Need Advice - Desert Hiking in So. Calif

[Bicycler]

I'm considering a 3-4 day trip over Thanksgiving weekend for a little nude hiking.

Candidate areas are:

Joshua Tree
Lake Havasu
Quartzite - Magic Circle
Anza Borrego

Any recommendations, comments on legal status etc would be welcome.

[Bicycler]

I'm considering a 3-4 day trip over Thanksgiving weekend for a little nude hiking.

Candidate areas are:

Joshua Tree
Lake Havasu
Quartzite - Magic Circle
Anza Borrego

Any recommendations, comments on legal status etc would be welcome.

[Jason75314]

Where in So Cal are you located?

[Bicycler]

quote:

Originally posted by Jason75314:
Where in So Cal are you located?

Orange County

[FireProf]

quote:

Originally posted by Bicycler:
I'm considering a 3-4 day trip over Thanksgiving weekend for a little nude hiking.

Candidate areas are:

Joshua Tree
Lake Havasu
Quartzite - Magic Circle
Anza Borrego

Any recommendations, comments on legal status etc would be welcome.

Though I've only been to one of the places you've mentioned, Lake Havasu, I would have to say that either there or Anza Borrego would be my recommendation.

Lake Havasu has lots of opportunities for nude sunbathing and if it gets too hot...jump in the lake. Anza Borrego seems like a great place to hike in the nude as well. Lots of open space and from what I've read and heard, lots of people hike nude there.

Have a good time wherever you choose!

[NudeAl]

quote:

I'm considering a 3-4 day trip over Thanksgiving weekend for a little nude hiking.

Candidate areas are:

Joshua Tree
Lake Havasu
Quartzite - Magic Circle
Anza Borrego

Any recommendations, comments on legal status etc would be welcome.

The only one on your list which has semi legal status would be Quartzite, I think. The Magic circle is on BLM land and the land managers there seem to have a pretty good relationship with the nudists there. Some even stay all winter.

I have had both good and not so good experiences out in Anza Borrego. I was there 2 weeks ago and had a positive one. The ranger came into our camp and we were nude, he said well you guys must be the Camping Bares! Well he said he didn't have a problem with nudity per say he just asked us to keep it in the camp area or at least out of sight of the main roads etc. He didn't want to get any complaints. Last spring with a younger ranger not so good. He was all set to write us up a ticket after a group of boy scouts and there families in a huge vehicle convoy came by giving us dirty looks. After some discussion he decided to just give us a warning and told us we had to find a more remote spot if we wanted to be nude. Oh well.

Never been to Havasu but I think if you have a boat it is a great option.

Been nude in Joshua Tree too but I was cautious. I stuck to cross country nude and up some canyons and very cautious in the remote campground. I never felt that comfortable there.

You are leaving out one or two of the better options Deep Creek for one. I think I would recommend going there. Another hot springs exists in a remote part of Death valley, Saline Valley. I know a couple of the Camping Bares are heading out there for this weekend but we are talking about remote camping involving 20-30 miles of rough dirt roads. Nudity at both of these locations and the surrounding area is no problem.

[Bicycler]

Nude Al:

Thanks for the input.

I've been to Deep Creek so I'm looking to go a little further south. As for Saline Valley, I might make it one day if someone else was doing the driving and I was paying for the gas but I wouldn't trust the old Honda van to make it. Too many unknowns for me.

Glad to hear that you are a Camping Bare. Maybe I should just hook up with you guys on some outing and let you worry about where to go.

In any case it looks like I will give De Anza Springs and Quartzite a look this weekend if all goes well.

[NudeAl]

I'm sure you'll love De Anza in addition to all the ammenities of the resort itself there are miles of trails just outside the resort in the Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Just ask someone there at the resort and they should be able to give you some pointers. Try hiking down the rail road tracks a few miles to see the largest wooden train trestle in the U.S.

[Sailnekkid]

Bicycler, I know I'm too little, too late and hope all worked out and you had a great vacation. But addressing the topic...

My job takes me out to Ridgecrest/China Lake quite often which is in the Mojave Desert. After a day of work in a lab under flourescent lights or even when I'm out on the flightline, I absolutely FESTER to peel of my clothes and go for a hike. Every day after work just to keep my serenity in check I head out to the desert for my afternoon naturist walk sabbatical. From Ridgecrest, I go out CA-178 East towards Trona about 15 miles to a road marked Trona Pinnacles. That drops me off in San Bernardino County in the Searles Lake Valley just west of the SW corner of Death Valley National Park. It's all dirt roads that spread out all over the valley. I've been out there many times and have only, on occassion, seen cars going back and forth to "The Pinnacles" State Park. And they are so far away they don't even notice I'm there. I'll park off to the side of one of the dirt roads and head out "cross country" into the wilderness. It's all flat so I can see if anybody is coming for literally 5 miles in any direction. I've gotten as comfortable as to leave everything back at the car and go out for miles completely unencumbered.
JUST SAY NO TO TAN LINES!!!

[Bicycler]

quote:

Originally posted by Sailnekkid:
Bicycler, I know I'm too little, too late and hope all worked out and you had a great vacation. But addressing the topic...

My job takes me out to Ridgecrest/China Lake quite often which is in the Mojave Desert. After a day of work in a lab under flourescent lights or even when I'm out on the flightline, I absolutely FESTER to peel of my clothes and go for a hike. Every day after work just to keep my serenity in check I head out to the desert for my afternoon naturist walk sabbatical. From Ridgecrest, I go out CA-178 East towards Trona about 15 miles to a road marked Trona Pinnacles. That drops me off in San Bernardino County in the Searles Lake Valley just west of the SW corner of Death Valley National Park. It's all dirt roads that spread out all over the valley. I've been out there many times and have only, on occassion, seen cars going back and forth to "The Pinnacles" State Park. And they are so far away they don't even notice I'm there. I'll park off to the side of one of the dirt roads and head out "cross country" into the wilderness. It's all flat so I can see if anybody is coming for literally 5 miles in any direction. I've gotten as comfortable as to leave everything back at the car and go out for miles completely unencumbered.
JUST SAY NO TO TAN LINES!!!

Thanks for the input. I may give it a try one of these days.

Here is a bit of a trip report on where I actually went last weekend:

I chose De Anza Springs and Quartzite just to be safe.

Friday at De Anza was warm and the wind was not too strong. Lots of room to hike around the resort itself and also along the railroad track trail. I did both and logged 5-6 miles total.

Saturday at De Anza was just to windy to make hiking pratical at 60 degrees so I passed. Relaxing and reading was a better bet. Great people there. Great jacuzzi conversation.

Sunday was off to Quartzite's Magic Circle which I had never been to. It is an interesting place. I would guess there are 50-60 trailers, campers and motor homes camping in the naturist area which is called Magic Circle and is located in La Posa South on BLM land. $140 to camp for 6 months is a real bargin. Once again it was too cold and windy to get into uniform so I just drove around the area and then took off for home.

I have to say that this would be a pretty optimum place to go for nude camping & hiking if you have the equipment. There are no toilet facilities in the Magic Circle area. You have to go about a 1/2 mile to get to an outdoor john. There are dump stations and water but no hookups of any kind. So you really need to be self-contained. I was told that hiking nude from the Magic Circle area in directions away from the textile areas is OK since it is not illegal on BLM land and the rangers are known to be OK with it. In fact, just walking around the MC area would give you a pretty good workout.

[Sailnekkid]

Thanks for the input. It's a shame that living so close I haven't done that yet, but that whole area is definitely on my "to do" list...

[Norbert]

I used to live in San Diego and there are many great winter time nude opportunities in the desert this time of year. I have never hiked nude in Anza Borrego, but I have driven off road in that HUGE State Park and there are MANY secluded canyons and washes to be nude. I would use good judgement and not try to bring attention to our ways, to avoid Rangers with attitudes. I have hiked nude in BLM land just adjacent to Anza Borrego SP- Ocotillo, Davies Valley, Imperial Sand Dunes. I have also camped nude on BLM Land on the Colorado River at Lake Ferguson, just up from Senator's Wash. Ferguson is about a 10 mile gravel road from the paved 2 lane highway. It offers great tiny private coves, warm water to float naked on a raft. Just go out there and get naked and take pics for us !

[Rabid_Clam]

Have a friend here in Virginia who has a house or condo in Arizona he rents out. Occasionally he drives out there between tennents but always takes the time to hike nude in the desert. He says he has made several hiking friends that hike with him nude so it seems to be a great place, warm, non threatening, and open for nude hiking.