Nude Beach Blog

Saving the Nude Beach Videos

Swimsuits on the Birthday Suits @ Trail 6

We interviewed beachgoers north of the clothing optional beach at San Onofre State Beach in California. The majority of beachgoers had no problem with the beach being there even though most said they would 

go there. Still, they felt the naturists had a right to their own stretch of sand at the state park. 

California DPR Ranger Spying on Nude Beachgoers

This video has to do with the California Department of Parks & Recreation and their law enforcement tactics on nude sunbathers at San Onofre State Park in California and Camp Pendleton Marine Base. This is just the first couple minutes of a 10 minute video on the subject. We decided to only share the full video with local beach goers of the beach. If you are a supporter of the beach, and a true naturist, you can email sanonofree@aol.com to request to see the full video. If you have never been to the beach or you are not a naturist/nudist, PLEASE DO NOT ask to see the video. Thanks. (You will need a youtube account to accept the invitation to view the full video). MORE INFO: The State is trying to shut down the clothing-optional beach at San Onofre State Park that has been there for over 30 years. There is a lot of misinformation from the Parks Dept. on the issue of lewd behavior at the beach. I'm posting this story/video for two reasons. (1) To demonstrate the illegal, perhaps desperate tactics of the state park rangers and (2) To show that the majority of lewd behavior happens on the Marine beach and that it truly needs to be cleaned up to change the reputation of the traditional clothing optional beach on the state park side of San Onofre State Beach. I was on the beach just about 50 feet south of the federal fence on the Marine base side of the beach (which has nothing to do with the clothing-optional beach on the state park) when a guy came up to me and said there was a person voyeuring on the cliff with binoculars and a camera that had a huge lens snapping photos and or video about 300 feet south of the State Park boundary. The man was definitely on the Marine base up on the cliff over looking nude sunbathers. I looked up and it was definitely a ranger. I discreetly grabbed my video camera and hid it until the right moment and then zoomed in on him. He saw me with the camera quickly, but I was able to get him on tape briefly. He ducked away from my view once he saw me with the camera. The video shows the ranger looking at people through binoculars and he appeared to have a camera as well. Approximately 7 minutes later, the ranger came hauling ass down to the Marine beach in his state park ranger truck to apparently try to bust someone for masturbating on the beach (on the Marine side of the beach). The ranger did not cite the man because state park rangers have no legal jurisdiction on federal land, aka Camp Pendleton Marine Base. Here's the problem with all of this. First and foremost, there is a known ongoing lewd behavior problem south of the Marine fence on the Camp Pendleton part of the beach which is reflecting a bad image onto the state park clothing-optional beach. I spoke with a Marine the other day and he said the general consensus of the Marines is that they really don't care what happens on their part of the beach. Used to be the Marines would sweep their side of the beach here and there to get the civilians back onto the state park side. Personally, I have not seen or heard of that happening this past summer. I spoke with Allen Baylis from friendsofsanonofre.org about this incident shortly after it happened. Allen informed me that the California Department of Parks and Recreation has been trying to get the Marines to allow state park rangers to have legal jurisdiction on a portion of the Marine base to help curb the lewd acts that occur on that part of the beach. My understanding is he would support such a policy, to help with the image of the traditional clothing optional beach. I thought about it, and maybe it would be a good idea. I mean if the Marines are not going to do anything about it, than why not the rangers. However, I am not okay with state park rangers up on the cliffs peeping down at people sunbathing in the nude and taking pictures and / or video of them. Something about that is spooky and just seems illegal to me. The traditional clothing optional beach is a relaxing and safe place for families and good natured people of all walks of life to come and enjoy. The Marine base, again, is the main source of the lewd behavior problem and has nothing to do with the traditional clothing-optional beach at San Onofre. As long as you do not cross the Marine base boundary, you should not have any problems.

State parks to appeal ruling on nude sunbathing at San Onofre

 

NOT OVER YET.. MAN THESE GUYS DON'T KNOW WHEN TO QUIT ! - Officials seek to overturn an Orange County judge's decision that allowed swimming and sunning in the buff at Trail 6. The department denies that a policy change on the issue needs a public hearing.

By Susannah Rosenblatt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 

September 4, 2008 

The battle to bare it all rages on -- state parks officials filed a notice of appeal Wednesday to overturn an Orange County judge's recent ruling allowing visitors to Trail 6 at San Onofre State Beach to swim and sunbathe in the buff, a department spokesman said. 

Responding to complaints of lewd behavior, parks officials earlier this year warned of a crackdown at the longtime nudist spot just south of the San Diego County line near Camp Pendleton. 

The clothing-optional crowd took the California Department of Parks and Recreation to court, arguing that any change in policy toward naked beachgoers required a public hearing. Orange County Superior Court Judge Sheila Fell agreed with the naturists, and the frolicking au naturel continued. 

Parks officials "respectfully disagree with the judge's ruling," spokesman Roy Stearns said Wednesday. 

According to Stearns, the decades-old memo stipulating that nudity should not be subject to enforcement unless a member of the public complains "is not a regulation," as Judge Fell had determined. Regulations, Fell ruled, are subject to public hearings when altered. 

The policy "was never adopted as a regulation, but rather was an internal guidance for our peace officers, and we shall now take that argument to the appeals court," Stearns said. 

The notice of appeal "illustrates the lengths to which the parks department will go in order to avoid the inconvenience of having to listen to the public that they're supposed to be serving," said R. Allen Baylis, the Huntington Beach attorney and naturist activist named in the original lawsuit -- and a regular fixture at Trail 6. 

"They're going to have to really do some fantastic legal work in order to get this ruling overturned." 

Judge upholds nude sunbathing along stretch of San Onofre State Beach - LA TIMES

LA TIMES:

Judge upholds nude sunbathing along stretch of San Onofre State Beach

The court rules that state parks officials can cite nudists only if there is a complaint by a private citizen. The policy had been in place since 1979 but was revised earlier this year.

By Susannah Rosenblatt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 
6:21 PM PDT, August 27, 2008

Visitors to a stretch of San Onofre State Beach will still need extra sunblock for those hard-to-reach places, thanks to a legal victory Wednesday for nudists who frequent the spot.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Sheila Fell ruled that state parks officials can cite sunbathers and swimmers in the buff only if a member of the public complains.

After complaints of lewd behavior earlier this year, state parks officials announced a crackdown on bared bodies at Trail 6 near Camp Pendleton in northern San Diego County. Signs warning against nakedness appeared, and parks officials warned that after Labor Day, beachgoers in birthday suits would be cited.

The naturists sued the California Department of Parks and Recreation, claiming that tighter enforcement -- a departure from a decades-old tolerance of beach bumming sans clothes -- required a public hearing.

"It's going to be a nice, happy weekend," said R. Allen Baylis, 53, a Huntington Beach attorney and head of the nudist activist group Friends of San Onofre, both petitioners in the suit. "We're really pleased that the court agreed with our position. It shows that the government has to be responsive to the public that they serve."

The state parks department had long abided by a policy outlined in a 1979 memo from the then-director of the department, saying that undressed visitors would be subject to enforcement "only upon the complaint of a private citizen."

Judge Fell's ruling stipulated that any change to that policy was subject to a public hearing under the Administrative Procedure Act.

State parks officials had not received a copy of the ruling by late Wednesday afternoon. But even though they "don't agree" with the court's decision, they plan to follow the judge's directive, said Ken Kramer, state parks district superintendent.

As for whether the department plans to appeal the decision, schedule a public hearing or maintain the bare-it-all status quo, "it's premature to say what our next steps might be," said department spokesman Roy Stearns.

Other state park sites allow skinny-dipping and naked volleyball, among other pursuits, but Wednesday's ruling applies only to San Onofre.

"It makes no more sense to be offended at the site of a nude human than it does to be offended at the sight of a redwood tree," Baylis said.

He suggested that parks officials tighten up enforcement in the beach's parking area, known as a popular cruising site advertised on Craigslist.com, a problem he said was unrelated to nudists.

For his part, Baylis plans to catch some rays this weekend and hand out naturist fliers, wearing only his mustache.

His only worry? "I might run out of sunscreen."

susannah.rosenblatt @latimes.com

COURT ISSUES FINAL RULING IN FAVOR OF NATURISTS for San O!

COURT ISSUES FINAL RULING IN FAVOR OF NATURISTS IN SUIT AGAINT DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

Late in the afternoon on August 27, Judge Shelia Fell issued her FINAL ruling on our Petition for Writ of Mandamus. The final ruling mirrored the tentative ruling of August 19. This ruling affirms the fact that nudity is legal at Trail 6 (and all other traditional clothing optional areas within the State Parks) unless a complaint is received from a member of the public. Also, the ruling affirms that the Department must conduct public hearings in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act prior to making any changes in its enforcement policy regarding nudity within the State Parks.

 

Where do we go from here? The DPR essentially has three choices. First, it may choose to move forward with the proposed change in policy and proceed in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act. Second, they may appeal the Court's ruling that came out today. Or, third, they may choose to simply stick with the existing policy. It is our hope that if they choose to retain the status quo, we will be able to work with the DPR in order to improve the park for the benefit of all the visitors and employees of the DPR alike. In any case, the Naturist Action Committee and Friends of San Onofre Beach are ready to proceed in which ever manner is appropriate depending on what path DPR chooses to take.

We deeply appreciate the support of all of you who participated in making this ruling possible, whether by writing letters, making donations or simply kind words of encouragement on the beach. Keep up the good work!

This should be a reminder to everyone of the importance of being affiliated with a national organization that supports clothing optional beaches and understands exactly how to protect and advance the rights of naturists. I strongly encourage each of you to join The Naturist Society. It is TNS and its political adjunct, the Naturist Action Committee that have brought their expertise and national clout to the table to make this effort a success. Because of NAC's involvement, people from all across North America have contributed to this success. Please support those who have supported us.

Allen Baylis

President, Friends of San Onofre Beach

From LA Times:

State parks district superintendent Ken Kramer told the Los Angeles Times that even though they "don't agree" with the court's decision, they plan to follow the judge's directive. 

Saving the Nude Beach Update 8.24.08

Allen Baylis from Friends of San Onofre Beach gives an update as of 8/24/08 on the Naturist Action Committee's court case against the California Department of Parks and Recreation regarding the closing of the clothing-optional beach at San Onofre State Beach.  

For more info, please see www.friendsofsanonofre.org

Signs coming down at San Onofre Trail 6?

Below is the synopsis of what happened today at Orange County Superior Court in regard to San Onofre Trail 6 remaining a clothing-optional beach. Also see the story from NC Times here

I was on the beach all day today interviewing beachgoers on the clothed and clothing-optional areas of Trail 6. Once again, even the people on the regular clothed beach are for the beach remaining clothing-optional. 

There were many reporters at trail 6 today in anticipation of Judge Sheila Fell's decision. Some of the regulars were a bit nervous about having cameras roaming the beach. But overall, most were okay with it knowing it is important to get the story out. 

Video of today's interviews coming soon.

DATE: August 20, 2008

SUBJECT: Judge postpones ruling in NAC's San Onofre lawsuit

TO: Naturists and other concerned citizens

Dear Naturist,

The Naturist Action Committee wishes to update you briefly concerning an intermediate step in the battle to preserve a portion of San Onofre State Beach for clothing-optional use.

As many of you are aware, today is the day a California Superior Court had designated for issuing a ruling in the lawsuit the Naturist Action Committee (NAC) has filed against the California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). Earlier this year, DPR had attempted to bypass state law regarding changes to public regulations, as it moved to end the traditional clothing-optional use of a small portion of San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County.

NAC sued, seeking to force DPR to follow state law.

A tentative ruling by the Court favored NAC, but following the presentation of oral arguments, Judge Sheila Fell said she would withhold a final ruling while she considers the issue further.

Joining NAC as petitioners are Friends of San Onofre Beach (the local TNS-affiliated naturist group), as well as individual beach users Allen Baylis and Gerda Hayes.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The Naturist Action Committee expects a final ruling within a matter of a few days. This delay must not be taken as an indication that we won't ultimately win. It's a reflection of the seriousness with which the judge views this matter.

WHAT IS NAC ASKING YOU TO DO?

This is a NAC Update. NAC is not asking for your action at this time.

MORE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Additional information and links are available, along with this NAC Update on the web site of the Naturist Action Committee.

   http://www.naturistaction.org/sanonofre href="http://www.naturistaction.org/sanonofre">www.naturistaction.org/sanonofre

PLEASE HELP NAC TO CONTINUE HELPING NATURISTS!

NAC is committed to the defense of traditional clothing-optional use of public land. NAC does not hesitate to hire lawyers and lobbyists when it's necessary, but that can be very expensive. NAC does not have a membership roster on which it can simply assess dues. NAC relies entirely on the voluntary support of people like YOU.

Won't you please send a generous donation to:

   NAC

   PO Box 132

   Oshkosh, WI 54903

Or call toll free (800) 886-7230 (8AM-4PM, Central Time, weekdays) to donate by phone using your MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card. Or use your credit card to make a convenient online donation: www.naturistaction.org/donate/

Thank you for choosing to make a difference.

Naturally,

Bob Morton

Executive Director

Naturist Action Committee

KGTV 10 Report on San Onofre Beach Nudity Ban

Nude Beach Activists

We ran into Roy and his friend Brian today at Blacks Beach. They spent the day gathering signatures to send to DPR's Ruth Coleman in support of keeping San Onofre clothing-optional. We talked with them on camera (video coming soon). Good work guys.