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The West
ARIZONA
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NUDE BEACHES & NATURAL HOT SPRINGS
The most popular nudist site in Arizona is in the mountains just east of Tucson. Tanque Verde Falls [2] 32.2573N, 110.6500W   is a beautiful area along a creek where nudists have congregated for years, and this is an especially nice spot when the creek has water. (It is dry much of the year.)
Although not as popular as Tanque Verde Falls, another notable nude swimming hole is located along Sycamore Creek [3] 33.8056N, 111.4816W in a remote area about 60 miles northeast of Phoenix.
Verde Hot Springs [2] 34.3553N, 111.7096W , located along the Verde River in a remote and scenic area between Phoenix and Flagstaff, is the most popular hot springs site in Arizona, and nudity is customary here.
LODGING & SOAKING
Shangri La Ranch
33.8874N, 112.0812W
New River (northeast of Phoenix)
Arizona Sunburst Inn
33.5289N, 112.0542W
Phoenix
Tony's House
33.5422N, 112.1195W
Phoenix
Copper Cactus Ranch
33.3346N, 111.2860W
Phoenix
El Dorado Hot Springs
33.4934N, 112.9400W
Tonopah (west of Phoenix)
Mira Vista Resort
32.3417N, 111.1168W
Tucson
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COLORADO
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NUDE BEACHES & NATURAL HOT SPRINGS
Although there are no really well-established nude beaches in Colorado, the state has a scattering of places of interest to nudists.
An easily accessible site north of Boulder is a hidden corner of the Boulder Reservoir [3] 40.0849N, 105.2240W that a local nudist group has "colonized" for nude use, but attendance is sporadic. A little west of Boulder, Dream Canyon [2] 40.0083N, 105.4105W draws a mostly gay crowd of nude sunbathers. A moderately challenging hike is required to get there.
In the Rocky Mountains between Denver and the Utah border, South Canyon Hot Springs [2] 39.5537N, 107.4108W near the town of Glenwood Springs is a very easily accessible yet hidden hot springs where swimsuits are rare.
Another notable natural springs site is Conundrum Hot Springs [2] 39.0116N, 106.8913W near Aspen, but it's only for those who outdoorsy, adventurous and in shape. You have to hike 8.5 miles there (one way!). Many make it an overnight hike.
LODGING & SOAKING
Desert Reef Hot Spring
38.3688N, 105.0492W
Florence (west of Pueblo)
Indian Hot Springs
39.7391N, 105.5130W
Idaho Springs (west of Denver)
Mountain Air Ranch
39.5560N, 105.2015W
Indian Hills (southwest of Denver)
Dakota Hot Springs
38.4182N, 105.0566W
Penrose (west of Pueblo)
Orvis Hot Springs
38.1339N, 107.7350W
Ridgway (between Durango and Grand Junction)
Strawberry Park Hot Springs
40.5595N, 106.8500W
Steamboat Springs (far northern Rockies)
Valley View Hot Springs
38.1910N, 105.8160W
Villa Grove (west of Pueblo)
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IDAHO
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NATURAL HOT SPRINGS
Idaho may not seem a very likely place for outdoor nudity, but nude opportunities abound in the state's dozens of hot springs. Idaho has more hot springs than any other state, and most of them are traditionally clothing optional by virtue of their remote locations. Enjoying Idaho's hot springs is not a casual pursuit. Many of the springs require very long and/or strenuous hikes, and some of the springs are accessible only by long-distance rafting or hiking expeditions. If you're a hot springs hound, see the Recommended Reading section of the U.S. Introduction for two excellent hot springs guides.
The closest hot springs to Boise that has a well-established custom of nude soaking is aptly named Skinnydipper Hot Springs [2] 44.0934N, 116.0492W , which is about an hour's drive north of Idaho's capital city. It is easily accessible by car, but the uphill hike to the soaking pools is very steep and will leave you short of breath. East of Boise, Loftus Hot Springs [2] 43.7243N, 115.6045W is roughly the same distance away from the city as is Skinnydipper, but the drive takes much longer since about 28 miles of the drive is on a gravel road. Once you get there, you are just steps from two gorgeous soaking pools where nude soaking is usually possible, with a bit of discretion.
Much farther north in the state, one of Idaho's best known springs is Jerry Johnson Hot Springs [2] 46.4629N, 114.8735W , located in a remote area of northern Idaho, about an hour west of Missoula, Montana. This is one of the more accessible springs in the state but still requires a one-mile hike. Roughly 10 miles west of Jerry Johnson, Weir Creek Hot Springs [2] 46.4630N, 115.0358W is a beautiful location that requires a much shorter hike. Nude soaking is common, but there are fewer soaking pools compared to Jerry Johnson.
Another notable springs in Idaho is Goldbug Hot Springs [2] 44.9053N, 113.9296W , located in the Lemhi Mountains of east-central Idaho near the town of Salmon. You'll have to commit to a long and tiring hike of over an hour, but the payoff is worth it: a naked mountainside soak in pools amid waterfalls with a spectacular view of the mountains to boot.
LODGING
Bare Mountain Hideaway
43.6394N, 116.0422W
near Boise
Sun Meadow Resort
47.3969N, 116.8072W
Worley (southeast of Spokane, WA) |
MONTANA
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NUDE BEACHES
Although hardly known as a region for nude beaches, Montana does have one hidden riverbank beach where sporadic nudity is known to occur: Red Rocks Beach [3] 46.9421N, 113.5906W east of Missoula. |
NEVADA
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NUDE BEACHES
Nevada's finest nude site is one of the most beautiful nude beaches anywhere. On the eastern shore of stunning Lake Tahoe [1] 39.1551N, 119.9328W , nudity is freely tolerated at a series of small coves, mainly Secret Cove and Secret Creek.
Outside the environs of Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada is quite sparsely populated, and scattered throughout the state's vast Basin and Range country is a number of hot springs where swimwear is generally unnecessary. We'll mention a handful of them here. Between Las Vegas and Reno near the California border, Fish Lake Hot Springs [2] 37.8600N, 117.9837W includes a soaking tub and two large ponds where skinny dipping is often possible. Spencer Hot Springs [2] 39.3272N, 116.8592W near the small community of Austin is located very near the geographic center of Nevada, and there are three soaking tubs—hot, hotter and hottest—in the wide-open desert. Near Elko in the northeast of the state, nude swimming is common in the deep pond of Ruby Valley Hot Springs [2] 40.2523N, 115.4081W , set against a stunning backdrop of mountains that are snow capped much of the year. Frog Pond Hot Springs [2] 40.7461N, 119.1711W and Trego Hot Springs [2] 40.7717N, 119.1168W are nearby sites in the Black Rock Desert of northwestern Nevada, which is best known is the location of Burning Man. Frog Pond is a shaded swimming hole while Trego is more exposed to the sun. Both are especially popular during Burning Man.
A final place of note is actually an event, which is Burning Man 40.7797N, 119.2155W itself. Held annually in the desert north of Reno, Burning Man is notorious for its surreal bizarreness, and while it is not a nudist event, full nudity is a frequent sight as there are no clothing requirements.
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NEW MEXICO
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NATURAL HOT SPRINGS
New Mexico has a number of hot springs where nudity is part of the culture. Unfortunately, the custom of nude
bathing at these public-land sites is subject to occasional meddling by authorities, so you run a low risk of being
cited at any of these locations.
The most popular of the traditionally clothing-optional springs is Spence Hot Springs [3] 35.8494N, 106.6297W north of the town of Jemez Springs, roughly equidistant from Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Not far away from Spence is San Antonio Hot Springs [3] 35.9397N, 106.6433W . Both these sites are relatively easy to access. In the same area, just a few miles south of Spence, is McCauley Hot Springs [2] 35.8223N, 106.6276W . These springs require a bit more effort to reach, namely a 1.7-mile hike, but the effort is worthwhile.
Northwest of Taos, there are two springs sites along the Rio Grande—Manby (Stagecoach) Hot Springs [2] 36.5084N, 105.7242W and Black Rock Hot Springs [2] 36.5307N, 105.7121W . While more hiking is required to reach Manby, it is the nicer site and the more likely to draw nude bathers.
In a very remote and scenic area of southwestern New Mexico between Silver City and Reserve, San Francisco Hot Springs [3] 33.2386N, 108.8809W on the San Francisco River is a lovely site that has both soaking pools and a warm natural pond great for swimming. Bare bathing is common.
SOAKING
Faywood Hot Springs
32.5543N, 107.9947W
Faywood (between Deming and Silver City)
Gila Hot Springs Ranch
33.1956N, 108.2077W
Gila National Forest (north of Silver City) |
UTAH
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NUDE BEACHES & NATURAL HOT SPRINGS
In a remote area between Provo and Price, Diamond Fork (Fifth Water) Hot Springs [2] 40.0827N, 111.3180W is one of the loveliest hot springs sites in the entire West. Located below a waterfall deep in a mountain forest, the springs require a hike of about an hour to reach, and nude soaking is customary.
West of the small town of Delta and less than a mile from the Nevada border, Gandy Warm Springs [3] 39.4600N, 114.0372W is a positively enchanting site even though the water temperature is quite tepid. Gandy is not widely known except to locals, of which there just aren't that many since the closest real town is nearly 100 miles away. Skinny dipping is often possible since there is usually no one else there, but discretion is advised if others show up.
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