Haulover Beach
Miami Beach, Florida
Haulover Beach is one of the best legal nude beaches in the US.
Located in South Florida's vacation capital, Miami Beach.
Yes, we've been there, many times.
Resort Overview
Today, many consider Haulover's clothing-optional beach a permanent fixture in South Florida. More than 75% of all Haulover visitors come to use the naturist beach, estimated between 5,000-10,000/day.
But look to recent history and exercise caution. Virginia Key and MacArthur Beach State Park were banned from naturists use not so long ago. Numerous traditional skinny-dipping sites in Florida and throughout the country have been closed in recent years.
Several attempts have been made by the Florida Legislature to enact anti-nudity legislation in recent years. More than 50 of the 67 counties in Florida have already enacted such anti-nudity legislation since 1990.
Economic clout and a well managed, consistent message to local business owners, citizens and rule-makers. That's what many of the supporters of the South Florida Free Beaches organization used to convince the local, county and state authorities to establish a legal nude beach at Haulover Beach, which is only a part of the larger park complex that includes a golf course, parking lot, marina and picnic grounds.
What used to be an eyesore morphed into an economic powerhouse for the local area and businesses nearby. To support the cause for maintaining nude beaches in South Florida, make a contribution at sffb.com
In July 1991, the SFFB non-profit group self-designated the northern section of Haulover Beach Park as a family naturist beach. Since then, SFFB has fought to keep the beach clothing-optional by maintaining a presence through its Beach Ambassador Program and by numerous meetings with local government, business, and civic leaders.
Legal battles tested the right to nude usage at the Park and Haulover remains clothes-free in designated areas of the north beach. The result: Haulover is now widely recognized as one of the cleanest, safest and most popular beaches in South Florida.
The Miami-Dade County Regional Park (Haulover) is located on the Atlantic Ocean between the cities of Sunny Isles and Bal Harbour (North Miami Beach). In addition to the clothing-optional beach at the north end, it features a textile beach to the south, a 9-hole golf course, tennis courts, a marina, boat launch ramp, kite store, kayak rentals, and extensive picnic areas.
Prolific contributors from NakedWanderings.com Nick & Lins from Belgium, filed this report about visits (and funny stories) to Haulover nude beach in Miami Beach, FL and other Florida locations. See what they have to say about their experiences during their visit to Haulover Beach and Blind Creek Beach thanks to YouTube.
Hooping it up at Haulover
Volunteer Beach Ambassadors Team
Getting There
South Florida is served by Miami International and Ft. Lauderdale International Airports. From either airport, Haulover is about 30-45 minutes away by car, depending on traffic conditions.
Haulover (the Miami-Dade County Regional Park) is located between the cities of Sunny Isles and North Miami Beach.
For Internet map/driving direction service, the address is 10800 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL, 33154 as the destination for Haulover Beach Park.
From either Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, travel on Interstate 95, turn east toward the beaches and take 125th Street (Broad Causeway-50 cent toll), 163rd Street or the William Lehman Causeway (SR 856) to the Atlantic Ocean.
Follow the signs to the "beaches" to reach Collins Avenue (or highway A1A), arguably the longest stretch in Florida for glitz, glamor, beach scenes, restaurants, hotels, motels, bars, bistros, eclectic neighborhoods, million-dollar mansions and all types of humanity in between.
All-day parking is $5-$10/car (subject to change without notice-higher on the weekend). The parking lots open at sunrise and close at sunset so go early to score your spot -- parking and on the beach.
No overnight parking is allowed. The North Parking Lot at the northern end of the park is the first choice for the clothing-optional beach. If this lot is full, go south on Collins Ave. (A1A) Past the entrance to the boat ramp and the Afterdeck Restaurant to Parking Lot # 1.
Park at the north end of the lot. Pedestrian tunnels that lead from the North Lot and Lot #1 under the road to the beach. Read the signs to make sure you're at the clothing-optional section at the north end of the beach.
TIP: The North Parking Lot closest to the nude beach usually fills up first. If you want a parking spot there, plan to arrive before noon on the weekends or earlier, if you have the time. Take a look at the official Haulover State Park website....lots of good info. there for current policies and guidance.
Here's the "official history description" from the website above:
Haulover Park is one of two public beach parks operated by Miami-Dade County. The 177-acre park with 1.4 miles of beachfront was acquired starting as early as “1935 and was then Dade County’s fourth major park”.
The land that the park now sits on previously contained a “Lighthouse Restaurant, a trailer and small refreshment stand, and charter boat piers”. The Dade County Commission procured the beachfront property in 1940 and was then called North Beach.
Construction began on beach facilities in 1941, halted soon afterward due to the onset of World War II. Development of the property resumed in 1945 with the park was renamed Haulover Park in January 1947, opening to the public the following year in late 1948. Read more about the history
Services
In addition to the clothing-optional beach at the north end, Haulover includes a textile beach, a 9-hole golf course, tennis courts, a marina, a boat launch ramp, a kite store, and extensive picnic areas. Beach chair and umbrella rentals, as well as light food and beverage service, are available on the beach.
TIP: Pack in everything you'll need and plan to pack it out. There are limited facilities on site which include restrooms, outdoor showers, and lifeguard stations. Trash cans are nearby, and the beach area is well kept by the locals and visitors alike. Don't leave your trash behind. Take it with you.
Bring beach towels and a blanket, drinks, cooler, food, sunblock, sunglasses, a hat and a long-sleeve T-shirt in case you get too much sun. You'll burn your butt quickly out there in the noonday sun so be careful.
Ambiance
Haulover is a United Nude Nation. You will see just about everyone from all over the world there and hear just about any language. Haulover is truly a melting pot, and everyone seems to get along just fine. With the Beach Ambassadors there to answer questions and get you started, you'll feel like you've got ready-made friends.
For FAQs about Hallover and SFFB, look it up here. Also see its affiliated organization, the B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation
The Irony about Haulover. The total beach length is about two miles. Only about a 1/4 mile of the beach is nude on the north side, and it is packed.
What's a textile beach like? Deserted, go figure.
<---Cotton Tail Spotted at Haulover
Group Trips
If none are listed or on dates that don't suit you, that doesn't mean Haulover and the Miami Beach area isn't a perfect place for two, three or even dozens of couples to get together for a group trip. Haulover Beach volunteers periodically schedule events to stay tuned to SFFB for dates and times. For accommodation ideas, see Rates below,
Sightseeing
Well, just look around.
Actually, ladies will find it easy to park your credit cards at the Bal Harbour shops just south of Haulover. Guys, choose from deep sea fishing, golfing, running, cycling, in-line skating, attending professional sports like basketball, baseball, and football, sailing, snorkeling, scuba diving, touring the area or taking a cruise from either the ports of Miami or Ft. Lauderdale.
Each hotel lobby contains a rack of tourism brochures, information, and maps about what to do, where to go what to see if Haulover is not your only stop.
Surely, you will find something to do.
Blind Creek Beach, St. Lucie County:
Here's a diversion further north of West Palm Beach, FL where another nude beach is located. Up the Florida coast is St. Lucie County Blind Creek Beach on Hutchinson Island/Ft Pierce, Florida
The county has designated it for clothing-optional use.
For lots more details, see:treasurecoastnaturists
A map tells a detailed story with a quick graphic. Three maps show the boundaries of the clothing-optional zone for Blind Creek Beach. Two parking lot accesses to reach the beach.
Park at the southern lot entitled "Blind Creek Beach - Parking Area". Full? Park at "Blind Creek Beachside North - Parking Area". See Parking section of website above.
Services are limited so be prepared to "pack it in" and "pack it out" for whatever you plan to use, consume or sit in (beach chair) or on (beach towel) or under (umbrella for shade).
From Treasure Coast Naturists organization, see their informative site at: https://www.treasurecoastnaturists.org/orientation
What to Bring Alert: Potty before you park! No restrooms on-site (subject to change). Blind Creek Beach is pristine and primitive, with only limited public improvements, including a picnic shelter, a crushed-shell nature trail, and a panoramic observation tower.
Thanks to donations from private volunteers, three portable toilets were stationed in the Blind Creek Beach parking area, however, these (toilets) have been removed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The park still does not offer any freshwater or showers. You must bring all you need for your visit (e.g., food, water, sunscreen, beach umbrella, and chair) and pack all of it back out.
This includes trash, which you may place in the receptacles at the dune crossover.
For safety's sake, do not bring glass containers. Pets are not allowed here (County rule). You may take pets to nearby Walton Rocks Beach, which is located about two miles south of Blind Creek Beach.
Dining
The Afterdeck Restaurant is the only permanent dining facility in the park and features standard American fare. South of Haulover in the Bal Harbour vicinity, you will find numerous upscale places to park your money as well as shop. Normalcy returns when you head due north of Haulover on Collins Avenue where you'll find everything you'll need for your vacation sustenance.
T-shirt shops, bathing suit stores (why?), grocery stores, specialty food markets, ethnic bistros, fast food stops like IHOP, McDonald's, Subway, hotels, motels, drug stores, strip malls, and more restaurants, bars and liquor stores. Ah, civilization......just pick a spot and enjoy sitting down to watch the parade of pranksters, skateboarders, grannies, and gals pass by. Never a dull moment on A1A.
Rates
Here's a sample list of hotels, resorts, and motels in the area. The names, location, and operations are subject to change, so the list is NOT guaranteed. Use it as a guideline or to shop for properties close by Haulover.
Newport Beachside Hotel & Resort
16701 Collins Ave, Sunny Isles Beach (0.9 mi / 1.4 km)
(305) 949-1300
Landon Daddy O Hotel Miami
9660 E Bay Harbor Dr, Bay Harbor Islands (3.2 mi / 5.1 km)
(866) 573-4235
Broadmore Hotel
7450 Ocean Terr, Miami Beach (4.7 mi / 7.6 km)
(305) 866-1631
Villa Byron Suites
7320 Byron Ave, Miami Beach (4.8 mi / 7.7 km)
(866) 767-0278
Collins Hotel
6600 Collins Ave, Miami Beach (5.3 mi / 8.5 km)
(866) 538-1314
Ramada Plaza Marco Polo Beach Resort
19201 Collins Ave, Sunny Isles Beach (5.7 mi / 9.2 km)
(866) 925-8676
Best Western Plus Windsor Inn
12210 Biscayne Blvd, N Miami (5.8 mi / 9.3 km)
(866) 573-4235
Best Western On The Bay Inn & Marina
1819 79th St Cswy, N Bay Village (6.9 mi / 11.1 km)
(866) 538-6252
Ocean Spray Hotel
4130 Collins Ave, Miami Beach (7.9 mi / 12.7 km)
(866) 539-9234
Other properties in Sunny Isle (Closest community adjacent to Haulover State Park - List below, not guaranteed, subject to change without notice)
Trump International Beach Resort
Sole on the Beach
Marenas Beach Resort
Days Hotel - Thunderbird
Doubletree by Hilton
Travelodge Monaco - North Miami Beach
Acqualina Beach Resort
Golden Nugget Motel
Golden Stand Ocean Villas
BalHarbour- List below, not guaranteed, subject to change without notice)
Bal Harbour Quarzo
The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour
Seaview Hotel
Oceanfront Hotel Suites
St Regis
The "One" Hotel - Bal Harbour
No accommodations are available in the park itself, and camping is not permitted. Few small motels are nearby, and some of them are pretty basic. These small properties have limited services and no restaurants on site. What buildings you may see in photos of the beach to the north and south of Haulover are not hotels, they're high-rise condominiums with high rise prices to match.
The beach at South Beach a few miles south of Haulover is also topless so enjoy the sand there, too.
If most of your readers rent a car, plan to drive a few minutes to Haulover and the park. Plan to enjoy the local area around the hotel where you can stay for the night, too.
Haulover is a short drive about 20 minutes north of South Beach (Miami Beach) a world unto itself. Hollywood, Florida is to the north of Haulover about 20 minutes and includes a fun boardwalk with restaurants, T-shirt shops, bistros, bars, moderately-priced motels to full-service resort hotels.
Overnight accommodations are sprinkled throughout the area. One of the nicest includes Lowes in South Beach, Trump International near Haulover or the Westin Diplomat, all located on Highway A1A, Collins Blvd.
The Newport Beachside Resort (formerly a Crown Plaza property) has more than 300 rooms and suites. The Newport is a full-service hotel right on the beach about a mile north of Haulover State Park and Beach. The property could use some upgrades, but at least it's close by.
Of the resorts and hotels nearest to Haulover, Newport offers all of the necessary amenities you would prefer in a beach setting. It's not stuffy nor is it a luxury 5-star property. Suitable for singles, couples, and families. The resort is NOT nude.
The Ocean Palms Motel very near Haulover has been sold and morphed into a condo development.
Roof Top Beach Hotel on A1A (1215 North Ocean Drive in Hollywood, FL) promotes its clothing-optional rooftop heated pool, tiki bar and "party" atmosphere with about 35 rooms and no restaurant. This old hotel attracts its cast of characters; guests are both nudists and "players."
A friendly atmosphere to be sure, plus adult weekend parties are a legend around the pool on the rooftop. The drive time between Haulover (nude) Beach and Roof Top is about 15-20 minutes along A1A depending upon traffic. Ft. Lauderdale Airport is only about 15-20 minutes north of the hotel, too.
Rooms have been renovated, but it's still an old structure so don't go there expecting the Ritz.
NOTE: A block south or the RoofTop is the huge Margaritaville Hotel for singles, couples, and families. See more at Margaritaville - Hollywood, FL
Hollywood Beach boardwalk facing the Atlantic is a block east of the Rooftop Hotel, the beach is NOT nude. On the boardwalk and nearby on Ocean Drive is a variety of great places to dine and shop, all within walking distance from the hotel. It's not South Beach, but it's down-home and friendly for locals and tourists alike.
Impressions
Uppers-Downers
▼ Decent hotel and motel selections within walking distance are limited
▲ If you can't afford a Caribbean vacation, at least get to Miami Beach and choose Haulover as your nude destination
▼ Only about a quarter of Haulover Beach is devoted to nude use while the textile side is virtually deserted in comparison
▲ The Beach Ambassadors are a terrific group of volunteers, so buy a Haulover T-shirt from one of their stands....it's non-profit, and the proceeds go to help support the South Florida Free Beaches organization of volunteers.
▲ Help keep Haulover nude: contribute to the South Florida Free Beaches organization at B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation
.Age Ranges
From babies to seniors with most folks in their late 20s to early 60s.
Singles: You will find other singles on the beach, sometimes quite a few.
Check-in with the Beach Ambassadors when you arrive to say hello and find out more about beach activities.
Best Time To Go
Anytime is a great time to visit South Florida, although occasionally the area experiences a few cool days during January and February.
Wish List
● I wish they would swap the beach designations: Make the nude beach 3/4 of the beach park area and 1/4 for textile, clothed use.
● Wish there were better motels and hotels within walking distance of Haulover.
Photo Album
The photos in our album were shot by us, or our clients. If you have recently visited Haulover Beach, we invite you to send in your pictures for us to display. To contribute your own photos (or trip reports), go to our Contribute Trip Report / Photographs page.
Trip Reports
If you have recently visited Haulover Beach, we would appreciate you contributing a trip report. You can contribute to this section by using our Contribute Trip Report / Photographs page. Here are a few from recent visitors.