Mystic Oaks (Formerly McConnelville) Closes

This didn't exactly come as a shock. Mystic Oaks is--was--hard to find and overshadowed by nearby Glen Eden.

Decades-old nudist camp closes

March 5, 2007, 03:03 AM

LOS ANGELES, March 4 (UPI) — Mystic Oaks, a nudist camp in Orange County, Calif., is closing its doors after more than 50 years in operation.

The camp was settled serenely among oak, sycamore and pine trees 2,500 feet up in the Cleveland National Forest, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Flora Flo Nilson, 80, who founded and ran the camp with her late ex-husband, blamed a changing culture in which people want all the amenities and conveniences.

At Mystic Oaks, guests often camped out in rustic cottages with no electricity. The camp also offered year-round tennis, volleyball, sunning and swimming to members who paid $400 to

$500 annually.

Nilson, who called the camp quite a religious experience, said that closing Mystic Oaks is not easy, but it is time to move on.

After a divorce that left her with little money, Nilson told the Times that lower membership and less frequent visits by members had, over time, persuaded her to close the refuge.

Copyright © 2007 by United Press International