Naked In A Cave - Howe’s Cave, New York, USA
"Naked In A Cave" is a one-of-a-kind event hosted by Howe Caverns (a textile tourist attraction 364 days out of the year) in Howe's Cave, NY. We have attended two of these events to date and they generally take place on a Saturday in mid-September. You can read all about Howe Caverns on their website (commercialized cave tours 100+ feet beneath the surface) because that is pretty unique in its own right, however, "Naked In A Cave" not only allows you to tour the cave completely nude, but it basically morphs a textile hospitality facility into a nudist resort for the day.
What do we mean by that? Howe Caverns is closed to the public (they sell 350 tickets to Naked In A Cave and often sell out or come close to it) on the day of the event. As a result, the management team there has been kind enough to allow event-goers nude use of the property, which includes their on-site pool (technically I guess that is for guests of the motel, which we were staying at). It also allows for some pretty fun photo ops around the "amusement park" section that is closed during the event, or on the sprawling lawns with the big Howe Caverns sign in the grass (see below). Speaking of motel, they have a limited number of motel rooms that you can (and should) rent if you are coming from out of town. It was our experience the one year that we rented a motel room that everyone was there for the event and happily socialized in the nude (both outside of their rooms and in the accompanying pool) on the night of (and night before, for those of us arriving early) the event.
Whether you plan to stay overnight or not (Full Tan Sun Club is another nearby nudist camping option), Howe Caverns also offers add-ons such as dinner and activities that vary from year to year. Your best bet to get the latest information would be to call ahead and/or visit the Naked In A Cave portion of their website. It should be noted that your ticket price includes a beverage and a souvenir robe that is embroidered with the theme of that particular year's event. The robes come in handy to keep you warm (ironically when NOT in the cave, as they require you to check the robe upon entering the cave so that everyone is on an even playing field in terms of experiencing the cave tour while fully nude). There are also some other items that are not allowed in the cave that are quite a bummer because some former attendees ruined it for the rest of us—this includes phones and items that could allow you to smuggle a phone or camera in (such as long socks/boots or hats). It's all in the name of a safe experience for everyone, so we can respect that. If you would like a souvenir photo taken in the cave, they have an official photographer that will happily snap a few photos of you and sell you the SD card with your images on it. You can also take your own souvenir photos above-ground with the step-and-repeat photo op that they have in the center of the lodge where everyone gathers before and after descending into the cave itself.
In closing, this is a really unique event at an iconic location and something that everyone should experience at least once. The most common question we get is about the temperature of the cave; if we recall correctly it is approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the cave on a year-round basis, which sounds really cold to be nude! That said, it is surprisingly brisk and refreshing, but not debilitating by any means. We think that this has something to do with the fact that there is no wind down there, thus the temperature feels a lot warmer than it would if the wind was blowing and you were outdoors on a similarly chilly day. Additionally, the staff of Howe Caverns offers tea, coffee, and hot chocolate at a checkpoint during the cave excursion that can help to warm you up! While it's not your typical warm naturist environment, please don't let the thought of the cold temperature deter you from the experience!
Learn more and plan your visit at the official Howe Caverns website.
Editor’s Note: The bottom image (no pun intended) below was not taken at Howe Caverns, as cameras are not allowed in the cave during the Naked In A Cave event. On somewhat of a fluke, we visited nearby Secret Caverns and the tour director was kind enough to let us disrobe for a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity in the waterfall at the bottom of their cave! It’s too good not to share, so we included it here for reference.
