Montara State Beach

01.05.10 - 10:55 am | Gary Hanauer |

(0)

Rating: C

You'll risk getting a citation if you strip down all the way at Montara. Just a handful of visitors still sunbathe topless or nude at long, narrow ribbon of sand at the extreme north end of the beach. The site, which is just south of Devil's Slide and adjacent People's Beach, originally drew nudists when a landslide blocked the road to Devil's Slide years ago. If you see rangers approaching from the south end of the beach, suit up quickly.

Legal status:

State beach, where rangers do not tolerate nudity.

How to find it:

Montara is 1.1 miles south of Devil's Slide on Highway 1. Arrive early on busy days to get parking. Walk north to the northern tip of the beach, where occasional nudity takes place on the hottest summer weekdays.

The beach:

A narrow shoreline at the north end, where some dunes were nice for private sunbathing. But erosion has pushed nudists to more exposed areas.

The crowd:

Only a few naturists now use Montara.

Problems:

Fog; wind; beach erosion; icy water; intolerant park rangers.