ZMUDOWSKI BEACH STATE PARK

Only a few diehard nudies occasionally visit the dunes of the locale formerly known as Hidden Beach, where families now roam the sand and homes dot the surrounding area. Zmudowski is in the north end of the county, just south of the Pajaro River.

State beach property.

Follow Struve Road from Highway 1, just north of Moss Landing, to its intersection with Giberson Road. Then take Giberson to its end, at the state beach parking lot. Hike to the north tip of the beach via the dirt access road that starts at the small lot. The beach path runs parallel to the shore, but nude sunbathers usually gather behind the sand dunes.

No longer "hidden" (see above), the site is now ringed by houses and condos.

Mostly a family beach.

Rangers (keep your swimsuit on when rangers or clothed beachgoers are in the area); cold water; wind; fog; riptides.

NORTH MARINA

Improved directions!

Nude sunbathers have been appearing on a little beach just 300 feet north of Marina State Beach for years. "People have been going here for two decades," says Tom, of Monterey. Adds frequent visitor and local business owner Debbie, "It's warm and secluded." The main sunning area for nudies is between two large sand dunes close to the shore.

Unknown, believed to be private property.

From San Jose, take Highway 101 south to Prunedale, then Highway 146 west to join Highway 1 south at Castroville. Approaching Marina, exit at Reservation Road, turning left (east). At the first signal, turn right on Reservation and follow it to the little parking lot at the end. Walk back along Reservation to Dunes Drive and follow Dunes about 300 feet north, passing Marina Dunes Resort, located at 3295 Dunes Drive, and a sand-processing plant, until you see a yellow vehicle gate on the west (ocean) side of Dunes Drive, across from two motels. Limited parking is also available in front of the gate. The gate blocks traffic, not people, from a beach path; follow it up and down five dunes until just before the beach. The nude area is between the last two dunes, just to the right of the trail.

"It's warm and secluded," says Debbie, a longtime visitor. "People have been going here for 25 years." Veteran users say the best time to visit is June or autumn.

"The beach is never crowded because only local residents know about it," says Tom, of Monterey County.

Unknown legal status; fog; cold water; proximity to path; limited street parking.

INDIAN HEAD BEACH

Nudists who have been trying to start a clothing-optional enclave on part of the old Fort Ord federal property for years are finally starting to see a trickle of regular use emerge. "Some locals are going there," says Harold Short, a naturist activist who's been chairman of Santa Cruz County's North Coast Beaches Advisory Committee for more than a decade. "A few walkers and fishermen come by," adds Tiburon lawyer Charles Harris II, who, with Short, has been supporting the project. There have also been a few visits by local naturist groups.

Fort Ord Dunes State Park, a four-mile-long state park, was last reported to be in the planning stages and not yet open to the public. But that didn't stop it from being one of 48 California state parks proposed for closure in January by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as part of a deficit reduction program.

A "General Plan" and environmental impact report for the site was approved by the State Parks and Recreation Commission in 2004. In its sources for information, the Plan acknowledges it tapped input from the Bay Area Naturists, Naturist Society, American Association for Nude Recreation, Bare Buns Family Nudist Club, Sequoians Family Nudist Park, Bakersfield Sun Club, and Southern California Naturists Association.

In fact, more responses about opening the beach to nude use -- 109 -- were received than for any other public comment topic. According to the Plan, "most of the surveys returned by naturists indicated the availability of a clothing optional beach as their primary concern and did not mention other concerns about the park, such as habitat protection or other environmental issues."

"An officially designated clothing optional beach was the most suggested change mentioned by respondents," reported the Plan. "Some respondents also noted that appropriate signage should be used to designate the clothing optional area and 'warn' visitors who may want to avoid clothing optional areas."

Part of Fort Ord Dunes State Park.

From San Jose, take Highway 101 south to Prunedale, then Highway 156 west to join Highway 1 south at Castroville. Approaching Marina, exit at Reservation road, turning left (east). At the first signal, go right on Reservation, then follow it a half mile to Lake Drive. Turn right on Lake. Follow it half a mile until it goes under the freeway.

Or from Monterey, go north on Highway 1 to Marina. Exit at Del Monte Avenue. Proceed straight through the first signal, then turn left at the next signal on Palm Avenue. Follow it across the tracks, take the second left onto Lake Drive, and stay on it as it goes under the freeway.

Once under the freeway, park straight ahead on the right side of Lake. Look for the Marina Beach sign. "The obvious path uphill is your route," says Harris. "The climb really is as steep as it looks." Go up and over the sand dune, staying on the trail. At the beach, turn left and walk about half a mile south to the nude area.

Normally narrow and steep, Indian Head can sometimes be a broad beach, bordered by rolling dunes of invitingly soft sand.

You may encounter a few other nudists, an entire group of naked people from a club or other group, or none at all.

Steep trail; cold, hazardous water; often foggy or windy; some litter; sparse use, so it may feel a bit lonely; nudity not yet approved by state.

THE CRATER

In California, anything is possible, including a crater-like bowl of sand, rimmed by huge dunes, that's just a block from Seaside's Edgewater Mall. Luckily, the nude sunbathers can't be seen by the shoppers.

Unknown, but may be part of the new and as yet undeveloped Fort Ord Dunes State Park.

Take Highway 1 to Seaside (south of Marina and just north of Monterey). Then follow the California Street exit. Park in the mall across the street from the beach. Landmarks include Fremont Boulevard, which dead-ends across from the Crater, and a gas station, which is in front of the Crater. You can't see the Crater from the ocean side of Highway 1, so walk up to what appears to be a giant sand dune, and you will come to it on the other side.

A big craterlike depression of sand, surrounded by tall, very wide "walls" of sand. The area is in the middle of five miles of dunes.

Skinny-dippers who sunbathe at the Crater prefer weekdays. Usage is highest in early and late summer and fall. Both suited and nude visitors use the dunes, which remain uncrowded.

More clothed visitors reported; unknown legal status; some broken glass on dune closest to Fremont Boulevard.

PEBBLE BEACH

You won't be able to do any nude golfing at Pebble Beach Nude Cove, but it's located just below the famous greens. The little strip of sand, which gets visits from a few free-beachers, is also a short distance from another public attraction, Carmel Beach City Park. "It's remote, out of the way, and people can't see you from Carmel Beach," says Fred, of Pacific Grove, who, like some of the other visitors, found it by walking along the shore one day.

Believed to be Monterey County land.

From downtown Carmel, take Ocean Avenue west. Turn right a block or two before it ends (use any side street) and find parking where you can Walk west onto the sand of Carmel Beach City Park. At the water, turn right and go north 150 feet until you see the end of a fence. Walk north another 300 feet until you come to what looks like the end of the beach. Walk over the water-smoothed rocks or take the little, well-worn path up and over the edge of the hill next to the rocks, being careful not to leave the trail or you may wind up on golf course land. In high tide, the path is the only way to the cove.

Measures about 150 feet long and 40 feet wide.

"I've never seen more than a few people using it," says Fred, who counted two persons on the sand during his first visit.

Cold water; fog; wind; usual route requires that you climb over rocks; unknown legal status.

THE BUCKET

On weekdays when others aren't around, a few nudists still use three of Carmel Valley's swimming holes, including the Bucket, which is off Carmel Valley Road. It was once surrounded by plants that kept it hidden from view, but a flood washed most of them away. Today, the site is visited mostly by suited bathers and sunbathers.

Believed to be private property.

From Highway 1, go east on Carmel Valley Road (G-16) for about 13 miles until Camp Stephanie Road. Just after the Camp Stephanie Road sign on the right, look for a place to park. For the next 50 feet, you can park on either side of G-16 (if you're next to a vineyard, you're in the right place), but if you go farther than that, turn around. Walk east on G-16 a quarter mile until you arrive at a hairpin turn at a white bridge or, if they have not rebuilt it, the stumps of a bridge. Stay on G-16. About 100 feet ahead on the right is an iron gate with a Stone Pine sign. Just before it, check for a hole in the fence and a path. Take the trail down the hill. It's steep, so keep your hands free. Follow the path through a 50-foot-long field to a fork in the trail, then take the right branch some 20 feet to the creek. Cross it, pick up the path (fainter but still going in the same direction) on the other side, and a few minutes later you'll be at the beach.

It's a small, sandy creek bank that was once surrounded by trees and other greenery.

Up to several dozen persons visit the Bucket on the hottest days.

Past storm damage, visibility from the road, parking easy to miss if you drive too far on G-16, finding trail on beach side of creek may be difficult.

ELSEWHERE NEAR THE BUCKET

Just upstream from the Bucket are two more swimming holes: Bucket Bend and the Rope Swing. Bucket Bend, the most private and deepest of these pools, is a small, sandy beach some 50 feet from the Bucket. The Rope Swing (named after a rope swing that no longer exists) is a large, shallow, clothing-optional swim spot.

Believed to be private property.

For Bucket Bend, go to the Bucket (see above) and look for a second fork in the trail. Turn right. You'll know you're headed the right way if the path leads you upstream and around a sharp bend to a little, sandy beach. To reach Rope Swing, go to the Bucket, but at the first fork in the path, instead of going right, turn left. That will take you to the Rope Swing area.

Bucket Bend is a small, sandy beach and swimming hole around 50 feet from the Bucket. Rope Swing is a large, shallow pool of water.

You will probably have these spots all to yourself.

Visibility from road; poison oak on trail; finding path on beach side of creek may be difficult; rockier than the Bucket; water at Rope Swing too shallow for swimming.

LOS PADRES RESERVOIR

Nudity is not allowed at Los Padres Reservoir, near Carmel, but a few skinny-dippers have been continuing to jump in the water on hot summer days anyway. Rather than risk citations, others like to sunbathe without suits in lakeside areas away from view The swim spots are about 20 miles east of Carmel and some 5 miles east of Carmel Village, off Carmel Valley Road (G-16).

Unknown. The reservoir is next to, but not in, Los Padres National Forest, but the paths appear to be maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. Rangers are rarely present. Even though the reservoir has a long history of secret nude use, skinny-dippers may be cited.

From Highway 1 in Carmel, follow Carmel Valley Road (G-16) about 20 miles east, passing Carmel Village, to Cachagua Road. Turn right on Cachagua, then right on Nason Road. Take Nason to the dirt parking lot at the end. From the lot, follow the path until it forks. Then follow signs to the dam, rather than the campground. Skinny-dippers usually pick spots between a half-mile and a mile up the trail.

Land next to a reservoir.

Usually just you, but on hot days, you may see naturists and/or suited swimmers.

Swimming not permitted; better directions needed; legal status unknown.

CARMEL MEADOWS

Movie buffs love visiting Carmel Meadows. The reason? It's just a half-mile away from a famous Monterey cypress tree featured in Play Misty For Me, a Clint Eastwood cult classic. Most visitors go nude at this lovely beach, but local residents seem to prefer a bigger attraction that's also nearby: the clothed, public beach at Carmel River State Park.

Carmel River State Park property.

Go south on Highway 1. After Monterey and most of Carmel, look for the junction of Rio Road and Highway 1 (the Crossroads Shopping Center and the Barnyard are at the intersection). Stay on Highway 1. About one mile south of Rio, turn right on Ribera Road and go about a half-mile, watching for a round turnout on the right. Park in front of the gate. Follow the trail to the beach, then go left 150 feet until you see a row of homes. Parking is limited on Ribera. For easier parking, from the stoplight at Rio, drive two miles south until you see the first beach next to the road. Park in the lot there, walk to the ocean, and go north One of the first things you'll pass is the tree from Misty. A half-mile later, you'll come to a row of houses without any cliffs. Keep walking north until you see the next set of homes atop some bluffs.

A ribbon of soft sand that measures just 30-40 feet wide in front of bluffs with homes. But people in the houses on the hill cannot see the beach.

Carmel Meadows averages just five or six nude sunbathers per warm summer day. "One fall, we counted at least a half dozen nude sunbathers," says a regular bare bottom visitor. "The year before that there were that many, too. Few people know about it, but those who do love it."

Fog, wind, and cold water. Parking may be difficult or far away. Some houses face the beach, but the cliffs, which are about 15 feet high, help protect sunbathers from view.

SOBERNALES CREEK

Between Point Lobos and Garrapata Beach, look for cars pulled over next to a little trail on the inland side of Highway 1 that will lead you to a creekside skinny-dipping hole used by local residents.

Part of Garrapata State Park.

Take Highway 1 south. Just before the big Garrapata State Park sign, across from cars parked on the west side of the highway, keep your eyes open for a small pullout or vehicles parked on the east (inland) side of the road. "Two trails begin there," says a senior citizen who's been swimming in the hole nude with his wife since they were youths. "Instead of taking the Rocky Ridge Trail to the left, follow the Sobernales Canyon Trail to the right." Stay on the path approximately one-and-a-half miles until it ends. Then look for a path that leads off to the side, down to the creek.

"It's a little nude swimming hole in the creek," says a reader.

Probably just you or a few local residents.

Pull-off and trailhead area easy to miss; nudity discouraged in the state park.

GARRAPATA BEACH

With lagoons, caves, coves, a creek, and hills that are ablaze with colorful flowers in the spring, it's little wonder that Garrapata Beach was once the county's most popular clothing-optional beach. But that was before the state moved in and erected anti-nudity signs and sent rangers onto the sand. The law enforcers, who say they only act on complaints, have pushed the nudist enclave of mostly gay males to the northern edge of the shore.

Garrapata is no longer patrolled specifically for nudity, but rangers act on complaints, don't tolerate sex acts, and depending on the ranger, may warn or cite nudies. "We require that you be clothed," says their boss, supervising ranger Glenn McGowan. But state ranger Chuck Bancroft said in an interview, "If there are some people at the north end of the beach, we're not looking except if there's a real problem." When asked to describe such a problem, he replied, "it could be aggressive (sexual) approaching or if there's aggressive behavior toward people who don't follow the same belief or lifestyle."

The beach is near milepost 63.1 on Highway 1. From the corner of Rio Road and Highway 1 in Carmel, take Highway 1 south for about 15 minutes or exactly nine miles. Park on either side of the road. That will put you next to a hard-to-find access trail, which takes you onto the more nude north end of the beach. Alternately, after some open hills and a stone house with tall windows on a plateau, look for a large parking area on Highway 1 about 9.6 miles south of the Rio light. After parking, come down the trail with a guardrail, which will take you to the middle of the beach, and walk north. If you pass the Garrapata Creek Bridge, you've gone too far.

Because nudity is not officially permitted, there's no specific nude area at the beach. But naturists have traditionally gathered on the far north end of the shore. "Once in a while someone (nude) will wander onto the south part," says state ranger John McGee. The central part of the beach is so windswept that temperatures can be 20 degrees cooler than those at either end.

In the past, nudists, nonnudists, singles, families, locals, tourists, gays, and straights all mingled at Garrapata. Today, a few nudists remain on the north end of the beach, but quickly suit up if they see rangers approaching.

Unpredictable law enforcement; increased use by suited sunbathers and strollers who wander into the "nude area;" fog; wind; cold water; hazardous swimming conditions (one person drowned in 1998); visitors trying to make their own trails on the slopes between the highway and the beach (one death in 1989); and periodic reports of sexual activity.

COYOTE FLAT

Big Sur's main skinny-dipping hole is located on the Big Sur River, within Andrew Molera State Beach. Rangers tend to leave it alone, even though most locals know it's the "in" place to be on hot summer days. "A lot of people go there, and they do sometimes go naked," says a visitor. The trail to the hole begins across from the state beach's main parking lot.

Part of Andrew Molera State Beach, where rangers discourage clothing-optional sunbathing. However, nobody in recent memory has been cited here.

From the main state beach parking lot (see above), cross the river to its west side and look for River Trail. Follow River Trail unit it ends at Big Sur River The hole is at the end of the path. For more information, see Hiking The Big Sur Country: The Ventana Wilderness by Jeffrey Schaffer (Wilderness Press, 1988).

Best time to visit this six-foot-deep river pool with a little beach is midday. In the morning and late afternoon, there's less sun, due to the surrounding foliage.

"Even though it's popular, at any given time you won't see more than a few people there," says a visitor.

Threat of law enforcement; too shady and cool for much use in spring or fall; hole visible to occasional (but rare) visits by horseback riders on River Trail.

BIG SUR RIVER

Improved directions! Newbies and veteran visitors intermingle at a riverbank beach on the Big Sur River, which is considered the oldest clothing-optional site on California's Central Coast. The site is clothing-optional, so suited users show up too. The beach is about 25 miles south of Carmel, off Highway 1 at Pheneger Creek, behind the Big Sur River Inn, located at 46840 Highway 1.

Unknown.

From the last stoplight in Carmel, drive south about 23 miles (approximately 40 minutes) to Andrew Molera State Beach. Go south on Highway 1 two more miles until you see Big Sur River Inn on your right. The beach is on Big Sur River, not far from the inn.

A riverbank beach mixed with sand and rocks.

Both suited and nude visitors use the site.

Unknown legal status, needs better directions.

FERNWOOD

Improved directions!

You don't have to look far to find reminders of the '60s in the Big Sur area, including a nude swimming hole that, says Fred of Pacific Grove, seems like "a flashback" to the era of hippies and flower children. Next to a creek near the Fernwood Resort and its Redwood Grill Restaurant, some 30 miles south of Carmel, visitors will find a nude beach will some telltale signs of the period. "Look for old couches on the riverbank, naked people, and a river," says Fred. Or you may be the only person there. "Nobody bothers you," says Fred.

Unknown.

The beach is about a quarter mile north of the Grill and three quarters of a mile north of Pfeiffer Beach (see next entry), so if you pass either, turn around. Just south of the Big Sur River (see previous entry) on Highway 1, look for St. Francis Church and an old sign on the ocean side of the road directing visitors to the bar and grill. Follow the path that starts at the sign; it will take you down to a streamside swimming hole used by local skinny-dippers.

A creekside swimming hole.

"There's usually nobody there," says Fred.

Unknown legal status; needs better directions.

PFEIFFER BEACH

Improved directions!

Nude sunset watching is a popular activity on the north end of Big Sur's Pfeiffer Beach, a federal beach that should not be confused with a nearby state beach with a similar name. The rangers here usually don't bother the nudists unless someone complains.

Part of the Los Padres National Forest, whose rangers generally ignore nudists unless someone complains.

Pfeiffer Beach is around 30 miles south of Monterey and 3 miles west of Highway 1. Coming from the south on Highway 1, start counting the mileage from the Esalen Institute; the beach is about 12 miles north. From the north, turn right (toward the sea) onto poorly marked Sycamore Canyon Road, about a half mile south of the main entrance to Big Sur State Park and .6 miles south of the Big Sur Ranger Station, just past the Pfeiffer Canyon highway bridge. Watch for Sycamore before turning onto it and be careful of other traffic and children while you follow tree-lined Sycamore to the beach parking lot; it's a one-lane road for two-and-a-half miles. After paying a $5 day-use entrance fee and parking, walk north along the sand a quarter mile. A rocky outcropping divides the public and nude beaches. Walk around the bend, and you will arrive at the nude beach.

There are two beaches. The one for clothed users is just north of Pfeiffer Creek, near the parking lot. The clothing-optional area is past the rocky promontory mentioned above.

On peak summer use days, expect maybe 50 people; usually, there are far fewer.

Fee; fog; wind; cold water; riptides; in some years may be littered with driftwood.

FULLERS BEACH

Surfers and nude sunbathers love little, out-of-the-way Fullers, despite its fairly long, poison-oak-strewn beach trail. George, a state parks aide at nearby Molera, says he doesn't mind having to carry his surfboard up and down the steep, 20-minute path. "It's kind of a secret beach, even to people here in Big Sur," he says. "Just remember to take a shower with liquid soap when you get home, and you shouldn't have a problem from the plants."

Unknown, but not thought to be state property.

Finding Fullers is a little dicey. Along Highway 1, south of Big Sur and Pfeiffer Beach, look for the Nepenthe Restaurant, 29 miles south of Carmel, 2 miles south of Pfeiffer Beach and 63 miles north of San Simeon. A few miles south of the restaurant, before Highway 1 curves to the east (Grimes Canyon), check for cars pulled over on the west (ocean) side of the highway in a little pullout next to a telephone pole. A larger pullout used mostly by Caltrans workers is on the east side of the road. Follow the path from the west pullout to the beach. "It's very steep," says George. "When you go to the beach, you will be going straight down. But coming back, you will be going straight up."

If you are a fan of rugged isolation, you'll love windswept Fullers. The beach is a haven for the few local surfers who know about it. You're more likely to find boards than sunbathers on the beach.

On good wave-riding days, most of the crowd will be in the water, while you will be sitting there, sprawled out in the nude on your beach towel, watching the free surf show, thinking to yourself, "Yes, life is good!" Usually, only a few nude sunbathers use the site.

Not very sandy; poison oak on trail; unknown legal status; pullout hard to find; steep path; not too many nudists present.

ARROYO SECO

Although Arroyo Seco means "dry canyon" in Spanish, there's nothing dry about the hike that some naturists take to visit some of the county's best swimming holes between Soledad and Greenfield, off Highway 101. But you need to be in top physical condition to make the trek. Nudists walk, wade and swim to get from one end of a dozen swimming holes to the other and past several waterfalls, including one that some naturist groups occasionally climb down. The water is up to 40 feet deep, and the canyon walls form 100 foot towers. Being nude is "the recommended attire, as any clothes you choose to wear will be soaked," says Rob van Glabbeek. "I hiked and swam for two hours," reports reader Franz Gall. "It's a beautiful place." But don't visit during or just after the end of the rainy season or you may find the whole area under water. And to avoid hassles in this part of the Ventana Wilderness, don't go nude on weekends, when families tend to be present.

Part of Los Padres National Forest.

From Salinas, take Highway 101 south past Soledad to Arroyo Seco Road. Follow Arroyo Seco west to the U.S. Forest Service campground in Arroyo Seco Canyon. The entrance fee is $5 a car. "A lot of picnic people are at the entrance of the canyon," says Gall. "But you won't see them after 10 minutes of walking. Go through the picnic area right along the river. There aren't any signs or maps. You can walk for about an hour until you come to a point where you have to start swimming every 10 minutes. The water's crystal clear. The stones aren't covered with anything slippery, so it's a really easy hike. But you should use sneakers."

See above for description. Along the lower stretches of the canyon, you will have your pick of numerous pools.

Arroyo Seco's lower four miles of swimming holes are visited by only a few hardy hikers during the week. On weekends, clothed users take over.

Users must swim and hike and be in good physical shape; mornings often cool; lack of precise directions; no easy way out in emergency; entrance fee; after heavy rains the river covers access.

SYKES HOT SPRING

The best thing about Sykes Hot Spring -- it's called a spring, even though there are a whopping six soaking pools there -- is how good you will feel enjoying its soothing waters after completing the 10 mile long hike to get there. Located high in the hills above the Big Sur River area, Sykes gets more visitors in spring than any other season. Other than the length and steepness of the trail, which is fairly open and sun-baked for the first few miles, and complaints about garbage, the main gripe heard at Sykes involves overcrowding. Once finally in the pools, after the long walk, visitors often linger, which tends to upset the other hikers waiting to use them. In fact, you may have to wait an hour or two to enjoy either of the two most popular springs.

Part of the Ventana Wilderness area of the Los Padres National Forest.

From Monterey, go south on Highway 1. Park at the Big Sur Ranger Station off Highway 1. Get a hiking permit and a map, then follow Pine Ridge Trail for about 10 miles as it winds along and roughly parallels the Big Sur River. After some switchbacks, the trail levels and goes downhill. It leads to the pools. Two campgrounds, Sykes and Pine Ridge, are in the area.

The path will take you to various pools, including one that holds five people next to a fallen tree and large boulder and another on a riverbank.

In spring, expect lots of visitors, all of them most likely naked. But in summer, fall, or winter, you may have Sykes all to yourself.

Wait often required to use springs; increased litter; varying water temperature (depending on season and year); steep and dry trail; fire damage in area.

SAND DOLLAR BEACH

Some 60 miles south of Carmel and 30 miles north of San Simeon, Sand Dollar is off an isolated stretch of Highway 1 just 5-10 minutes south of Lucia. It draws a few nude sunbathers to its scenic shore on warm days when the wind is down. If you're driving by, you might want to check it out because Sand Dollar is regarded as the longest stretch of sandy beach on the Big Sur coast. Great surfing, exploring, and fishing possibilities are here within walking distance of Plaskett Creek Campground, on the other side of the highway. The beach is fairly straight, although it curves a little on the south end. A stop here, perhaps to use one of the eight picnic tables or five barbecues, can provide a nice respite if you're on the road.

Sand Dollar Picnic Area And Beach is part of Los Padres National Forest, under the jurisdiction of Los Padres' Monterey Ranger District.

Go south on Highway 1 about 6-10 miles past the town of Lucia. Sand Dollar is between Pacific Valley and Gorda. Coming from the north, the beach is past Limekiln Beach, Redwoods Campground, Kirk Creek Campground, and the Pacific Valley Ranger Station (in that order) and just north of Plaskett Creek Campground. If you pass Plaskett, turn around and try again. Kirk Creek Campground is a good turnaround point for those coming from the south. Park in the Sand Dollar State Picnic Area And Beach lot, then walk north along the main beach until, if they happen to be present, you'll see a few nude sunbathers.

Though it's a little warmer than Pfeiffer, the long beach, which is great for walking, is only partially sheltered from the wind by the bluffs above the sand.

Depending on when you visit, you may encounter clothed families. A few naturists still visit Sand Dollar each year, but they are far and few between, especially when compared with the crowds that visited in the '70s and '80s.

Fog; icy water; some wind (bring windbreaks); $5 day use fee; influx of clothed families; better directions needed.