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Hippie Hollow Texas United States World

 

Wed Jul 28, 2010

Bask bare under a blazing sun

Tatjana Long relaxes and blows bubbles on the edge of the water while her friends swim in Lake Travis at Hippie Hollow on Saturday afternoon. This was Long’s first time at the Travis County park and she said that once she moves to Austin, she will return to the area.

About $4 in gas, a $12 entrance fee and a 30-minute drive that offers a spectacular view of some incredible lakeside houses are all it takes to get to Hippie Hollow, a 109-acre public park tucked away on the eastern shores of Lake Travis. You don’t even need a swimsuit.

Hippie Hollow, formerly known as McGregor County Park, is the only official clothing-optional park in Texas. It is situated on steep limestone slopes and offers swimming, hiking and lots of warm rocks to lounge on.

“It’s great for getting some good sun,” park visitor Ken Elliot said. “It’s a good chance to get naked and get sun. Isn’t this one of the only places in Texas that you can do that? It’s just one of those things that makes Austin special.”

Visitors descend into the park via stone steps that lead away from the parking lot. Once out of the lot, which features signs warning the modest and the unaware of imminent nudity, it’s clothes off for those who want to hang out while they hang out. There are little alcoves to strip down in along the wooded path that connects to the half-mile road separating the shore from the forested hills. Along this road are several bathrooms and access trails leading visitors down the remaining 20 feet or so to the lake.

“On a normal weekend day, it’s a social thing,” Hippie Hollow regular Bill Scales said. “When the water is real low it’s kind of a drag, but it’s perfect right now. This is what we do for our social life. We come out here every Saturday and Sunday. We know 30 or 40 people that come out right to this area here.”

Scales, who has been coming to the park since 1989, received his 15 minutes of fame when he was married there in 1993 and an Austin American-Statesman reporter wrote a story about the naked nuptials.

The park has been around since the ‘60s and has undergone some changes, most notably in 1983, when the land was leased by the Lower Colorado River Authority to Travis County under the provision that it remain clothing-optional, and in 1995, when the county passed an ordinance that restricted park access to people over 18.“They used to bring kids out here,” Scales said. “I really didn’t like that. I mean, look at this place — the rocks are jagged. It’s just dangerous. Children got outlawed in the mid ‘90s and dogs did, too. They’ve really cleaned the park up. To me it’s more pleasurable. There used to be a lot of broken glass down here.”

The prices have changed, too. Scales has a year-round pass that cost him $100 plus a $2 surcharge each time he comes to the park. When he first started relaxing at Hippie Hollow, the pass cost $25 and there wasn’t an extra fee. Last year, the price of a pass was $75.

“They say they’re not making enough money, so they jack the prices up,” Scales complained good-naturedly. “And now, no one can afford to come, so they jack them up again. It’s not just this park, though. It’s all of them. This park has a $2 surcharge for reasons unknown. They said it’s for added security, but if you look at the actual need for security, Pace Bend far exceeds this place. Also, this is the only park that has to have a ranger in the booth all day long.”

The park’s security consists of rangers who come around once in a while to make sure people aren’t drinking alcohol — unless it’s in a can and tucked away in a koozie, according to Hippie Hollow’s website — or acting lewd.

---

LOCATION: 7000 Comanche Trail
DIRECTIONS: From MoPac Boulevard, the Capital of Texas Highway or Interstate Highway 35, take FM 2222 West to Highway 620. Turn left on 620 and continue for 1.3 miles. Turn right at the first traffic light onto Comanche Trail and drive for two miles. The park entrance will be on your left.
APPROXIMATE DISTANCE: 18.2 miles
HOURS: 9 a.m. to twilight
COST: Day permit: $12 per vehicle; Pedestrian/bicyclist: $5
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: Hippie Hollow is an 18+ park

By Aaron West, Daily Texan Staff
Published: Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Daily Texan



Sat Jul 24, 2010

Police shut down naked bike ride on Capitol Hill

Several naked bicyclists were stopped by police and told to cover up Friday night on Capitol Hill during a World Naked Bike Ride event.

Officers told the cyclists they were in violation of indecent exposure laws. The riders were ordered to get dressed or risk prosecution, according to bike ride organizers.

But the bicyclists themselves say they were merely exercising their First Amendment rights and were carrying out Seattle's longstanding naked cycling tradition.

Seattle is one of about 80 cities that joined in this year's World Naked Bike Ride, which is meant to demonstrate the vulnerability of cyclists on the road, as well as celebrate cycling and the human body, organizers say.

The riders, which included both men and women, started at Denny Park on Friday, then rode through Belltown, downtown Seattle, Pioneer Square and the Westlake area before heading to the Capitol Hill Block Party.

Officers did not interfere with the naked cyclists until they reached Capitol Hill.

The riders were told later that there was no record of any citizen complaint leading to the police action and was most likely the result of an officer who was at Dick's Restaurant on Broadway observing the cyclists, said Daniel Johnson, one of the ride organizers.

"This is the first time I'm aware of where SPD has stopped naked cyclists in Seattle without evidence of even one citizen complaint", Johnson said.

He said officers told female bicyclists it is illegal to expose their nipples in public unless they are beastfeeding.

The bicyclists met later with Seattle Police Sgt. Jay Shin, who explained that all naked cycling events are illegal, and that riders are taking a gamble about getting arrested, Johnson said.

seattlepi.com





More News...


Hippie Hollow News

Bask bare under a blazing sun  Jul 28, 2010
Hippie Hollow oglers?  Jul 18, 2010
Park entry fee's going up   Sep 09, 2009
Hippie Hollow has been added to The World's Top Ten Gay Beaches (for Showing Some Skin)   Jul 14, 2009
Baring It All at Hippie Hollow  Jun 18, 2009
Go pants-free for skinny-dipping world record  Jun 05, 2009
Nothing wrong with topless pix at Hippie Hollow  Apr 30, 2009
Hippie Hollow Ranked #2 Nude Beach  Apr 24, 2009
No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem  Sep 25, 2008
Hidden treasures in Lake Travis  Sep 08, 2008
Naked sunbathing creating a stir in San Diego, but still okay  Sep 04, 2008
Photos may have violated privacy of topless women at Hippie Hollow  Aug 16, 2008
Man accused of taking photos of topless Lake Travis sunbathers  Aug 15, 2008
Man charged with taking illegal photos of topless women  Aug 15, 2008
Foot found in lake identified as possible suicide victim  Jul 19, 2008
Travis County commissioners discuss nudity at rally   Jul 02, 2008
County decides foot found in lake matches another  May 28, 2008
Shoe found with human remains matches one found last year  May 27, 2008
Record Crowds on Lake Force Closures of Parks   May 25, 2008
Shoe with possible human remains inside found near Hippie Hollow  May 25, 2008
Second body found at Lake Travis near Austin  Feb 25, 2008
Man drowns at Lake Travis  Feb 25, 2008
Body found at Hippie Hollow identified   Feb 25, 2008
Rain will not cancel July 4 celebrations  Jul 03, 2007
A Clear View at Hippie Hollow  Jun 01, 2007
Receding Texas lake reveals old skeleton  Aug 29, 2006
Two hospitalized after Lake Travis accidents  May 22, 2006
LCRA Briefs - Hydrilla gone from Lake LBJ  Jul 21, 2005
Volunteers clean up Lake Travis, double attendance  Jul 18, 2005
Sun Card manager arrested in Texas ASU employee allegedly filmed sunbathers  Sep 29, 2004
Man charged with illegally taping nudists   Sep 27, 2004
Investigations reveal little on barge collapse  May 04, 2004
2 injured as barge flips, sinks on Lake Travis  May 03, 2004
Supreme Court refuses Texas cases /Nude-beach case involves an Austin couple  Oct 10, 2001
Family loses appeal to sunbathe naked  Oct 10, 2001
Texas Supreme Court refuses to hear couple's nude park case  May 04, 2001
Court upholds banning kids from nudist park  Dec 07, 2000
Case clothed / Appeals court rules against public nudity in Texas   Jan 05, 2000
Couple want youths exposed to nudists  Nov 13, 1999
Police arrest 42 for alleged lewd acts at `Hippie Hollow ' inweekend undercover raids  Apr 28, 1996
Hippie Hollow for adults  Jul 12, 1995
Couple wed on beach in birthday suits   Jul 19, 1993
All not lost, Hippie Hollow lives   Sep 06, 1987

Texas Nudist News

71-year-old Fort Worth man cited for doing yardwork in the buff  Sep 22, 2009
Being Topless is Not a Violation of Law at Austin Rally  Jul 02, 2008
Frisco ousts art teacher after museum trip  Sep 26, 2006
Austin teacher quits her job over nude Web photos  Aug 21, 2006
Reported backyard nudism gets man arrested  May 04, 2006
Austin nudist group gets a chance to bare all during photo exhibition   Aug 23, 2005
Beach bound? Better keep your clothes on   Apr 15, 2004
Regardless of Internet claims, nudists not welcome on beach  Aug 06, 2000
Altogether now/Nudism attracting more buffs than ever  Jul 28, 1996
Barton Springs saga makes waves in Austin   Aug 02, 1992

United States Nudist News

Police shut down naked bike ride on Capitol Hill   Jul 24, 2010
How to Hit a Nude Beach  Jul 19, 2010
Half-naked mannequin behind police coverup  Jul 13, 2010
Train mooning attracts scores of bare bums  Jul 11, 2010
Feds target nudity at California off-road recreation areas  Jul 09, 2010
Moravia nudist park taking part in world-record skinny dipping attempt  Jul 09, 2010
‘No Topless Beaches!’ Says Man With Naked Lady Parts Tattoo  Jul 09, 2010
Seattle officials chilly toward nude beach  Jul 07, 2010
Public nudity is prohibited on public lands in the California desert   Jul 06, 2010
Hot weather spurs nude walker in Montpelier  Jul 01, 2010
Asbury Park officials eye request for topless beach  Jun 26, 2010
Passers-by call Colo. police over topless gardener  Mar 18, 2010
Oregon Town Passes Public Nudity Ban; ACLU Threatens Legal Action   Jan 07, 2010
Naked Homeowner Fights Off Masked Gunmen  Dec 23, 2009
Va. man convicted of in-home indecent exposure  Dec 18, 2009
At Diamond Fork hot springs, get naked -- get cited  Dec 10, 2009
Boulder's Naked Halloween Streak May Be Coming to an End   Oct 31, 2009
State lets parks crack down on nude beachgoers  Oct 23, 2009
Man Charged After Making Coffee Naked  Oct 20, 2009
Meeting nudity ban will be public  Sep 10, 2009
Bicyclists to ride nude through Philadelphia  Sep 05, 2009
Nude Beach is evacuated after chlorine leak  Aug 25, 2009
National go topless protest day  Aug 23, 2009
Nude Photo Shoot on the New York Subway  Aug 21, 2009
Ordinance to Ban the Display of Genitals in Parks and Downtown  Aug 18, 2009
Nude Parade Cancelled  Aug 07, 2009
Naked truth behind Iowa law exposed  Aug 04, 2009
Battle over topless beaches in Australia coming to Chicago's North Avenue Beach  Jul 25, 2009
State Supreme Court Asked To Overturn Nude Beach Crackdown   Jul 23, 2009
When Do They Need a Fig Leaf?   Jul 17, 2009
Nude Sunbathers Caught In Appling, GA Church Cemetery  Jul 12, 2009
Bummer Summer for San Onofre's Nude Sunbathers  Jun 29, 2009
Naked man explains Ashland escapades  Jun 28, 2009
Former mayor in Georgia arrested for nudity  Jun 28, 2009
Nude hiking buffs ready to shed as solstice nears  Jun 21, 2009
Nudists claim landlord discrimination  Jun 07, 2009
No nude treasure hunting at park  Jun 02, 2009
Nude protesters draw onlookers  May 29, 2009
Nudist camp 'squatter' ordered out  May 24, 2009
Naked yoga: A stripped down exercise  May 22, 2009
Officials try to ban nudists after Internet sex ad  May 17, 2009
City resolves to ask state parks to enforce nudity laws   May 13, 2009
Yahoo wins round in Oregon nude photo court battle   May 11, 2009
Point Nude Beach Summer Wheat Beer Unveiled Again   May 05, 2009
Agreement Reached With Nude Beach, Not About Clothes  May 05, 2009
Ore. frisbee team sacked after going bottomless  May 03, 2009
Maine town revises nudity ban  May 02, 2009
ACLU lobbying for changes in nudity laws  Apr 26, 2009
Nude dude ranch didn't get county approval  Apr 19, 2009
Florida Lottery Winner Opens Nude Dude Ranch   Apr 18, 2009
Sign may go up to deter nude sunbathers  Apr 07, 2009
Nudity on Bird Island to be banned  Apr 07, 2009
Cyclists in bike parade to air views in ride of protest  Mar 15, 2009
Lake Nudity Part Of Westmore Town Meeting  Feb 25, 2009
Nudist Resort Renting Rooms for Inauguration  Jan 13, 2009
Naked Pumpkin Runners May Have To Register As Sex Offenders  Nov 10, 2008
Nudist group wants clothing-optional polling site   Nov 03, 2008
State parks agency to appeal ruling on nude sunbathing at San Onofre  Sep 05, 2008
Nude sunbathers going back to court for appeal  Sep 04, 2008
San Onofre beach nudity ban shot down by judge  Aug 28, 2008
Judge blocks no-nudity rules - bars enforcement at beach  Aug 20, 2008
You can be Mormon and a nudist  Aug 09, 2008
Nude sun lovers gather at Florida beach  Jul 27, 2008
Nudist campground expansion OK'd  Jul 27, 2008
Nude dining and yoga are the latest fads in the Big Apple!   Jul 22, 2008
Nude Beach Thrives In New Jersey  Jul 21, 2008
Nudist club swings away from national group   Jul 19, 2008
Activists sue California over plan to ban nudity at San Onofre Beach  Jul 11, 2008
Ferrying From Manhattan to Bare It All on the Beach   Jul 01, 2008
Naked Cowboy lawsuit vs M&Ms maker to go forward  Jun 24, 2008
Summer Solstice Parade, Naked Bikers, and a culture obsessed with nudity  Jun 23, 2008
At Vermont lake, new controversy over nude beach  Jun 17, 2008
At Vermont lake, new controversy over nudity  Jun 16, 2008
Nudist Popularity Really Taking Off  Jun 07, 2008
Brattleboro in the Buff  Oct 07, 2007
On again, off again: Brattleboro drops nudity ban  Oct 07, 2007
Town well-known for nakedness outlaws public nudity   Jul 21, 2007
Board mulls law on nudity   Jul 11, 2007
Blind nudist pens book on how Bible fits into lifestyle  Jul 06, 2007
Bug spray best dressing for night hike  Jun 29, 2007
Beachgoers in the buff better behave   Jun 29, 2007
Nudist Groups Seeking Younger Members  May 17, 2007
Supreme Court decision on the nude demonstration case should come by the end of June  Apr 24, 2007
Lose the clothes, find yourself  Apr 05, 2007
Bowling alley rolls with nudist nights  Jan 30, 2007
Naked jogger surprising park users  Jan 26, 2007
RUMORED NUDIST SIGHTED AND CITED IN SARATOGA FOOTHILLS  Jan 26, 2007
Wausau man accused of posting nude photos of ex-girlfriend on Web  Jan 03, 2007
Oshkosh man took nude photos with phone   Dec 20, 2006
Law blind to sight of nude woman  Oct 21, 2006
Public Nudity Not a First Amendment Right Says Attorney   Oct 20, 2006
University photo exhibit of nude African girls provokes protests  Oct 18, 2006
Teen arrested in streaking incident   Oct 18, 2006
Judges rule nudity was political  Oct 14, 2006
Yikes: Man cited for naked hike on Yonah   Sep 23, 2006
US army bans naked torture  Sep 08, 2006
Nude Teens Raising Eyebrows in Vermont  Sep 02, 2006
Aquinnah to crack down on nude beachgoers  Aug 31, 2006
Law of nature prevails in Vermont  Aug 23, 2006
Nude people in town center could prompt ban  Aug 21, 2006
U.S. man walks nude to protest Iraq war  Aug 08, 2006
Nude beach saves county money  Aug 06, 2006
Man reported nude in forest faces misdemeanor charge  May 12, 2006
NW dude ranch finds new future in the nude   May 03, 2006
Nude carpenter vows to work clothed after arrest  Apr 23, 2006
Mark World Naked Gardening Day on your calendar   Sep 11, 2005
Gardening buff  Sep 07, 2005
Camp offers nude recreation in Newberry  Sep 01, 2005
Clothing optional when beating heat  Aug 25, 2005
Anything but naked   Aug 16, 2005
Women's nude awakening - Oglers surround protesters  Aug 15, 2005
Rules cover nudist resort  Aug 15, 2005
Family to bury nudist fully clothed  Aug 04, 2005
Topless angel in Iowa gets to stay bare-breasted   Aug 04, 2005
During this convention, same suit worn by all  Aug 03, 2005
Teens can't fly solo at nudist camp /Parents must be present, judge in Virginia rules  Jul 16, 2004
Study strips nudism of its idealistic myths   Oct 21, 2001
90-year-old woman finds a home at nudist camp   Aug 20, 1995

World Nudist News

Naked cyclists escape charges  Dec 29, 2009
Security Considers Making People Fly Naked  Dec 27, 2009
B.C. woman finds 12 strangers to pose naked for Babes go Bare fundraising calendar  Dec 13, 2009
Nudist Hotel Upsets Neighbors  Oct 31, 2009
Naked firemen to tackle Atlantic   Jul 30, 2009
France falls out of love with topless sunbathing  Jul 25, 2009
New Zealand airline issues nude safety video  Jul 03, 2009
Nude North America: Skinny dippers dash for a world record  Jun 23, 2009
Swiss Clamp Down On Recreational Nudity  Jun 21, 2009
Facebook makes exception to nudity policy?  May 31, 2009
Naked Swiss hikers must cover up   Apr 30, 2009
Maximum fine for nude walk in Singapore  Apr 30, 2009
Naturists lose their fight to go naked on the beaches  Apr 27, 2009
Swiss heartland voters ban nude hiking in Alps  Apr 27, 2009
Gardener ordered to cover up naked gnomes after neighbours complain   Apr 22, 2009
Daytime TV nudity coming to Britain  Apr 12, 2009
Nude Male Models Strut Their Stuff in Teen Sex Education Class  Apr 02, 2009
Check In at Germany's First Naked Hotel  Mar 31, 2009
In Thin Air of the Alps, Nude Hiking Is Vanishing  Mar 17, 2009
Hostel residents: Others have run naked before   Mar 14, 2009
Naked Women and Social Justice  Mar 11, 2009
Nude beach wish droops  Mar 08, 2009
Can people unlearn their naked shame?   Mar 02, 2009
Nudist beach future put to test   Jan 13, 2009
Naked tourist arrested for swimming in Japanese moat   Oct 07, 2008
Nude church service called off following threats   Sep 26, 2008
Beach nudity sparks outrage and joy  Sep 15, 2008
Sex popular at Canadian nude beach  Aug 04, 2008
GERMANS AND POLES GO TO WAR...AND THIS TIME THEY'RE NAKED   Aug 01, 2008
German Sunbathers Complain About Polish Voyeurs At Nudist Beach  Aug 01, 2008
Naked delight as nudists win right to bare all on beach  Jul 27, 2008
Not everyone can meet our nudist standards  Jul 22, 2008
Dubai gets tough on nudity after sex show  Jul 19, 2008
Celebration of nudity opposed by Church  May 07, 2008
PayPal closes nudist magazine's account  Mar 25, 2008
Nudist group stripped of service claims PayPal exposes ignorance  Mar 25, 2008
Nudity in the home  Feb 09, 2008
Skinny dippers win court battle to swim nude at public pool  Nov 11, 2007
Nudism - Historical Development  Jul 12, 2007
Nude bather arrested at Spanish Steps  Jun 26, 2007
Complaints cancelled naked swims  Jun 20, 2007
Mexico might ban nudes from pyramids   Apr 24, 2007
Nude Mexicans Wanted  Mar 22, 2007
100 naked men allowed to stay on beach  Mar 12, 2007
At Brazil's carnival, naked bodies aren't always sexual  Feb 18, 2007
Nude cleaners rock village  Feb 12, 2007
Nudists like a beach to bum around on  Feb 05, 2007
Nude Olympians urged to slip, slop, slap  Feb 04, 2007
Dutch gym to introduce 'Naked Sunday'  Feb 03, 2007
Man charged with nude gardening  Feb 02, 2007
UK X-RAY SPIES TO SEE YOU NUDE  Feb 01, 2007
Residents plan naked rain dance  Jan 29, 2007
The Great Wide Open  Jan 05, 2007
Women are more likely than men to strip off while on the phone  Jan 05, 2007
End to nude beach   Sep 24, 2006
How I dared to be bare  Sep 23, 2006
Streakers caught on camera  Sep 23, 2006
Nudist who posted pictures on Net to face 5 years in jail  Sep 22, 2006
Nude sunbathers may be told to cover up  Sep 04, 2006
Nude fountain bather defies German police  Aug 24, 2006
Women plough in the nude anticipating rain  Aug 22, 2006
Nudist gets bum's rush  Aug 16, 2006
Nudists call for legal nude beaches  Apr 29, 2006
Few boundaries for clothes-free cricketers   Apr 26, 2006
About 1,000 pose nude for Spencer Tunick  Apr 22, 2006
'Sex in open air' scandal  Sep 08, 2005
Qld considers nude beach proposal  Sep 08, 2005
Nude bathing revolution for Queensland?  Sep 08, 2005
Growing number going to nude beaches and campgrounds in the Maritimes  Sep 04, 2005
Unofficial nudist beach could be crowned top   Aug 18, 2005
Flashers pester nudists   Aug 13, 2005
The battle to keep the beach bare  Aug 13, 2005
Not under our boardwalk, we're naturists   Aug 10, 2005
Nudist beach police to go undercover  Jul 22, 2005
Nudism, bottomless beach-goers not erotic!  Jul 11, 2005
Nudity is a wall between Germanys / Western touristsdestroy lifestyle, easterners say  Aug 15, 2004
Munich park's bares on endangered list / Fewer nudistsroam tourist-heavy spot   Oct 13, 2002


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has been the organization of violence.
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