Juniper Woods - Catskill, New York, USA
Juniper Woods is located in the Catskills in upstate New York, about two hours north of NYC. It is operated seasonally and is typical of your average nudist campground or RV park in the United States. They have residents with trailers and RVs, as well as rental trailers and cabins available for overnight stays (in addition to tent camping, of course). For locals or commuters, they also have options for day visits with discounts on all of the above for members of AANR/TNSF/INF. Amenities include two pools (one main pool and one conversation pool that functions as a hot tub with amazing views of the sunset from their elevated terrace deck), as well as sprawling lawns for various games, petanque courts, hiking trails, and a pavillion that has an indoor/outdoor feel and serves as a clubhouse. The reception office is also home to a small gift shop and kitchen, where owners Jim and Peg would often be seen cooking breakfast for their guests.
We have only stayed at Juniper once thus far, but plan to return in the future. We stayed for a couple of nights in a rental trailer which was cozy and fine—no complaints whatsoever, exactly what you would expect it to be. The cabins are SUPER cute and we are eyeing them up for a future visit, as they are a bit more modern and cozy, though most lack functional plumbing for a proper bathroom setup (some have outside bathrooms, and you can always use the public facilities). Everyone that we met was extremely friendly and (as is a benefit of most clubs) nobody behaved inappropriately or made us feel uncomfortable. While nudity is required while using the pools, clothing is optional everywhere else on the grounds. We definitely recommend Juniper for first timers who may prefer a club atmosphere as opposed to the traditional risks associated with going to a clothing optional beach for your first adventure into the world of social nudism.
Editor’s Note #1: As of our visit in August of 2020, Jim and Peg had owned Juniper Woods for the past 19 years, though it has just been announced that they have sold the property to new owners who will operate it beginning with the 2021 summer season. We thank Jim and Peg for their hard work over the years and wish them all the best, and we look forward to introducing ourselves to the new owners upon our return to the Catskills!
Editor’s Note #2: While it originally seemed that the intention of the new owners was to continue operating Juniper Woods as a clothing optional campground, it became evident in early 2021 that this was not the case. The campground was renamed and rebranded and is now a textile campground. We are sad that we will not be returning to this great place that was relatively close to home, but hurt even more for those that lived at Juniper Woods (even for part of the year) and have now had their lives turned upside down all of a sudden. Our sincere best wishes to you all.
