Analysis · October 2026
Palm Springs has lost every naturist resort for couples
Since 2019, all three couples-friendly nudist resorts in the city have closed. Here is the timeline, with sources, and what is left.
Palm Springs built its reputation as America's clothing-optional capital. For gay men, it still is. For everyone else, the map has emptied out.
Three resorts used to serve couples and mixed groups inside city limits: the Terra Cotta in Warm Sands, Tuscany Manor near Chino Canyon and Desert Sun in the Movie Colony. The Terra Cotta went first, sold in a week in 2019. Tuscany Manor tried to take its guests and then closed. Desert Sun, open since 1992, became a clothed boutique hotel in 2025.
What's left for couples in town is one lifestyle resort. Everything else is a 20-minute drive to Desert Hot Springs or a 75-mile drive west to Glen Eden.
Timeline
Desert Shadows Inn opens on Chaparral Road with 11 rooms. It grows into Desert Sun, the city's best-known couples' nudist resort. (source)
The Lee R. Baxandall Bridge, the "Naked Bridge", goes up over North Indian Canyon Drive so guests can cross to the condos without dressing. (source)
The original Terra Cotta Inn celebrates 20 years in business. (source)
The new Terra Cotta Clothing Optional Resort and Spa opens at 555 S Warm Sands Drive: 28 rooms on almost two acres. (source)
After a quick sale, the Terra Cotta stops operating as a clothing-optional resort. (source)
Tuscany Manor buys some of the Terra Cotta's furniture and converts to clothing-optional, adults-only from 1 January 2020. (source)
Tuscany Manor closes; its website goes offline. (source)
Desert Sun sells after an earlier deal falls through over easement issues. (source)
Desert Sun closes as a nudist resort. Glen Eden Sun Club becomes the only AANR-affiliated resort left in Southern California. (source)
The property reopens as Casa Palma, a hotel where clothing is required. (source)
What's left
Where couples can still go
| Resort | Who it's for | Guest rating | Price / night | Rooms | Mood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exotic Dreams Resort | Mixed adults | ★ 2.8 (5) | On request | 40 | Party / lifestyle |
| Mi Kasa Hot Springs | Mixed adults | ★ 4.8 (506) | On request | – | Social |
| Hotel O2 | Mixed adults | – | On request | 20 | Social |
| Sea Mountain Inn | Couples & women | ★ 4.5 (450) | $410–795 | 18 | Party / lifestyle |
| Glen Eden Sun Club | Mixed adults | ★ 4.3 (44) | On request | – | Social |
Why it matters
Booking sites and older guides still list Tuscany Manor and Desert Sun as open, so couples keep planning trips around resorts that no longer exist. We track every listing and re-check it each month. See the current couples shortlist.
Questions
Are there any nudist resorts left in Palm Springs for couples?
Not traditional naturist ones. The Terra Cotta (2019), Tuscany Manor and Desert Sun (2025) have all closed. Exotic Dreams in Warm Sands admits mixed couples but is a lifestyle (swinger) resort. Couples looking for naturism now drive to Desert Hot Springs or to Glen Eden Sun Club.
What happened to Desert Sun Resort?
It was sold in 2024 to Ryan and Rochelle Jaleh, closed as a nudist resort in early 2025 and reopened as Casa Palma, a hotel where clothing is required. Its condominiums next door remain clothing-optional.
Is the Naked Bridge in Palm Springs still there?
Yes. The Lee R. Baxandall Bridge over North Indian Canyon Drive, built in 2003 to link Desert Sun with its condos, was still standing in June 2025.