Blind Creek nude beach project will cut parking, but add an ADA bathroom and showers

Cheryl Smith, Treasure Coast Newspapers
Updated ·4 min read
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ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Blind Creek nude beach parking will be decreased in a $1 million revamp this winter that will include a bathroom, showers and handicapped accessibility for one of the area's most popular beaches.

The county will create 176 parking spaces, which officials say will increase the current capacity of 100-150 vehicles. However, the reality is over 200 cars typically cram into the open field wherever they can — and that's in the offseason and not counting the overflow onto State Route A1A, according to a TCPalm survey.

The county does not plan to expand parking in the 400-acre environmentally sensitive coastal preserve, according to spokesperson Erick Gill, despite the Treasure Coast Naturists' request to do so.

"There is no intent to overdevelop the property regardless of demand. ... Just because the land is there, that doesn’t mean we can pave over everything to make additional parking spots," Gill said. "This project balances maximum improvements to the area (parking and restrooms) while having as minimal environmental impacts as possible."

If the parking lot is full, "there's plenty of overflow parking available" at the Little Mud Creek beach access, a vacant lot that can hold about 75 cars, Gill said. For visitors laden with beach gear, that's about a 1-mile walk to Blind Creek via the sidewalk or shoreline.

The county recommends visitors not park along S.R. A1A, but the Sheriff's Office never has ticketed vehicles in the right of way, said Cindy Thiboutot, secretary of the Treasure Coast Naturists. The group's Friends of Blind Creek Beach citizens committee provides the current portable bathrooms, nude beach warning signs and trained volunteer "ambassadors" to patrol the beach, educate visitors and call the authorities when needed.

"We've exploded out onto A1A many times and no one has ever bothered us there," she said.

Vehicles that block A1A or the sidewalk or create a traffic hazard may be fined, the Sheriff's Office said.

“We are very understanding of the fact that the upcoming improvement project for Blind Creek Beach will pose parking issues for visitors," according to a prepared statement. "We encourage everyone to use the overflow parking at Little Mud Beach access whenever possible. When this overflow parking is not available, we ask that visitors park on the grass — away from the roadway and sidewalk."

Will Blind Creek Beach close?

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These nine nudist destinations around the world range from the hidden to the luxurious—and they all offer the chance to strip away your worries… and your clothes.

The county will not know whether and when it will fully or partially close the parking lot during the one-year project until it obtains permits and signs a construction contract, Gill said.

"We do anticipate there will be some closures to public access during some phases of the construction process," he said.

The county plans to pave a circular asphalt driveway with two internal lanes and five stop signs. The parking spaces will be made of porous concrete — except for six handicapped parking spaces that will be paved with asphalt: four at the main walkway to the beach and two at the bathroom, which will be at the entrance from A1A.

"ADA accessible restrooms with required adjacent ADA parking were the project catalyst," Gill said, adding the Treasure Coast Naturists have been requesting the upgrades for several years.

The county, which leases the state-owned preserve for $300 annually to operate the public beach, has no plan to hire lifeguards.

"That would take additional budget allocations to hire additional lifeguards and purchase additional towers and equipment," Gill said.

Treasure Coast Naturists want more parking

"We're very happy that we're going to be having restrooms and showers because we've been having port-a-potties for years and years," Thiboutot said. "We're hoping the parking situation improves. We're outgrowing the space."

Blind Creek was the most popular among five county beaches south of Fort Pierce surveyed in 2018. The county did not have enough equipment to survey the other 11 beaches north and south of Fort Pierce, Gill said. Here's the average number of vehicles each day over a 10-day period in August:

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  • Blind Creek: 362

  • Waveland Beach: 146

  • Dollman Park Beachside: 94

  • Frederick Douglass Memorial Park: 58

  • Jane Murray Brooks Park: 52

The nude beach's popularity exploded after the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020, attracting visitors from all over the state. An annual skinny-dip event in July attracted 651 people this year, Thiboutot said.

"I think it's great that people are coming from all over. That spells dollars for the county. It's a draw for St. Lucie County tourism," Thiboutot said, adding she wouldn't want the county to limit beach access, just increase parking. "What we would encourage is the county to give us more space."

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Blind Creek nude beach project will cut parking, add bathroom, showers