Happy & Free: Should We Resurrect The Old Mays Landing, NJ Nudist Resort?

Do you know about Sunshine Park?

Long-time Atlantic County residents surely know about the nudist resort that once called Mays Landing home. Multiple sources report that the resort was founded in the 1930s by a man named Isley Boone. Mr. Boone was, as shocking as these facts may be to some people, a minister, who bought into the naturalist movement sweeping through the nation during that time.

Boone was so passionate about the movement and the property that he even published a magazine called 'The Nudist'. According to the Mays Landing Yesteryear Facebook page run by the Township of Hamilton Historical Society, the magazine would later go on to be called 'Sunshine and Health.'

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Folks who preferred to live life "freely" would flock to the resort nestled along the Great Egg Harbor River to enjoy a getaway where they'd swim, fish, hike, etc. all while living the way they wanted to - clothing-free. Believe it or not, the resort was deemed a "family-friendly" place to get away. You'd even see ladies who worked in various shows in Atlantic City occasionally at the resort working on their tans.

The park would eventually close in the early 1980s due to cited health violations, but it's wild to think that South Jersey's little corner of the world was once home to what was referred to as "America's Leading Nudist Community".