Abbott’s Glen Clothing Optional Resort & Campground
Guest Blog by: Felix Gato
Abbott’s Glen Vermont Nudist Resort Review:
Vermont is the closest thing we have to Spain, a state where nudity is legal everywhere except a few spots where excess enthusiasm in the public square forced local ordinances limiting it.
While there are loads of well-established informal places to just pull over and jump in the river – seems that every river has a road running alongside it – people like to congregate.
One popular spot is Abbott’s Glen Resort conveniently just above the Massachusetts border. We used it as a base during a recent stay and found the place pretty fascinating.
The first thing that struck us was the range of environments within its 55 acres. One flat plain features landscaped expanses, a pond, a wildflower meadow, a garden, an orchard and a four-hole golf course in case nude golfing is on your bucket list.
One afternoon, cattle from a nearby farm came to graze there. Several trails lead into a ravine about as close to virgin growth forest as you can still get in New England and noticeably cooler just a few steps in.
The North River flows through the property with 100 yards or so dammed off for very lazy tubing. Trees hang over the banks on both sides, offering stretches of shade and sometimes some pretty striking cathedral lighting.
Accommodations range from camping to fairly elegant. Balconies are aligned with vistas and a cliff’s-edge glider provides another view to savor.
An outdoor coffee nook and the communal shower share a roof – and a vista. Shouldn’t work but absolutely does. Owners Lindy and Amy are constantly tinkering with this labor of love. They are also serious Vermont foodies, with the daily breakfast and weekend dinners (both optional) never routine.
Nearby Shelburne Falls, MA and Wilmington, VT are small towns that punch above their weight with live music and creative cuisine. For months when textile fatigue is harder to remedy, worth noting that it’s open year round with hot tub and sauna among the amenities.
No need to further rehash what’s on their website: abbottsglen.com
AG also benefits from being a convenient distance to The Ledges, located on a gorgeous stretch of Harriman Resevoir with a small beach and several stone slabs overlooking pristine water.
It’s clothing-optional and hosts a very gregarious crowd on summer weekends. Don’t come without your own provisions, but don’t be surprised if some friendly folks are passing around a tray of whatever they’ve baked.
One could get psyched to bring diving gear and try to find the resevoir’s submerged village, but that impulse will pass.
Elsewhere in VT:
The Cornfield just west of Brattleboro now has some rigamarole for access but is worth the effort if a wide, shallow river behind a chocolate factory appeals to you.
The Punch Bowl near the Mad River in Waitsfield features a chance to jump from a rock into a whirlpool that spins you gently into the shallows, a stunt I wouldn’t try until I saw a three-year old do it. http://www.madrivervalley.com/listing/the-punch-bowl-swimming-hole
Cunningham Cove on popular Lake Willoughby barely survived a legal challenge a few years back but stands as a model for a c/o section coexisting with a textile lake thanks to (pretty scant) natural barriers.
etc.
Images above courtesy of www.abbottsglen.com
This review of Abbott’s Glen Clothing Optional Nudist Resort in Vermont was published by Felicity’s Blog. It was originally published July 2013.
