Nudity has long been common along the south shore of the Great Salt Lake, but the location of the "beach" seems to keep moving west. An old site near Exit 111 of Interstate 80 seems to have been closed off and is apparently dead. Local nudists established another site, called "Burmester Beach," north of Exit 88 about 25 miles farther west. It was a well-attended site for several years until 2004, when a railroad company blocked off access to the area. It is uncertain whether or not this was a deliberate anti-nudity action. So now there has been yet another site established a bit farther west, this one off Exit 84. Like the Burmester site, it is also on otherwise unused and remote land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Exit 84 site is on the southwestern part of a land mass called Stansbury Island. However, the southern part of the island is surrounded by salt flats, not water, so you don't really have the sense of being on an island.

The initiative to start the Exit 84 site was taken by an informal group of gay nudists called Utah Male Naturists, which networks through a Yahoo group (see website referenced below). This site is just a few years old, and for now it seems mostly attended by those familiar with it from the UMN group. As far as we know, there have yet to be any anti-nudity hassles here. Before you go, it is a good idea to join the UMN group (all you need to do is establish a Yahoo ID) and get the latest information. Members often organize group visits. At other times, there may be no one at the beach. Furthermore, there seems to be a lot of sentimental attachment to the old Burmester site. If the road is ever opened again, it is possible there will be a migration back to Burmester.

Incidentally, the word "beach" is used very conceptually with regards to the Great Salt Lake. This area is actually salt flats. It is stark, there is no shade and the salt water is not great for swimming. This is more a place to hang out naked with others and is not at all "beachy." You should probably avoid the area when it is really wet. Rain quickly turns the salt flat into a quagmire and it is easy to get stuck. Be sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen. It gets very hot here. Also, the salt flats are not particularly good for bare feet.

Utah Male Naturists website (Yahoo ID required)

GPS: 40.8000, -112.5400

city, county, state, country  (remote), Tooele, Utah, U.S.A.

classification  3 (discretion recommended)

There are 3 placemarks related to this site.