Everglades National Park
HELLO FROM THE EVERGLADES. So far, EVERY trip I have made into the Everglades "backcountry" have been naturist trips. I have yet to stay at a backcountry campsite overnight with clothes on.
I have even been visited in my campsite by a park ranger who wanted to check my camping permit. He said nothing about my nudity, and when I brought it up by apologizing for not expecting company, he just shrugged it off and said "Don't worry about that," as if it were totally trivial.
Several times now, I have spent an entire week in the park clothing-free, both in camp and while on the water. (Lots of sunscreen and insect repellent are needed if you do this in the summer.)
Despite the above, some common sense must of course be used. Not all the campsites are remote, and many of them are shared sites. All campsites inthe park require reservations, and many sites will accomodate 2 or more groups. If you want to camp naturist style, try to pick more remote campsites, and look for sites that only accomodate one party (the reservation book tells how many groups a site can handle) or pick a beach site where there is enough room for groups to have some separation (a sign would be a good idea too). Otherwise, the retired birdwatchers or church group sharing your campsite may feel very put upon when you lounge around or cook dinner in your birthday suit. Enough negative comments about naturists could cause the Park Service to be a little less friendly toward us.
On the other hand, if you do have to share a campsite, go ahead and ask if the other party minds if you camp naked. I have had to share campsites three times so far, and no one has objected to my going nude. In fact, it has led to good conversations about nudism in general. I have been able to correct some misconceptions, and several individuals even "took the plunge" and tried going nude themselves.
Of course, going during the Summer time will go a long way toward insuring you don't have to worry about offending people. First, you'll pretty much have the place to yourself. Second, anyone you still might meet will understand why you're naked!
Without going into detail, some sites I have used naturist style include:
Carl Ross Key, East Cape Sable, Hell's Bay Chickee, Graveyard Creek, Highland Beach, Hog Key, Kingston Key, Little Rabbit Key, Lopez River, Mormon Key, New Turkey Key, North River Chickee, Northwest Cape Sable, Pavilion Key, Oyster Bay Chickee, Pearl Bay Chickee, Picnic Key, Plate Creek Chickee, Rabbit Key, Rogers River Bay Chickee, Shark River Chickee, South Joe River Chickee, Sunday Bay Chickee, Sweetwater Bay Chickee, Tiger Key, Turkey Key, and Willy-Willy (in other words, most of the campsites in the park).
A park map and brochure can be obtained by calling 305-242-7700, or writing:
Everglades National Park
PO Box 279
Homestead, Fl 33030
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