Silicon Valley Nudist Resort Hits The Market For $32.8 Million

09.11.2023 - 06:37 / forbes.com

Tucked in the rolling hills of Los Gatos, overlooking Silicon Valley, sits a 112-acre nudist resort that predates the tech boom that made the region one of the wealthiest in the world.

Lupin Lodge took over the forested site during the Great Depression after Prohibition shut down a winery. Today, guests flock to the clothing-optional resort to play water volleyball, hike in the buff among the redwoods and sequoias, practice yoga, participate in nude art workshops, and spend the night in glamping-style yurts.

Now, the lodge in the Santa Cruz Mountains is up for sale, with a $32.8 million dollar list price. Whoever purchases the property will decide its fate, including whether it will continue its nearly nine-decade legacy as a nudist resort or if it will be transformed into something else entirely, like a high-tech campus or a winery and lodge.

"Rarely does an opportunity like this come along to purchase a property with such a rich history and endless potential," says Joe Pollifrone Broker Associate Christie's International Real Estate Sereno, the real estate broker representing the sale.

Some other potential options for the estate, according to the release, could include a glamping adventure resort, a wellness retreat, a satellite campus for a college or an equestrian facility. The lodge went on the market in October 2023.

Lori Kay Stout, the current owner and operator, has decided to put the property up for sale saying the idyllic retreat is “more than a naturist club; it’s a canvas for creating something truly remarkable.” Her family has been the stewards of the property for the past 47 years.

Nude travel is a $533 million global industry that includes not just resorts, but also cruises, campgrounds, and hot springs, according to the American Association for Nude Recreation.

The Lupin Lodge got its start not long after nudist nature retreats took off in Europe. Formerly known as the Rock Canyon Lodge, club membership took a hit during World War II when discretionary spending dipped and gas and food were rationed. Coinciding with anti-war movements, women’s liberation, and grassroots environmentalism, the resort saw resurgence again in the late 1960s.

The lodge claims to be the oldest business in the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce. Nightly yurt rates start at $96 a day, and the lodge also has camping and RV sites.

“Lupin is above all an outdoor experience, a perfect place to kick back and enjoy clear mountain air while communing with nature–just far enough from urban civilization to forget about its stresses but close enough for convenient access,” the lodge’s site says.

It’s five miles from downtown Los Gatos and 13 miles south of San Jose, located off of Highway 17 in the Santa Cruz mountains. The