing onto Camp Pendleton property, that would tell me the “authorities” are not doing their job. Their job is to prevent public places from going bad. If a public place does go bad, they’re supposed to step in and clean it up. When it comes to c-o beaches, however, the reverse is often true. The “authorities” deliberately let a c-o area become a no-enforcement zone, then do a sweep or two, and declare the problem they themselves have deliberately created to be beyond their ability to control.
The idea that nudists can self-police is another common myth, one I’ve seen repeated in earlier comments. Yes, we can politely talk to people, but that’s as far as any citizen can go. We can’t harass, can’t threaten the use of force, can’t use force, and can’t make an arrest.
If in fact there has been a significant number of violations, which I strongly doubt, the solution is increased police presence for a while. Nudist citizens deserve the same police protection as any other citizen. The police swear to “Protect and Serve.” That promise applies to all of us, not just to people with clothes on.
As frequent visitor to southern California beaches we are extremely concerned about the reversal of the Cahill policy at San Onofre Beach. We have always enjoyed the set aside clothing optional area and hope Ms Coleman”s office will rethink this close minded decision. We OPPOSE the revocation of the Cahill Policy at San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County.
Rangers and park managers must NOT confuse simple nudity with lewd behavior. Rangers presently have the authority to stop lewd activity, and that authority does not require the abrupt discontinuation of a long-standing policy that has worked well for years.
Proud AANR members !
Mike & Janet
Recent polls and voter registration clearly show a growing
preponderance of society believe our country has been going in
the wrong direction too long - officials in high places arrogantly
setting policy to benefit personal agendas, ignoring basics of
democracy. I find unilateral, heavy handed action by State Parks
yet another example. Come November they may be surprised
finding their livelihoods in jeopardy.
After years a travels near and far, clothed and otherwise, I find
“existential” and “animist” good words for my beliefs, taking
responsibility for my actions while finding joyful wonder in the
intrinsic soul I see in everything in the universe - including grains
of sand on the beach and the waves that made them. For
decades I have found places like San Onofre to be essential, holy
places where I am free to shed the textile costume of my urban
existence to enjoy warmth from our home star naturally. Please
don’t take this small, hidden place of worship from me.
Thank you.
To the blogger that wants San Onofre closed to nude use, claiming citations against the non-naturists for the reason, think of this.
Would you shut down all the churches because of the molestation arrests. Shut down thw Boy Scouts? Close US5 because of the speeders.
If the naturists are forced from this beach, you will see an increase in lewd behavior. It is the Naturists that keep it safe.
This is simply a case of the State Park wanting to depopulate the parks so they can reduce staffing.
Are they closing other state recreational facilities. If not, they are desciminating agains the naturists.
It should not be allowed
Richard, Tourist/Visitor to So. California. Maybe no more.
God made us nude. Satan shamed us into wearing clothes. Who do YOU worship?
I would question the statistics “Have Some Class” quotes. I notice they are not specific to a location, but say in the area. I would venture that there is little connection with the C/O section of Beach?? Shutting down that section of Beach would only provide more territory w/o self policing Naturists to keep behavior civil.
California’s beaches are a public resource. People who enjoy sunning and swimming without clothes are a significant recreational use group. They are no different from other special-interest groups who use public lands, such as dune buggy, trail bike, or hang glider devotees. All of these significant use groups have a right to use public lands, usually in places where their activities do not bother other, more traditional users of the resource.
Trail 6 is a classic case of an isolated area where nude use does not bother those who prefer to be and to see clothed bathers. As public servants, the California Parks Department and park rangers should be concerned with maximizing public use of our park resources while minimizing user conflict (in this case, between nudist and non-nudist users). The fact that the clothing-optional section of San Onofre is popular and well used is good news. It means that the public is being well served by this stretch of public beach. The current complaints are not coming from members of the general beach-going public. Rather, they are coming from a newly-assigned park ranger who seems to have a personal problem with nude use of this public beach, and who has succeeded in getting state parks management to overturn long standing public policy without any public input.
Simple nudity, without lewd behavior or intent, is not criminal. Instead of seeking to ban nude use of this small, isolated public beach, state parks management should be seeking to find other similar areas where this significant use group can enjoy public beaches. The fact that clothing optional beaches are popular is indicative of a public demand. If the parks department were run like business, it would be seeking to open more clothing optional beaches–and encouraging its rangers to arrest the criminals who scare away customers.
Question: How would a nudist get away with lewd activity?
Think about it…
Naturists uphold strong family values and we self-police the clothing-optional section of beach to make it one of the safest places ever for families to be.
Also, America stands for FREEDOM, remember? Those who want to take away freedoms are supporting FASCISM.
Peace.
Some people don’t have a life..Nothing to do but make it hard on people just because they don’t wear clothes. Leave them alone. Next they will say that blacks are not allowed on the beach either..When will this madness about nudity end? Nude is not Lewd..Perverts are what ruin it for everyone else and they are not nudists. Rapists have clothes on when they stalk their victims so do child molestors. As was said before, maybe they should shut down the Catholic Church for what it is guilty of? Sorry, I forgot that the same ones that want to shut the beach down are the same ones that belong to it..Nudity should be legal anyway..Cheers..Keithmj
It’s all well and good to comment here, but who is calling the state officials who are cowing to the vocal prudes who want nudity banned? How will we ever get our Puritan neighbors to stop curbing our rights if we do nothing but complain on a newspaper’s website?
I have been a nudist for 25+years,I was interviewed by the La Jolla Light when the city of SD closed nudity south of the trail we use to go north and enjoy the sun,bbq,and enjoy Lloyds ice cream. I noted the when they state the arrests at our nude beaches,the arrests at the adjoining beaches were Much higher where they don;t go nude.the drunks and roudys are of more concern at those beaches that at our NUDE beaches….RON T
leave the beach alone
What is all this talk of banning people who live life differently? Look at the size of the California Coastline…..no room for a few peace loving nudists? This sort of political act reminds me of the Nazis….uniformity, the vision of a few being imposed on the freedoms of many. Sad Sad Sad…..
Protect our Constitution…..protect our FREEDOM!
MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN GOING TO THE NUDIST BEACH SOUTH OF TRAIL 6 AT SAN ONOFRE BEACH FOR OVER 10 YEARS, WE LOVE GOING TO THAT BEACH AND PLAYING VOLLEYBALL AND HANGING OUT WITH OUR FREINDS, THE SECTION FROM THE WASH TO WHERE THE FENCE BEGINS AT CAMP PENDELTON IS A PLACE OF REFUGE FROM THE DAILY GRIND OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. YOU WILL MEET SOME OF THE NICEST AND MORALLY DECENT PEOPLE YOU WOULD EVER MEET IN YOUR LIFE. THE MAJORITY ARE REGULARS WHO HELP PATOL THE BEACH IN THE OFF SEASON AND KEEP THE BEACH CLEAN. MANY OF US WORK ON THE TRAILS TO MAKE IT SAFER TO TRANSVERSE AND IN THE PROCESS HOPEFULLY SO LIFEGUARDS WON’T HAVE TO MAKE RESCUES. HECK, WE ARE EVEN TRYING TO COMFORM TO NEW THE ALCHOHOL BAN. (THATS HARD)
MY SUGGESTION IS TO KEEP THE STATUS QUO AND SEND UNDERCOVER OFFICERS
TO BUST ANY PERSONS INVOLVED IN LEWD ACTIVITY
Surfers demonstrating their skills against a wonderful set of waves. Volleyball players engaged in a day of competition under beautiful sunny skies. Friends and new aquaintenances all relaxing under colorful umbrellas, laughing, picknicking and enjoying their small piece of beautiful beach that has been a part of their lives for many years. This is a typical day at San Onofre’s clothing optional beach.
Many people, like my wife and I travel an hour or more each way, pay the toll and hike down the trail just to enjoy this wonderful little beach. It’s one of the last places we have to shed our clothes and enjoy the warmth of the sun the way God intended us to. Nude is not lewd, it is natural and it is beautiful in our eyes.
We see the rangers cruise by but I don’t see citations being given out. Why? Because the acts of indecency and lewd conduct that others refer to are not a part of the daily routine at our beach. We don’t cross onto Marine base land, we don’t do the things that would condemn our beautiful beach and we don’t condone those who do. This is a peacful beach where friends, families and all fellow nudists are welcomed and respected.
To take away this freedom from those people that respect it’s very existense is the only crime I see. We need all people, nudists or not who believe that our personal freedoms should not be decided by politicians to stand up against this crime.
Leave San Onofre Beach alone.
I think everybody needs to get down to Trail 6 to see for ourselves exactly what is going on. How about 12 Noon next Saturday!!!
Rich Haydon and Ruth Coleman have a long history of having their fingers in the cookie jar. This latest BS is just an attempt to distract from their more questionable activities. The media needs to start taking a good, hard look at why these two were appointed to this place at this time, and at whoever put them there.
I am a nudist and my wife and kids and I have been going to this beach for over 20 years. This is just the latest attempt by the powers that be to close the nude beach for their own agenda. The nudists are a powerful influence for good at the beach we organized nudists educate and volunteer for beach clean ups etc. There has been a change in management and the new bosses are trying to flex their muscles. We must resist this for if we do not we will see other unwanted dictatorial policies put in place in what should be the public domain. We the people specifically the users of this beach and other concerned citizens should be the ones making these policies not some over paid public servants who forgot they work for us. Could this have anything to do with the proposed new toll road through this state beach? Hmm, eliminate the primary users of the beach to show a decrease in revenue so a property looks less valuable and now may be sold to further someones elses agenda. Hmm maybe but we will never know.
Everytime i go the southern Cal i visit the beach overnight usually and spend time at the relaxing, freindly Nude area. People share food sunscreen and other stuff. Smile and converse. Look after your stuff while you swim or surf.
I vote to keep it open and for proper signage!
Don
Unfortunately, the poeple who make these decisions have never experienced the freedom and relaxation of being nude. Most of them are so rapped up in hiding their own dirty little secrets, that there is no way they could ever comprehend or embrace the feeling of complete honesty that is felt in a naturist enviroment. Therefore, they must destroy anything that reminds them of their own personal sins or embarassments.
Truly Sad…
Nudity is not a crime. The small minded, inhibited bigots that try to shut down these locations are the problem. It is all about what the (not so) moral minority want.
Those that use Trail Six do not bother anyone. Perhaps the state should spend money on trying to solve problems, education, poor roads, ect ect-VS- trying to dictate THEIR version of morality.
We drive to California beaches, this one and Blacks, to enjoy the nude beachs. We spend a weekend in a motel, we eat out all meals, we buy gasoline, beer, and wine, etc. When I go to the beach this year, and some ranger tells me to put pants on… There’s another tourist who used to spend dollars in California. At $4.25/gal. driving to San Diego to get sand in my shorts? Not gonna happen.
I am a female who has no qualms about visiting the clothing-optional section of San Onofre Beach. We nudists are very protective of each other and our environment. What do the authorities think will happen if they chase the nudists off the beach??? Exactly what happened at Bates/Rincon–the beach is now practically deserted; then an empty beach is a magnet for the pervs and people who want seclusion to do drugs, etc. Don’t chase away the law-abiding citizens; deal w/ the people who misbehave either on a nude or a clothed beach–that’s your sworn duty!
We enjoy the freedom that San Onofre offers us as beach goes who choose to tan and swim in the nick. We have been going to this beach for many years and would be devistated if it were changed in any way. The people who feel comfortable to go to a clothing optional beach are friendly and we all share something very special when we enjoy a carefree day at Tail 6. Let’s keep our beach as it is!!!
We are a couple who enjoy nudism, San O is and has been protected by appeal why do we have small minded people that get their pay checks from us telling us that the Court of Law is irrelevant, we feel that they are irrelevant and should be relieved of their positions. Nudists take care of themselves and the environment unlike the textile element that trash the environment.
I’m not at all surprised that the Parks Department declines to release specifics of all the alleged infractions they claim have occurred on the clothing-optional beach. That reticence is a familiar pattern, one we’ve seen before in other states: Florida and Oregon come to mind. It always turns out that the “ever-so-horrible” statistics bandied about are 99% pure balderdash, and that the 1% of truth doesn’t amount to much.
As others have said, IF PROBLEMS ACTUALLY EXIST on the beach below Trail 6, and I’ve never seen any in a couple dozen visits over the years, the solution is enforcement, not closure.
The one bright note is that Allen Bayliss is leading the resistance. I don’t know of anyone I’d trust more.
Jenny
I an so so sad to hear the news about the closing of trail #6. 1000 feet of shore for all of Orange & San Diego County to use. I live in Riverside County and have driven the 91 to the 5 south so many times with my wife, daughter, and companions. We have always had a WONDERFUL TIME! So sad that another bureaucratic decision closed off just a little more of our freedom. Welcome to California - land of diversity and freedom (opps - not so much any more). Hope Ms. Coleman reverses her decision. You know, I won’t go back if it stays this way, but I realistically know that Ms. Coleman or any other employee of her Dept. could care less. They still will get their full paycheck. Regards - Jim McNulty Corona Calif.
As a Christian, a retired Sheriff, a respected politician, and father of daughters, I see absolutely no reason why the Parks Department would spend valuable resources going after a group of law abiding citizens who make the choice to sunbathe, surf, play volleyball, and share a BBQ, with others who equally enjoy being in the clothes they were born in – that means “NUDE”. Only wish I had the body to do it and the wife who would let me.
Regarding enforcement, as a former Sheriff Commander, I highly doubt that bosses and/or the public would stand for an outrageous misuse of local tax funds by dispatching at least 2 officers in 2 patrol vehicles, to travel all the way from Oceanside to the gates of San Onofre State Beach, then drive nearly 3 miles at 15 mph to reach trail 6, then leave their patrol vehicle unattended in the parking lot as they slowly stroll down the steep cliffs leading to the beach. Once there, the officers would need to walk another quarter mile or so to reach the small patch of beach where the law abiding “NUDE” citizens, who pay the salaries of the officers and Park Rangers, could be found “NUDE”, just to write a few citations that would not stand up in court.
Such an abuse of time, resources and money would create an embarrassment for the Sheriff Department, Park Rangers and the government that supports these organizations. The public and political backlash would be brutal. Who is to gain from this absurdity anyway? Surely not the public.
The beach should be left alone, let the citizens be free as they have the right to do. If anyone should be disciplined, it should be the Rangers who started such a commotion. If the Rangers lied and/or misrepresented facts just to justify the closing of the NUDE beach, they should be immediately “FIRED” as they would leave the State and local governments open to litigation. The Rangers, who would no longer have the credibility to testify in a court, could be charged criminally and face civil litigation themselves.
Although I am a strong supporter of enforcing the laws, the absurdity of all this clearly indicates that Park Rangers are nothing more than Boy Scouts with guns.
I have been a nudist for many years and have found nudism to be a wonderful way to relax. I hope that California can continue to have the freedom it has always enjoyed!
The sadness of this situation is that a few feet of remote beach, thoroughly enjoyed an entirely legal class of recreationist , is being attacked by a government entitiy with near complete impunity for their actions. Apparently justification for their actions is not a care for the public servant anymore. Justification fort his sorry excuse for public funds spending and bully pulpit harassment just does not exist. Leave the beach alone. Leave the beach the way it is. Allot some of the harassment funds to the naturists. They will do wonders for that little corner of the river with it.
Goodness, I think all sorts of great points have been brought up. That the nudists make the park profitable while most are not should give officials a clue. This is biting your nose to spite your face.
It’s also true that nudists tend to keep the lewd activities from happening in the first place.
With all the hundreds of miles of beaches in California why can’t the nudists have a little sliver? Tourism dollars in this time of a hurting economy should be embraced, not condemned.
Nude Beaches are a wonderful thing. I have visited many of the beaches in California and plan to do so many times again. It is the primary reason I travel to the State.
I’m not a nudist myself, but the clothing optional beach abuts the dog beach so I have been there a number of times. The naked people seemed quite civil to me; I would hate to hear that they were no longer allowed enjoy the beach the way they want to.
For those of you who have never been, it takes some getting to One doesn’t just stumble there accidently.
Sounds like a case of skin cancer just waiting to happen.
I hope San O stays Clothing free!!!
I don’t live in California, but I do vacation there - mainly so I can swim without my suit. If I can’t visit California without my suit - I’ll visit Texas or Flordia - It just won’t happen as often - so I really hope there will always be nude beaches to visit in California.
SANS O YES FREE
SAN O NO FRE
I think the Parks director should be fired, or resign if she doesn’t rescind the order. Worry about something else. Who appointed this bureaucrat? Vote ‘em out. You lis’ning, Arnold?
That end of the beach will go to hell in a handbasket if the people who care about are relegated away.
I call “SAN ONOFRE NUDE BEACH” my Heaven on Earth, this is the only place where i can really relax, I drive 72 miles each way and I dont mind doing it just to get away from all the stress caused by this crazy society .I harm no body by taking off my clothes,