Gaea's website claims it is not a nudist camp, however, many of you seem to go there on a regular basis to be nude. Do you just pay a day fee or do you need to be a member?

Gaea is not a nudist camp - rather - it is a retreat center that is open to all types of views, religous or otherwise. Many also believe it to be a Pagan camp, which it is not.

I believe it is best said to look at the mission statement of Earth Rising, Inc., which is the non-for-profit volunteer board that "oversees" Gaea.

"Mission: The Mission of Earth Rising is to provide a recreational retreat center in a natural setting for the purpose of cultural and spiritual education.

Goals: This Mission will be met through the achievement of certain goals. These goals are:

To encourage the free exchange of ideas, views and experiences.
To promote greater understanding and respect between groups and individuals.
To support ecologically sound practices and land and wildlife conservation in the belief that the Earth and all life are interrelated and interdependent, and that respect for all life is a Universal Mandate.
To provide sanctuary to people who have experienced oppression or discrimination due to their cultural or spiritual practices.


Earth Rising, Inc. is a tax exempt not-for-profit organization under the provisions of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code."

One principal thas generally practiced is not to be judgemental. As such, much of the retreat center is clothing optional, although a few areas genitalia must be covered. There are no members of Gaea and no paid staff although there are caretakers on the land at all times. I would say that it is a community of volunteers who come together with very diverse backgrounds and points of view to support the 168 acres that allow all to enjoy the beauty and energy provided.

There is a public forum on the Gaea website as well as a Yahoo group that is established for the "Friends of Gaea". The website is where to find current info on Gaea, whether camp is open to general admission or a group has rented it entirely for their function. It is maintained by ERI. The Yahoo group is where general discussion occurs from the "friends" of Gaea and is maintained by persons outside the Board.

www.campgaea.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FriendsofGaea/join

I know this is long, but hope it helps. Feel free to contact me should you have any questions. I once was a board member and now am just anyother friend of Gaea.

KC

To answer your question, you do not need to be a member. You just pay a day fee of $5.00. After you enter Gaea, there is a parking lot and small cabin on the left. (Not the guard shack, it's past that.) Enter the cabin, fill out a short form, put $5 in the envelope and put the envelope in the box.

Also note that nudity is not allowed in all parts of Gaea. There are parts of the resort that require clothing because they are viewable from the public road or from adjacent private land. There are also facilities that require clothing because they are resort commons areas. However, there is plenty of space to roam nude. When I was up there in Mid-September for the Sun Run, there were plenty of trails and open fields to walk, and the grounds were well-kept.

I would suggest that you e-mail them before you head up for the first time and ask for a map where nudity is prohibited and carry it along with you. You can also ask any other questions and get the "official scoop" in case they have changed a policy that we aren't aware of yet.

Hope this helps.

Mark (HN Treasurer)

I was at Gaea last Thur & Fri. They have the place in very good shape this spring. The beach is the only thing to be worked on but all of the grasslands are mowed nicely.