Want to romp in the woods buck naked? This North Texas nudist RV resort has you covered
Imagine a spring stroll down a Texas trail in the buff bracketed by wildflowers under a warm sun and a cool breeze. No, this is not fiction.
An honest-to-goodness nudist retreat sits a mere 45 minutes from Fort Worth. Wildwood Naturist Resort — a 98-acre RV park in Decatur with all the amenities of a campground — recently landed on Outdoorsy’s list of America’s 17 top nudist parks to visit. And this place is unlike a clothing-optional venue — guests must be bare, unless they have a health condition or if the weather is severe.
“You will meet wonderful, friendly people at Wildwood who represent every segment of the public,” Connie Taylor, Wildwood general manager, told the Star-Telegram. “You will meet singles, couples, and families with every age range represented.”
In Texas, romping around in your birthday suit does not cross lines of public indecency if the display of genitals is not done for sexual arousal. There are even a handful of nude beaches along the Gulf Coast of Texas where naturists can dip their toes in the sand. At Wildwood, guests are reminded of the primacy of individual privacy. Snapshots are strictly prohibited — stickers are passed out to cover smartphone cameras.
Roughly 260 RV parks exist across the U.S. where one can enjoy a holiday without a stitch of clothing. The resort in Wise County is associated with the American Association for Nude Recreation, an organization that serves over 20,000 members and owns a smattering of resorts across Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. The group believes that nudism can be a family activity, a weekend respite and a way of life.
Texas couple who run nudist park are naturists themselves
Connie and her husband, Rick, have been married for nearly six decades. They have a son together. When he left home, the couple began spreading their wings.
The empty nesters started slowly with a cruise out of Florida. Then came a nude club in Tampa. They loved their experiences. It was liberating. Soon they were looking for places closer to their home in Abilene to continue practicing their new found freedom.
“Initial draw was my husband wanted to experience social nudism,” Connie said. “I had confidence that he would not ask me to do anything that would be harmful to me.”
Connie checked out the Bluebonnet Nudist Park in Alvord, roughly 50 miles northwest of Fort Worth. It is a clothing optional experience but gave her the flexibility to bare it all. The park is also affiliated with AANR, the national nudist group, that the couple were getting to know. And Bluebonnet’s North Texas location was convenient.
“I found it was not orgies everywhere as many people imagine,” she said.
Connie found that the lifestyle attracted folks just like her. It almost felt natural — even normal.
“Actually, it is doing what you would do in a textile environment, only without the cover of clothing,” she said. “When all of the ‘status symbols’ (clothing) are removed, you get to know who the person really is. Nudists are fine, generous, and caring people who are from all walks of life — They walk among you.”
When the nudist group bought the acreage on which Wildwood now sits, a door opened for the Taylors. In 1998, they agreed to manage the resort, and they’ve stayed ever since.
It was not like the Taylors saw running a nudist colony to be a career path. They were investing in the idea, rolling up their sleeves and adding quite a bit of sweat equity to the business. They helped clear the nearly 100 acres with machetes and chainsaws.
“Then our other partners who were supposed to be the operators were unable to continue,” Connie said.
It was a proverbial fork in the road for the couple. What should they do?
“Failure was not an option and we stepped up to make it work,” she said.
They’ve since added trails, a recreational room, two swimming pools (including a shallow one for water volleyball) and a cabin the RV park rents out. A pickleball court, horseshoe pits and bocce ball lawn can also be found on the resort grounds.
Today, the RV resort has 36 year-round residents and 180 members who drop in when they want. Most of the guests at Wildwood are empty nesters like the Taylors. But most are welcome, Connie said, and it is not uncommon for the resort to host families.
The resort is designed to be a home away from home with amenities that include a kitchen, laundry room, dance hall and outdoor showers. Wildwood is open for non-residents and guests Friday through Sunday where they can either park their RV or set up camp.
There is a little of everything for everyone at Wildwood, including a spring 5K run for nudists aptly called, “Skinny Dipper Sun Run.” Maintained trails crisscross the ponds and creeks on the property where guests can jump in for a cooling dip.
The experience at the resort has been lauded by many who have spent time there. A visitor named Joe shared this on Wildwood’s guest book:
“The whole weekend was genuine and sincere. It’s often been said among nudists, ‘We have nothing to hide.’ Truly, our experience for this date and time found that people did not hide anything. They let friendship, kindness, understanding and sympathy flow freely.”
Praises for a good ‘air bath’ and daily naked walk
Nudism has been around for quite some time, according to the International Naturist Federation website. Radical thinkers in America’s past — including Benjamin Franklin, John Quincy Adams and Henry David Thoreau — praised the virtues of a daily naked walk or “air baths” as they were called.
So, what’s the appeal?
The practice of getting on without clothes can be fun, harmless and good for one’s well-being, the national nudists group explains in its website.
“Naturism isn’t just about being naked. It helps us feel more connected with nature, and promotes respect for ourselves, for others and for the environment,” according to the group.
Besides, being in the buff can be good for one’s self esteem and body image, a study at the University of London found. The survey of 850 people of varying ages and ethnicity who spent time naked or partially clothed (topless) around others “liked their own bodies more, thought better of themselves, and were more satisfied with their lives overall.”
This is the idea that Connie and her husband want to share at Wildwood.
When the Taylors first got the land and showed their son the operation, he asked, “Is this [expletive] legal?” and “Can you make any money at it?”
That was back in the summer of 1997. Connie said she can now tell her son that, “Nudism is legal on private property and we have been able to pay bills and make improvements.”
This story was originally published May 22, 2024 at 4:00 AM.