Why Colorado?

A lot of people move to the north of Tampa, Florida just for the nudist options available there, but a lot of people move to Colorado for the natural beauty and want to continue to be a nudist here. Here is a panorama view of Ridgway, Colorado where the Orvis Hot Springs is located (its just to the left of center in this picture). There are very few places I know of where you can soak nude in a hot spring and see a vista like this around you. Click on the picture to see if in higher resolution or see it on Panoramio in full resolution.

Some other interesting items about Ridgway: They filmed the John Wayne movie True Grit here and it was also the setting for the movie Fort Smith.

"I'm not a nudist" on a nude beach

OK, this isn't filmed in Colorado, but I found it interesting. This is a pretty good video of folks at Haulover Nude Beach in North Miami, Florida enjoying one of the best nude beaches in the USA. It gets really interesting when the interviewer asks "Are you a nudist?"

Naked News: Lily Kwan Visits a Miami Nude Beach | Girls | SPIKE.com

Lush Goes Naked to Save the Environment

There are quite a few videos on the web that show how Lush is emphasizing no packaging to reduce the amount of waste generated in consumer sales

In the USA


An in New Zealand

Online map of clothing optional places in the Western USA

There is an interactive map online that purports to show clothing optional places throughout the Western United States. The map can be found here.

It lists some interesting places, but is noticeably incomplete in Colorado. It lists only Indian Springs Resort (which is only clothing optional inside and segregated by gender) and Rainbow Hot Springs, near Pagosa Springs.

Products for nudists

Nudist don't have to worry about the trials and tribulations of shopping for swimsuits. But they are always on the lookout for other items that make enjoying a nudist lifestyle easier. Over the years, I have learned about some items:
Shoes - For hiking of beach walking, I have tried some good ones and some bad ones. Insertable insoles seem to be a mistake, they creep up the back of the shoe and lead to blisters. I still like Tevas which I get at REI.
Shade - always a problem in places like Florida and Palm Springs. For resorts like Terra Cotta and Mountain Air Ranch, the Undercover Sunshade is really neat.
Sunscreen - Bull Frog, which I first heard about in Wired magazine, still seems to be the king of sunscreens for lasting long and being easy to put on, but it is expensive. I prefer Coppertone Sport for less cost. Banana Boat seems to turn white if you start to sweat.
Ice Chest - I really like my foldable, packable ice chest, but it sprang a leak and I threw it away. Being foldable, I could take in in my suitcase, but I also used it for dances at Mountain Air Ranch, since it was long enough to hold a wine bottle.

September is a great time of year for nude recreation in the Front Range

After Labor Day, attendance at Mountain Air Ranch usually drops off considerably, as a lot of people think autumn has returned. However, the weather along the Front Range is very inviting for nude recreation. The forecast for this weekend is sunny and mid-70s and the forecast for next weekend is sunny and low 80s. While there were over 100 people at Mountain Air Ranch last weekend and the tent meadow had 10 tents pitched and RV parking was full, the next four weekends will much quieter.

Hiking, paddle tennis, bocce, volleyball and shuffleboard at Mountain Air Ranch will be very pleasant (it was a little warm when the temps were in the 90s for over 20 days). There are over 10 miles of hiking trails (ask for a map in the office) and one trail leads by an old mica mine just west of the office. The swimming pool will remain heated to 80 degrees and open through November. The hot tub is heated to 104 degrees and is open year round.

Dakota Hot Springs just outside of Canon City, CO is clothing optional and will have slightly warmer temperatures, with temps both weekends in the 80s. The Well in Penrose, CO, which is also a nudist location, will be slightly warmer and sunny the next two weekends.

Outside the Front Range, Valley View Hot Springs will be in the high 60s during both weekends and close to freezing at nights, but the springs are still in the 90s. Orvis Hot Springs will be in the mid to upper 70s both weekends.

Artful Nudes

The Denver Art Museum just opened a new exhibit a couple of weeks ago is a diverse look at the human figure. The exhibit features several very good nude art works, including the popular John DeAndrea's hyper-realistic, always-popular nude sculpture, "Linda" (1983) and a 1960 onyx sculpture of a female nude by Luis Antonio Sanguino, a Spanish artist.

The Denver Post has a writeup on the exhibit. Or you can visit the Denver Art Museum web page.