Assateague Island National Seashore

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  United States

The Assateague Island National Seashore is located on a barrier island off the states of Virginia and Maryland. The island has miles of beaches, with the northern beach popular among nudists (naturists) who enjoy being part of nature as we were intended to be. Assateague clothing optional beach is...

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National park service allows nudity unless otherwise prohibited

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The National Park Service (NPS) is unique among federal properties in that it follows its own regulations vice defering to state and local laws. NPS does not restrict nudity unless the park has a seperate regulation explicitly prohibiting nudity, such as the one Cape Cod National Seashore has. Assateague falls under NPS jurisdiction and does not have a seperate, local regulation banning nudity. Therefore nudity should be permitted. Thoughts, comments, experience?
https://www.boondockersbible.com/knowledgebase/is-nude-camping-legal-on-federal-lands/

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RE:National park service allows nudity unless otherwise prohibited

Do some research before going nude at any NPS location. I researched and from what I found the NPS is now following local laws on nudity in all NPS locations.

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RE:National park service allows nudity unless otherwise prohibited

Thank you for the update. This is new information. Can you pls provide the source where you got this? Tx

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Hazards of going nude on Assateague National Seashore.

This is very true and has been for some time. It seems things got much more restrictive after 9/11. In fact the last good nude day we had there was 9/10/2001. Wife, sis-in-law and I were joined by 2 other couples and had a lovely nude day in the Off-Road zone near the Md./Va. line on the Md. side.

The next summer the 3 of us were at almost the same spot with not another soul in sight and were strolling the beach nude when an unmarked vehicle cam roaring down the beach. We were able to get back to our sight and cover before it got to us but it stopped and a young, very indignant, Park Ranger got out, berated us for being nude and demanded we leave the beach or be fined. That was the last time we have gone there.

We have also hiked to the north end but having to constantly be on alert takes away from the enjoyment.

An acquaintance that we met there told of being nude with a group in the surf when a man in a very small suit went strolling by carrying a backpack. He waved and strolled on toward another couple of people up the beach.

A few minutes later he returned and started handing out tickets fining them for being nude. He was an undercover Ranger and the funny thing about it she said was, "He had bigger boobs than I did."

Sorry to be so long winded but I felt everyone should know the hazards.

There is also a rumor that people caught nude may be put on a sex offenders list, but that is just a rumor I have heard.

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RE:Hazards of going nude on Assateague National Seashore.

Yes, you have to be on the lookout for park rangers. I sunbathed nude for 2 days in Oct. 2020. I met 2 other individuals and you need to have be on alert. I did go swimming nude as a ranger only drove by once each day. It was fun and wish I could go more often. This was on the north side of the beach. There is a sign posted that prohibits nudity so just be careful.

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RE:Hazards of going nude on Assateague National Seashore.

thanks for the updates and tips.

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RE:National park service allows nudity unless otherwise prohibited

anyone want to join me for a nude day let me know

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RE:National park service allows nudity unless otherwise prohibited

Been on OSV part of assateague national park with no troubles from rangers this past week/ most summer. Spoke to one and asked, was informed was not legal but would not bother me unless was a complaint from another beach goer.

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RE:National park service allows nudity unless otherwise prohibited

My wife and I went many years ago. Didn't see anyone else over there and didn't want to risk much. So we stripped for a few pictures then went elsewhere.

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RE:National park service allows nudity unless otherwise prohibited

Thanks for the update and tip.

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