Wreck Beach
Below UBC, Point Grey, Vancouver · Canada
Canada's most famous clothing-optional beach, seven kilometres of shore under the UBC cliffs, official since 1991. The gay end is south of the stairs.
- Status
- Official nude beach
- Crowd
- Gay-popular
- Country
- Canada
- City
- Vancouver
- Water
- Sea
- Rank
- #15 where the boys go
- Best time
- June to September
- Confidence
- High
Find it
49.2585° N, 123.2590° WThe gay end
South of the Trail 6 stairs, the Oasis and Pebble beaches are the gay end. The main beach at the bottom of the stairs is everyone.
Crowd A nude beach for everyone with a gay end everyone knows about. Walk in the direction the guide says and you will find the boys.
Getting there
Bus to UBC, then the Trail 6 stairs (about five hundred steps) down through the forest. Vendors on the sand in summer.
The rules
Official nude beach. Designated by law or by the council. Nudity is allowed and expected on the marked stretch, and nobody will ask you to cover up.
No photos of anyone, sunscreen everywhere, cover up the moment you leave the nude stretch, and go home with the light. It is a beach: sunbathe, swim, talk, flirt. Anything more belongs somewhere private.
Questions people ask
Is Wreck Beach a gay beach?
It has a gay end. South of the Trail 6 stairs, the Oasis and Pebble beaches are the gay end. The main beach at the bottom of the stairs is everyone. Canada's most famous clothing-optional beach, seven kilometres of shore under the UBC cliffs, official since 1991. The gay end is south of the stairs.
Is it legal to be nude at Wreck Beach?
Yes, on the marked stretch. Designated by law or by the council. Nudity is allowed and expected on the marked stretch, and nobody will ask you to cover up.
How do I get to Wreck Beach?
Bus to UBC, then the Trail 6 stairs (about five hundred steps) down through the forest. Vendors on the sand in summer. Best time: June to September.
More in Canada
Method
Status says what the law and the locals allow; crowd says who is on the sand. Both come from gay-travel guides, the national naturist federations and members who were just there, scored on sources, recency, crowd, legal footing and safety. How we rank. Pins mark the beach; the gay end is described above. Last reviewed September 2026.