This is a list of places where social nudity is practised in North America for recreation. This listing includes notable nude beaches and private resorts. This listing also includes places where female toplessness is permitted in jurisdictions where it is normally forbidden.

Anguilla

Nude bathing on beaches is illegal in Anguilla.

Antigua and Barbuda

Canada

Alberta

British Columbia

British Columbia has thousands of kilometres of coastline and thousands of lakes, as well as millions of hectares of natural parks and undeveloped land. The vast majority of these areas are mostly uninhabited and nude swimming and sunbathing can be done with little concern for disturbing others. In the populated areas, particularly the Lower Mainland, Greater Victoria, and the Okanagan, nudity is generally practiced only in certain established or isolated locations (usually beaches) and on private properties.

Manitoba

Newfoundland and Labrador

Nova Scotia

Ontario

All areas of Ontario, unless otherwise specified by town or city by-laws, allow both males and females to be topless in public.

Toronto

The city of Toronto permits nudity at public events, such as the World Pride Parade and the World Naked Bike Ride.

Quebec

There are no officially recognized nude beaches in the province, but there are places that have secluded areas where nudity is accepted.

Prince Edward Island

Saskatchewan

Costa Rica

Cuba

Dominican Republic

French Antilles

The following beaches in the French Antilles.

Guadeloupe

Martinique

St. Barths

Toplessness is common on most beaches. Nudity is encountered at:

Saint Martin

Toplessness is permitted on all beaches on the French side of the island, but many secluded beaches attract nude sunbathers.

Grenada

Jamaica

While toplessness is accepted, there are no public nude beaches and few clothing-optional resorts.

Mexico

Beach nudity in Playa Zipolite, Mexico is legal. Elsewhere, Mexican law condemns only "immorality" and thus the issue ends up being a matter of the judge's criteria.

Zipolite, Oaxaca

Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo

Xcalak, Quintana Roo

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

Dutch Antilles

Bonaire

Curaçao

Curaçao has no legal nude beaches. There are several beaches on the west end of the island that allow topless sunbathing.

Sint Maarten

Panama

St. Lucia

Trinidad and Tobago

United States

Additional and up-to-date information on public and private locations may be obtained on the web sites of the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) and The Naturist Society (TNS).

Alabama

Permanently closed:

Alaska

Public nudity is illegal in Alaska. Toplessness is legal when practiced without the intention of offending others.

Arizona

Public nudity is illegal in Arizona, but may not be enforced at hot springs.

Arkansas

Public nudity is illegal in Arkansas in the presence of the opposite sex; however, same-sex nudity is legal in Arkansas.

California

Colorado

Female toplessness is allowed in the cities of Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins, since these cities do not make any distinction between female toplessness and male bare chested. On February 15, 2019, The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Free the Nipple as to female toplessness being equal to male toplessness. This decision legalized female toplessness in the state.

Connecticut

District of Columbia

Florida

Public beaches

Private resorts and campgrounds

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Public nudity is legal in Kansas, in all jurisdictions, under state law.

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Female toplessness is allowed throughout the state, since Maine's law only prohibits the public exposure of the genitals. Local ordinances may restrict toplessness & nudity.

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Simple nudity in Montana is not necessarily against the law, but nudity can be considered indecent exposure if accompanied by any sexual activity or any activity intending to affront or alarm another or for sexual gratification. However, many towns and municipalities have separate ordinances restricting nudity within town and city limits.

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

Due to a 1992 Court of Appeals ruling (People v. Santorelli et al.), women may be topless anywhere in the state of New York for non-commercial purposes. (A concurring minority opinion reached the constitutional, i.e., equal rights issue, but the majority decision did not.)

North Carolina

Public nudity is considered indecent exposure in North Carolina under * § 14–190.9 which states that "(a) Unless the conduct is punishable under subsection (a1) of this section, any person who shall willfully expose the private parts of his or her person in any public place and in the presence of any other person or persons, except for those places designated for a public purpose where the same sex exposure is incidental to a permitted activity, or aids or abets in any such act, or who procures another to perform such act; or any person, who as owner, manager, lessee, director, promoter or agent, or in any other capacity knowingly hires, leases or permits the land, building, or premises of which he is owner, lessee or tenant, or over which he has control, to be used for purposes of any such act, shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor." Social nudity places in North Carolina include:

North Dakota

Public nudity is illegal in North Dakota. Topless sunbathing is not illegal in North Dakota.

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Public nudity is generally legal in Oregon, unless it is part of a commercial venture or intended to induce sexual excitement. Some parts of Oregon (including Portland, Eugene, Ashland and Happy Valley) have local laws prohibiting public nudity. However, Oregon law defines nudity as displaying genitals, hence both men and women are allowed to be topfree in public throughout the state.

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Texas has no laws forbidding female toplessness, although in most parts of the state topless women may be charged with disorderly conduct. Austin tolerates female toplessness within its city limits.

Utah

Vermont

Vermont state law prohibits disrobing in public but does not prohibit public nudity, so nudity is allowed anywhere that it has not been specifically prohibited by a city or town. The city of Burlington, for example, has prohibited nudity in public parks, but nudity is allowed anywhere else in the city. Specific locations at which individuals practice social nudity include:

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Sources