Shangri-La Ranch is taking off as a place where everyone is comfortable in their own skin
NEW RIVER, Ariz. - We’re getting to the "tail-end" of summer, and it’s been another tough one with record-setting heat that seems determined to stick around.
Arizonans are fighting back with things like shade and sunscreen.
They are necessities if you live your life in the nude.
Naked, but not afraid
The Shangri-La Ranch in New River is a place where residents are naked, but not afraid.
It was created in 1959, built on a patch of dirt.
Now, there are 150 full-time residents who come from as far away as Canada.
It's just like any other RV resort minus the clothes, of course.
Tucked away in the mountain cracks of New River, it's place to strip away your inhibitions and wear your birthday suit 365 days a year.
Tan lines are never a problem
"It is super welcoming and super friendly, and it is much easier to be yourself when you have nothing to hide," said full-time member Kevin "KC" Henkle.
Around the ranch, suns out means buns out, so exposure can be an issue.
Especially in the summer, and even where the sun don’t shine.
So things like shade and sunscreen are bare necessities.
"You do have to be cognizant of sunburns. I did suffer sunburn this summer," said Shangri-La Ranch partner Patty Faber. "That was my bad."
The scenery stays about the same during summer months.
Children are allowed, but it’s mostly a 55-and-older community.
The snowbirds fly home and are replaced by the locals, but you can still see a full-moon in the middle of the day.
"You don’t know whether you’re sitting next to an administrator, a rabbi, a plumber, an electrician, a doctor, a nurse, a teacher; everybody here is the same," Faber said.
After COVID, things really took off
Residents insist that no clothes means freedom and relaxation.
It's a stripping away of society’s social structure.
No pictures or videos, please, and don't forget your junk in the trunk.
"Its completely normal now. I have literally gotten in my truck to go to Walmart and had to stop what I was doing to go. Go get clothes on," Henkle says.
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The year-‘round rule at Shangri-La is don’t do anything you wouldn’t do in front of the kids, or grandma.
After that let it all hang out… and that’s the naked truth!
"There is still gonna be your people who just don’t understand that nudity can be very freeing and relaxing. They all equated with bedroom activity, which is absolutely not what happens around here," Faber says.
After COVID, things really took off in terms of bookings at the resort.
Every weekend is booked and there’s a 5-to-7 year wait list for a full-time site.