Gunnison Beach is located in the Sandy Hook part of the Gateway National Recreation Area on the New Jersey Atlantic coast, in Middletown Township. It is managed by the National Park Service. It is New Jersey's, and New York’s, only legal nude or clothing-optional beach. This lovely sandy beach attracts thousands of tourists every summer, and not all of them are nudists. While Sandy Hook has other, more family-oriented beaches, Gunnison is by far the most attractive. During hot summer weekends, as many as 5,000 nudists come to enjoy the sun and the sea. At the entrance to the beach is a small plaza with showers and bathrooms. There are regular food trucks with food and shops offering beach paraphernalia such as umbrellas and chairs. Interestingly, the beach is one of the few that allow alcohol. The nudists share the beach with a large population of endangered native piping plovers, and one part of the beach is reserved for them.

Plan Your Trip

Get Ready to Go!

Need some more help?


Read our Reservations & Travel Planning Tips guide.