The United States boasts the greatest number of nudist clubs of any country in the world, but when it comes to legal nude beaches, there’s actually only a handful. Haulover beach in the Miami area is the big hitter, but in the New York City area, there’s Gunnison. Recently, Nudist Day paid Gunnison beach a visit to see how it stacked-up against its sister in the south.
Gunnison beach is actually in New Jersey, within the confines of Sandy Hook National Park. From the beach, you can clearly see the Verazzano bridge connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn, as well as the Manhattan skyline, a reminder that the bustling city isn’t far away. Getting to Sandy Hook is a bit of an adventure, since it isn’t near any interstate or turnpike. Your best bet is to catch the northern leg of route 36 from the Garden State Parkway (exit 117 or 117a), but expect heavy traffic, especially on weekends. Once in the park, signs will guide you to Gunnison beach.
From the rest rooms to the nude beach there’s a medium-sized stroll along a wooden walkway. Soon after you’ll come across the sign that warns “nude sunbathers may be encountered beyond this point”, indicating the start of the clothing optional zone. The beach is long and wide, although not as long as Haulover. The North Atlantic water is rather cold, even in summer, much colder than Haulover’s, in fact, perhaps explaining why so few go for a swim. Both beaches have white sands, and offer umbrella / long chair rentals.
I arrived around 6 pm on Saturday, July 6th, and even at that late hour I encountered several hundred nude sunbathers. As with any nude beach, men outnumbered women and there’s an unofficial gay zone at the southern end. Currently, at both ends of the beach you’ll find areas reserved for wildlife, which many beachgoers seem to ignore. There’s a small clothed beach at the northern end, which I unintentionally wandered into, soon realizing my mistake upon seeing nothing but textiles. The nearest sign indicating the nude area’s limits was halfway up the beach, well out of view.
Gunnison is without a doubt a must for any nudist living within a reasonable distance, and doesn’t have much to envy from Haulover except for its warmer climate.
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