What are the laws governing nudity in the parks and forest areas of Texas? What about Austin?
Here’s the scoop on laws within our parks and forests. On federal land, nudity is generally not an offense unless there is a specific ordinance written for that particular location (as in Cape Cod National Seashore). The problem is when state and local law enforcement shares jurisdiction within the park. Local laws may then also apply and may restrict nude use. This is the case at Padre Island National Seashore. Depending on where you are along the shoreline, you may be in a county that patrols the beach and may cite nude beach users. Generally this requires a complaint from a third party, but these complaints are sometimes “arranged”. When in the national forests, there is generally no problem with nudity at all, as county deputies just don’t patrol these areas. If the county or local government has no law regarding nudity, it reverts back to the state law, which reads; “A person commits an offense (of indecent exposure) if he exposes his anus or any part of his genitals with intent t
