Decline of Nudist Venues in North America — North American Locations on True Nudists

MemberOriginal Poster

Nov 5, 2008

Guys,

Is it me or have a lot of places closed in the last 5 years?

Timberline Lodge - Crossville, TN
Cherokee Lodge - Crossville, TN
Wild Bill's Resort - (I think that was the name, about 4 years ago I went to CO and it was a resort in the eastern part of the state and they told me they had closed.)

Anyone know of any more?

Thanks
Jerry

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ME
MemberOriginal Poster
Nov 5, 2008
I'm not sure when it closed but I believe that Jardin Del Sol in AZ is gone now.
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ME
MemberOriginal Poster
Nov 5, 2008
I think Deja Vu resort in Fl closed in 2003.
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ME
MemberOriginal Poster
Nov 5, 2008
Jim,

The story of Timberline is that Glen had heart problems and Bea had alcohol issues. Bea moved to town and Glen was running the place, when he could no longer run it he had to close it and by that time it was a big bunch of swingers, they moved across the highway to Cherokee and Danny has an issue with alcohol and it continued on for a short time. Glen has tried to sell Timberline and at one time thought he had a Christian organization interested. On the other hand I am not too sure what is going on at Cherokee, but I talked to Sally, who is Danny's mother-in-law and she alluded to the fact that they were "leaving the nudist lifestyle" which as much as I know Danny means that they had to stop being a nudist resort and most likely for a legal reason.

Paradise Valley in Georgia and there is another one in northern Georgia is probably your best bet. Paradise valley was hidden valley until the management of Paradise Lakes in Lutz, FL bought it a few years ago, then they upgraded it and renamed it.

Unfortunately this is the way of nudism in America, hidden somewhere between the dark and the light because our culture does not accept it and ruled by individuals that are not always prepared for longivity. Thus the saga continues.

Thanks to the other poster for the updates. I have heard that there were several places that Lee Baxandall of TNS kept going, but since his passing Nikki Hoffman of TNS has not felt necessary to support, I wonder which ones were closed. I heard a rumor that Glen Eden closed or possibly Allyssium Fields, but I don't know enough about those sites to say. Anyone know?

Thanks
Jerry
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ME
MemberOriginal Poster
Nov 5, 2008
wooops, I see now that you listed Elissian Fields, shame it closed.

Thanks
Jerry
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PA
Patrick
Nov 9, 2008
Times have gotten tough. People don't have as much cash available to them. Many of these places take a significant amount of fuel to get to. Not to mention, usually around $40 to spend a day at some of these places. This up and coming generation is not about organized events either. All this is working against the established naturist community. AANR has been working the issues for several years with limited success.
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ME
Member
Nov 9, 2008
Swallows is open. They rebuilt after the fires, visited there a couple of years ago...
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ME
Member
Nov 9, 2008
Well this certainly is a dissapointing thread. It's got me wondering...Going to have to do some research
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ME
MemberOriginal Poster
Nov 10, 2008
Steve,

Do you mean that our posts are disappointing, or that the closure of so many nudist places is disappointing?

Thanks
Jerry
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TH
Thomas
Nov 10, 2008
Jerry, to me it is disappointing that so many places are closing. I would really love seeing more beaches that were clothing optional or nude.
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SW
Swifthawk
Nov 10, 2008
Yeah, sure, I discover nudism in Australia, come back to North America and it's on the decline. sheeesh, no luck. lol
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ME
Member
Nov 10, 2008
The closures of course Jerry....
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ME
MemberOriginal Poster
Nov 10, 2008
Ah, me as well TX. I think the economy has seperated the true nudists from the wanna be's. It's a "put your money where your mouth is" time and I think that a lot of people are nudists when it is not expensive. Now that it is more costly, it's not as interesting for them. It is a shame, but until our society relaxes a little, and social nudism does not have the stigma that it currently does, I fear we will continue to see this.... :(
Thanks
Jerry
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TH
Thomas
Nov 10, 2008
[quote]Ah, me as well TX. I think the economy has seperated the true nudists from the wanna be's. It's a "put your money where your mouth is" time and I think that a lot of people are nudists when it is not expensive. Now that it is more costly, it's not as interesting for them. It is a shame, but until our society relaxes a little, and social nudism does not have the stigma that it currently does, I fear we will continue to see this.... :( Thanks Jerry[/quote] Unfortunately some people cannot afford to go to a resort. That doesn't make them any less of a nudist.
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TH
Thomas
Nov 10, 2008
[quote][quote]The more Nude Beaches that open, the more Nudist Resorts close.[/quote] Well yeah, Why does that surprise people. I never understood why the American Association for Nude Recreation [AANR] would push for nude beaches when their paying members were being run out of business by the same free nude beaches they were pushing. Is AANR trying to put itself and all nudist resorts out of business? I no longer go to nude beaches. They are unsafe. Most do not have lifeguards. I always visit a safe nudist resort where they run back ground checks to keep the creeps out. If you park your naked ass on an unprotected beach you are on your own. There is no such thing as a free lunch. You get what you pay for. You beach bums need not reply. You will never again get me on a unprotected nude beach.[/quote] Not all nude beaches are unprotected. The one I go to has a modest entry fee because it is a county park. There are regular patrols by local sheriffs deputies on shore as well as by boat.
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TH
Thomas
Nov 11, 2008
Nancy, I see you are still a cynic. the boats are mainly there for water safety, normally they don't use binoculars. I have also seen female depuites there, should we ask where their hands are?
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ME
Member
Nov 11, 2008
[quote]Ah, me as well TX. I think the economy has seperated the true nudists from the wanna be's. It's a "put your money where your mouth is" time and I think that a lot of people are nudists when it is not expensive. Now that it is more costly, it's not as interesting for them. It is a shame, but until our society relaxes a little, and social nudism does not have the stigma that it currently does, I fear we will continue to see this.... :( Thanks Jerry[/quote] Jerry, you couldn't possibly have meant this the way it sounds. The way it comes across it sounds like some elitist crap yet in the same statement you say that it's a shame that society sets the stigma that it does against social nudism. I must say, I'm a bit confused here. I may not be able to afford to live in a nudist community or even visit one on a regular basis for that matter but does that really make me any less of a nudist than you or anyone else? Does my income level make me any less of a person that anyone else? On another note about the free beaches and AANR involvement in them, I think that they put great stock in helping to make social nudism available to everyone regardless of economic status. Not to mention that most peoples first exposure to social nudism probably occurs on those beaches and not in the high priced resorts. I grew up skinny dipping in the back yard pool, lakes and rivers and had no idea that nudist resorts even existed till I was nearly 20. At one point I did have a full membership at a resort in Florida and even considered moving there full time. Life and career took me to other places and I no longer hold a membership in any nudist organization but that doesn't change my view on the lifestyle or the way I live my life one bit. All it means is that I don't get news letters in the mail or have a fancy swimming pool to dip my toes in right now.
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ME
MemberOriginal Poster
Nov 11, 2008
[quote][quote]Ah, me as well TX. I think the economy has seperated the true nudists from the wanna be's. It's a "put your money where your mouth is" time and I think that a lot of people are nudists when it is not expensive. Now that it is more costly, it's not as interesting for them. It is a shame, but until our society relaxes a little, and social nudism does not have the stigma that it currently does, I fear we will continue to see this.... :( Thanks Jerry[/quote] Jerry, you couldn't possibly have meant this the way it sounds. The way it comes across it sounds like some elitist crap yet in the same statement you say that it's a shame that society sets the stigma that it does against social nudism. I must say, I'm a bit confused here. I may not be able to afford to live in a nudist community or even visit one on a regular basis for that matter but does that really make me any less of a nudist than you or anyone else? Does my income level make me any less of a person that anyone else? On another note about the free beaches and AANR involvement in them, I think that they put great stock in helping to make social nudism available to everyone regardless of economic status. Not to mention that most peoples first exposure to social nudism probably occurs on those beaches and not in the high priced resorts. I grew up skinny dipping in the back yard pool, lakes and rivers and had no idea that nudist resorts even existed till I was nearly 20. At one point I did have a full membership at a resort in Florida and even considered moving there full time. Life and career took me to other places and I no longer hold a membership in any nudist organization but that doesn't change my view on the lifestyle or the way I live my life one bit. All it means is that I don't get news letters in the mail or have a fancy swimming pool to dip my toes in right now.[/quote] Ooooo, goodie, I get to quote a quote....it's the simple things in life..... Steve: It's not an elitest attitude, I mean I have had a lot of people tell me that they are nudists when it's cost effective. It's more of a "how bad do you really want to be nude" kinda thing. Forget that I live at a resort when I post, I don't really have the "I live on a resort, I'm better than you mentality", as a matter of fact, since I have been here a short time, I forget I am on the resort, and not just at the old house with a privacy fence. The point of my comment was that, a lot of friends of ours are going to Disneyworld, or some such thing instead of going nudist. When the economy crunched and money got tighter, they had to make some choices about what was kept on the schedule and what was not, unfortunately, nudist activities got cut. Which I can understand to a certain extent. But I wanted to razz them about anyway..... Nancy, I am truly sorry that you have had such bad experiences at the nud beaches. I have never had the opportunity to go to a nude beach, so in some ways I envie you. As for resorts and being a safer place, well, that is not the case at all resorts. My personal experience is that "Clothing Optional" is another way to say "Trouble", but that is not always the case. I hope sometime that you can have a positive experience at a beach or hot springs, or whatever, one that negates the bad experiences you have had. While there are a lot of perverts out there, not everyone at everyplace is one. Thanks Jerry
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TH
Thomas
Nov 11, 2008
[quote]"Nancy, I see you are still a cynic." {Yes, cynical and safe.} "the boats are mainly there for water safety," {ok, mainly, what is the other reasons?} "normally they don't use binoculars." {It is the un normally reasons that bother me.} "I have also seen female depuites there," Why are they so close you can tell their sex if they have binoculars? "should we ask where their hands are?" {Lesbians?}[/quote] The other reason for the boats is law enforcement. You can't stop a boat that goes into swimmng area from shore. They also have used boat for transporting someone who was ill out due to rocky shoreline. I have never seen them using binoculars, I am sure they would have them as a normal procedure. I simply did not want to say they never used them since that is too finite. I have good eyesight and can see the boats well enough to determine gender. They also do foot patrols on shore. I have talked to some of them while they were on shore and they are entirely professional. They talk to you, not your genitals. They are there to prevent open sexual acts and keep the peace. There have been people who were drinking excessively and causing problems. I don't understand why you would say the female deputies were lesbians, there are lots of nude men out there too. They are there to keep people safe not for sexual gratification.
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SW
Swifthawk
Nov 11, 2008
I'm glad that there are more and more beaches being opend up, otherwise I may have never had the opportunity to enjoy social nudity. I can see what you mean JR, about people being nudists as a matter of $$$ convienence, but the truth of the matter is that not everybody can afford to go to resorts. A beach is typically free (at least the ones that I've been too) and a good way to enjoy the afternoon. Also, you don't have to worry about being a couple, in the mood for the beach, just pack up and go. While I have had one bad experience at a beach (it was some perv whacking off at the end of the day), I do think that they are just as safe as any other beach. I know they do not normally have life guards, the beach themselves are usually situated in a sheltered cove, so you don't have to worry so much about rips (like I said, in my experience to the beaches I've been to). Actually, my g/f who is not a nudist, prefers to go to nude beaches because of this, she's not a strong swimmer. So, it's a great way for us to do what we both enjoy and still be together. Hehe..there would be no way on God's green earth that I would be able to convince her to go to a nude resort.

Anyways, it is sad to see that nudist venues are on the decline in North America. However, if the nudist movement can get rid of the stigma that nudity equals sexuality, then it would not surprise me to see nudist venues rise dramatically.
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NU
nudetrucker
Jan 10, 2009
Cherokee was open this past summer it held the AANR East convention. We had 2 members go down to recieve grants to build our handicapp restrooms. So when did it close?
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ME
MemberOriginal Poster
Jan 13, 2009
Well for all of you out there. I know Danny and Donna personally. I have to believe that, well, let me put it this way, Danny will open it as a textile park in the spring, come hell or high water. Where it goes from there, I don't know. But if Danny says he is going to do it, trust me, he is going to do it. If there is any question about my knowledge of him, just ask him about "Pinky". After the cussing stops, he'll laugh. In any case, I have no reason to believe that he would not do what he said he would do. A real damn shame, I've eaten some great food out of that clubhouse. For those that don't know, Danny grew and or hunted/fished a lot of the food that was served there. There were some meals that you just couldn't put a price on. I will miss the place.

Thanks
Jerry
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ME
Member
Aug 31, 2009
I have to say that I agree with your frustration, and some resorts even go so far as to deny married guys unless they bring their wife with them, even if they have attended as a couple, they still expect you to always bring her. I guess they beleive that everytime I want to do something she has no other interests and has to follow along. Although they never had a problem when she wants to attend by herself.
I guess it is a bit ironic that the societal view of nudism also includes a societal view of men without supervision.
I do have to also agree with some resort owners who have had issues but have not changed policy and allow singles, thsy simply deal with the bad apples, including the swingers, and no problem. All included in most of the rules and regs of the resort.
I know rambling again...sigh.
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BO
bob
Sep 1, 2009
i heard that vista grande ranche near weatherford tx closed a few yrs ago. thats a shame too, but also heard one opened not to far from it so thats sorta a wash.. but still the loss of a place i enjoyed when i was in the area,,,,,,
part of the decline could be due to some of them cutting their own foot off to spite their face with the quota's and discrimination towards single and solo men,,,,lot of lost revenue and word of mouth and net travel fast.
AANR has been virtualy condoning of that sort of discrimination by thier lack of action even when it happens at resorts that are aanr sanctioned and recognized,
personaly after the way i was talked to by persons on the phone at glen eden some yrs back , i feel no pitty or remorse if that place closed down, good ridance!!
maybe if some of them closed door policy resorts had been more "accepting of others and less judgmental they might still be around.!
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CH
chicagofunclub
Nov 5, 2009
HI! WE ARE FORMING A SOCIAL NUDISM CLUB IN CHICAGOLAND. EMAIL US AT CHICAGOFUNCLUB@GMAIL.COM FOR MORE INFO. THANKS
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