Pirates Cove Beach

Take Avila Beach Drive toward Avila Beach and turn onto Cave Landing Road, which ends at the Cave Landing parking lot on the bluff; San Luis Obispo County Parks has recently raised and regraded the lot and added a lookout over the cove. Parking was free at last report. From the lot a dirt trail drops to the beach in about 10 minutes; it is short but steep and loose, slippery after fog, and unsuitable for wheelchairs or strollers. There are no toilets or water at the lot or beach; the nearest are in Avila Beach about a mile away. There is no direct bus.

Visitors praise the sheltered setting, sunsets, calm water and the relaxed mix of nude and clothed beachgoers, and many say it is one of the most scenic nude beaches on the coast. The north end gets busy and loud with students on warm weekends, so naturists who want peace head to the south end or come early or on weekdays. Recurring complaints are graffiti on the cave and rocks, litter, a sketchy reputation around the parking area, and the lack of toilets. Several reviewers warn that the trail is steeper than it looks.

Summarised in our own words from public reviews and guides listed under Sources.

Pirate's Cove has no formal clothing-optional designation, but San Luis Obispo County, which bought the Cave Landing land in 2013, said the beach would remain clothing optional; an earlier staff plan had floated a nudity ordinance that was not adopted at that time. Sheriff's enforcement has focused on sexual solicitation in the parking lot and trails, including a 2007 sting, rather than on nude sunbathing.

Naturism at Pirates Cove Beach sits under United States's rules for de facto tolerance — usually left alone if you keep it non-sexual and low-drama.

Full country law: United States public nudity guide.

Researched 24 October 2026. No official source confirms naturist status, so treat it as unverified.