8 locations · United States
Massachusetts
Every clothing-optional place we've verified in Massachusetts. Tap any entry for full visit notes, etiquette, access and seasonal advice.
Massachusetts, USA
Herring Cove Beach
Herring Cove Beach is the clothing-optional beach within Cape Cod National Seashore at the far western tip of Provincetown — one of the most historically significant and widely used nude beaches in the United States. The beach faces Cape Cod Bay rather than the open Atlantic, meaning calmer water and gentler surf than the Outer Cape's ocean beaches, with warm, shallow swimming conditions that peak in late July and August. The C/O tradition occupies the north end of the beach, beyond the main parking lot and lifeguard area. It has been in continuous informal use since the 1960s and 1970s, when Provincetown's LGBTQ+ community and summer arts colony established naturist conventions that persist to this day. The crowd reflects Provincetown's character: heavily LGBTQ+-friendly, artistically inclined, and at ease with public nudity in a way that makes first-timers feel remarkably comfortable. Parking at the CCSN lot costs a fee in summer. The walk to the C/O section is about 10–15 minutes north along the beach. The area has no signs, but the transition to nudity is obvious once you pass the main beach crowd. Provincetown is 120 miles from Boston by car — a long drive, but the Ferry from Boston's South Station via Bay State Cruise Company is a pleasant 90-minute alternative in summer.
Massachusetts, USA
Longnook Beach
Longnook Beach in Truro, Cape Cod, is an Atlantic-facing Outer Cape beach with a long-standing clothing-optional tradition at its quieter northern end. The beach sits at the base of a dramatic bluff — the approach involves a steep walk down a sandy path from the parking area at the top, and the descent is steep enough that only committed visitors make the trip. That natural barrier keeps the crowds thinner than at more accessible Cape beaches. Longnook is part of Cape Cod National Seashore and has strong Atlantic surf, clean cold water (warming to the mid-60s Fahrenheit by August), and the expansive, bluff-backed landscape that defines the Outer Cape character. The C/O section occupies the northern stretch away from the main access path. It attracts a quiet, experienced beach crowd — hikers, writers, longtime Cape visitors who know Truro as the less-touristy alternative to Provincetown. Truro is about 6 miles south of Provincetown and 15 miles north of Wellfleet. The parking lot at the top of Longnook Road is small and fills early on summer weekends — a practical reason to arrive before 9am. The walk down is steep and sandy; the walk back up in the heat of afternoon is the real commitment.
Massachusetts, USA
Lucy Vincent Beach
Lucy Vincent Beach is the best-known clothing-optional beach on Martha's Vineyard, on the island's south shore in Chilmark. The beach faces the Atlantic with strong surf and dramatic bluffs on either side — the clay cliffs here run in different hues of rust, tan, and grey, and they're actively eroding, so the topography changes from year to year. The clothing-optional section is the western portion of the beach, beyond the main swimming area. The beach is technically a Chilmark town beach, meaning primary access is restricted to Chilmark residents and guests with a sticker. Non-residents can access the C/O section by walking the beach from adjacent public access points, but this involves a walk of half a mile or more. The practical approach for non-residents is to park at the nearby Waskosim's Rock Reservation trailhead or arrange an overnight in Chilmark — the town limits visitor access to protect the beach, and the system is enforced. The beach has a long and locally celebrated history as a gathering place for artists, writers, and Vineyard summer regulars. The clothing-optional tradition dates to at least the 1960s. The crowd tends to be older, well-traveled, and comfortable with the informality. Summer weekends are busy by Chilmark standards; the beach is quieter on weekdays and September.
Massachusetts, USA
Miacomet Beach
Miacomet Beach is a long Atlantic-facing beach on Nantucket's south shore, west of Tom Nevers and south of Miacomet Pond — one of the island's large freshwater ponds that runs nearly to the beach berm. The clothing-optional tradition here is informal and low-profile: the beach is wide and open, access is lightly managed, and the C/O section occupies the less-trafficked western portion of the shoreline. Nantucket is 30 miles offshore from Hyannis and accessible only by ferry or small plane. The island's beaches are uniformly exposed and Atlantic-facing on the south shore — strong surf, cold water early in summer (warming to the mid-60s Fahrenheit by July), and the particular quality of light and air that characterizes the outer New England islands. Miacomet is quieter than the heavily visited Surfside and Cisco beaches nearby. The island's naturist tradition is informal across several south-shore beaches; Miacomet is the most consistently cited by visitors looking for C/O swimming on Nantucket. Getting there from Nantucket Town requires a bike ride of about 2.5 miles south or a taxi/Uber. Bikes are the preferred Nantucket transport and can be rented near the ferry dock.
Massachusetts, USA
Moshup Beach
Moshup Beach sits below the Gay Head Cliffs in Aquinnah, at the western tip of Martha's Vineyard — one of the most dramatically sited beaches in New England. The cliffs rise 150 feet above the beach in bands of red, orange, white, and grey clay, formed over millions of years of glacial and marine deposition. They're an official National Natural Landmark and among the most photographed landscapes on the Vineyard. The beach below them, named for the Wampanoag culture hero Moshup, is managed by the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe. The clothing-optional tradition is on the stretch of beach west of the main swimming area, away from the cliff-viewing crowds. The walk from the Gay Head Lighthouse parking area takes you down a steep path to the base of the cliffs, then west along the beach. The C/O area begins roughly a quarter-mile west of the main beach access. Aquinnah is the Vineyard's most remote town, accessible by a long drive from the ferry terminals at Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs or by bike on the island's mixed-terrain trails. The beach faces southwest into Vineyard Sound and the Atlantic, with strong currents on the Sound side and better swimming conditions in calmer weather. The combination of the cliffs, the tribal history, and the isolated western beach makes this one of the more memorable naturist spots on the East Coast.
Massachusetts, USA
Bare Ass Beach
Bare Ass Beach is an informal clothing-optional swimming spot on the Green River in Franklin County, Massachusetts — the name says everything about its long-standing local reputation. The Green River flows through the Pioneer Valley's hill towns north of Deerfield, and this particular gravel bar and swimming hole has been a known C/O gathering point for locals and Five College area residents for generations. The Green River at this spot is wide, clear, and cold — snow-fed through early summer, then warming to swimmable temperatures in July and August. The gravel bar provides sunbathing space, and the quiet surrounding forest makes it feel more remote than it is. Pioneer Valley's outdoor culture and the influence of Amherst, Hampshire, Smith, Mount Holyoke, and UMass have long made the western Massachusetts hill towns unusually relaxed about clothing-optional recreation. The spot has no formal amenities or signage — it's a locals' swimming hole that has accumulated its nickname and reputation purely by word of mouth over decades.
Massachusetts, USA
Cummington Beach
Cummington Beach is an informal clothing-optional swimming area on the West Branch of the Westfield River in Cummington, Massachusetts — a small river beach in the hill towns of Hampshire County's western edge. The spot is a product of the Pioneer Valley outdoor culture that extends through Amherst, Northampton, and the surrounding college-town area: a liberal, outdoors-oriented community that has maintained informal naturist traditions at various river and lake locations for generations. The Westfield River here is cold and clear, flowing through a forested valley that preserves the quiet character of the Berkshire foothills. The swimming hole has the typical Western Massachusetts character — deep pools between flat rocks, forested banks, and a relaxed atmosphere that makes it a community resource rather than a tourist attraction. Cummington is about 20 miles west of Northampton via Route 9 through the Berkshire foothills. The area is also home to the poet William Cullen Bryant's birthplace (a National Historic Landmark). The region is low-key in the summer outdoor recreation calendar compared to the more developed Berkshires further west.
Massachusetts, USA
Sandy Terraces Associates
Sandy Terraces Associates is one of New England's oldest naturist clubs, operating continuously since the late 1940s on wooded acreage in Marstons Mills, about a quarter-hour inland from Cape Cod's ocean beaches. It's structured as a member-owned cooperative, which means the property is collectively maintained by its members rather than run as a commercial resort. Visitors are welcome to book overnight stays, whether you're pitching a tent or plugging in an RV. The grounds offer a mix of open social spaces and wooded seclusion. You'll find a swimming pool, a small pond suitable for canoeing, and courts or fields for tennis, volleyball, petanque, and even water volleyball. Hiking trails wind through the trees if you want a quiet walk. The on-site restaurant and bar mean you can stay put for meals, and weekend entertainment during summer—live music, potlucks, themed gatherings—keeps things social without being programmed every hour. This is a low-key, long-established club that draws a steady base of regulars. Don't expect resort-level amenities or a party atmosphere. Sandy Terraces feels more like a naturist community clubhouse with camping, where people know each other and the pace is unhurried. If you're exploring New England naturism, it's a solid example of the cooperative model that defined mid-century American nudism.