Best Clothing-Optional (Men-Only) Resorts in Gay Palm Springs
Staying "Gay" (at a gay resort) is optional in Palm Springs – and so is staying in your clothes. So why not experience the freedom of a clothing-optional gaycation in the most liberated, body-positive place on earth for men who love men?
*Updated: March 4, 2025
Staying "Gay" (at a gay resort) is optional in Palm Springs – and so is staying in your clothes. So why not experience the freedom of a clothing-optional gaycation in the most liberated, body-positive place on earth for men who love men?
Never stayed at a clothing optional gay resort before? Are you horrified at the very thought of a clothing-optional experience? I'm guessing the voyeur in you is at least curious about it or you wouldn't be here right now 😉
My advice to you is to just jump right in and stay clothing-optional so you can see for yourself how exhilarating it can be. Keep those boy shorts on for now if you must, but at least check out Inndulge's illuminating video collection of enticing tutorials to help you with your first clothing-optional experience.
Don't worry, I'll wait...
Ok, now that you're SOLD, here the Best Clothing-Optional (Men-Only) Resorts in Gay Palm Springs in our opinion (in alphabetical order)...
Formerly All Worlds (home of "The Maze”), the newly-minted Casa Oliver straddles the line between LA bath house and San Francisco sex club in true Palm Springs fashion. They're located in the heart of the Warm Sands neighborhood, offering day/night passes too if you want to join in on the fun.
The Canyon Club Hotel is the only gay men's resort in Downtown Palm Springs and it's a good choice if you're looking for more affordable rates too. They've got a saltwater pool, 16-man spa, and a garden oasis hedge maze for more secluded fun.
CCBC (Cathedral City Boys’ Club) Resort is the largest clothing optional Gay men’s resort in the Coachella Valley, located in the heart of Cat City. They are open 24/7 with a regular variety of special events, like CUMUNION sex parties and male bonding pop-up events, and even offer day (and night) passes for those who just wanna have a little fun.
Introducing Descanso – the first men’s resort to open in Palm Springs in over ten years. From the the guys who brought us Santiago Resort, it’s a newly reimagined blend of luxurious Hollywood Moderne meets California garden greenery.
In the center of Warm Sands, the Desert Paradise Resort hosts a large saltwater pool, newly expanded jacuzzi spa, steam and sauna rooms, romantic fire pit, and outdoor garden shower. Consider it your paradise in the desert.
Since 1975, El Mirasol Villas has been a destination resort for Gay Men in Palm Springs. Located in the Warm Sands neighborhood, its only blocks away from downtown.
The Hacienda is a popular and stylishly spacious gay resort in the heart of Warm Sands, Palm Springs’ gay Mecca.
25 years strong, Inndulge is a popular clothing-optional resort in Palm Springs, featuring a 12-man 24-hr jacuzzi and a 24-hour heated salt water pool. They've also got an enticing video collection on their website to help you with your first clothing-optional experience.
Santiago Resort is an intimate luxury getaway where gay men can rediscover the bliss of completely giving into the moment. This popular clothing-optional resort has a salt water pool – and for those who have yet to experience a salt water (saline) pool, you're in for real treat.
One of the top Gay Resorts in Palm Springs, the Triangle Inn offers sun-drenched tropical gardens and breathtaking mountain views for any experience – romantic and relaxing to fun and frisky.
From the same guys who brought us Santiago Resort, and the freshly minted Descanso Resort, Twin Palms Resort is the newest kid on the block. It’s a mid-century-made-modern experience draped in luxury and timeless style. And if it's anything like its brothers, it's sure to be a new favorite men’s resort in town.
Vista Grande Resort is a premium clothing optional gay men’s resort in Palm Springs, featuring 2 swimming pools, a hot tub, dry sauna, spacious steam room, and breathtaking waterfalls.
More Gay-Friendly Resources
Is Palm Springs Flirty or Dirty?
Is Palm Springs Flirty or Dirty? The short answer is both (and everything else you can and can't even imagine in between)! Everyone is here in Palm Springs for a good reason. Whether you've decided to retire here, vacation here, live here part-time or full-time, Palm Springs is a treasured destination for so many people. Everyone is here because they want to be – and that's a recipe for people who are a lot more pleasant to be around than the average community. Since gay men are practically the majority here at this point, there's a lot of fun to be had in the modern gay desert…
Is Palm Springs Flirty or Dirty? The short answer is both (and everything else you can and can't even imagine in between)! Read on, boys...
Everyone is here in Palm Springs for a good reason. Whether you've decided to retire here, vacation here, live here part-time or full-time, Palm Springs is a treasured destination for so many people. Everyone is here because they want to be – and that's a recipe for people who are a lot more pleasant to be around than the average community. Since gay men are practically the majority here at this point, there's a lot of fun to be had in the modern gay desert.
When a gay friend comes to Palm Springs for the first time, wondering what to do first, I like to ask, "Do you want something flirty or dirty?" In my experience, there is no third option. Everyone is excited to be here and eager to engage with what makes Palm Springs so special and unique. This inherent openness creates an ever-flirtatious dynamic all around – especially between gay men – that is as harmless as it is enticing.
Everyone flirts in Palm Springs. Drag queens flirt with you during at Ross Mathews Dragtastic Bubbly Brunch at V Wine Lounge. Store clerks flirt with you at GayMart USA as they help you pick out your new swimwear. You can flirt with the other boys in the pool at your clothing-optional resort. You can flirt with your waiter while you're having dinner at Eight4Nine Restaurant & Lounge. You can flirt with your bartenders at Hunters Palm Springs and all the boys along the way when you're barhopping throughout the Arenas District after dinner. And you can even flirt with the baristas at Koffi the next morning.
I've also quickly learned never to assume anything in this town. For instance, it seems to me that if you're a gay couple in Palm Springs, you are in some sort of open relationship unless proven otherwise (at least for the long weekend). That's the line where flirty meets dirty in my book because depending on the "vibe" of things, the new friends you just met 5 minutes ago sitting at the bar at Blackbook (my personal favorite social bar) might just invite you over to their place later that night to enjoy some more cocktails and naked pool time in their salt water saline pool. Did somebody say cock(tails)?
It's just as easy for flirty to go dirty should you choose. Palm Springs has over twenty (20) LGBTQIA+ resorts and guest houses, and at least 14 of them are gay clothing-optional resorts. Some of these clothing-optional resorts also offer day passes for men only, like All Worlds Resort in Palm Springs and CCBC Resort Hotel in Cathedral City (aka "Cat City" as the locals refer to it). Day passes (also available at night) at clothing-optional resorts for men only are the greater Palm Springs version of a gay bathhouse experience.
Of course, there's also some dirty fun to be had on the side here and there, like at the Barracks in Cat City or the Tool Shed in Palm Springs. They both host a variety of themed nights, like "Underwear Night" (Wednesday's at the Barracks and Thursdays at the Tool Shed), where anything goes after enough drinking, flirting, and jock-strap eye-candy everywhere.
So the next time you're here in Palm Springs, do you want it flirty or dirty? I suggest you start with flirty and then see where things go from there. Either way, just get into it. Embrace it. Openness and sex-positivity is the heartbeat of connecting with new people out here. And in a town this vibrant with affluent professionals, creative influencers, and fellow gays from all walks of life, you never know who you're going to meet next and how they might shape your life for the better.
Image by Christian Buehner
So, What's The T?
Why the Palm Springs Guys? The truth (the T) is that we wanted to create the kind of platform we were originally looking for ourselves before we moved here. There are lots of great resources available for all things gay here in Palm Springs, but none of them offered the kind of local flavor and local intel in one place that we were seeking…
*If you’re as obsessed with RuPaul's Drag Race as we are, you already know that 'The T' is another term for 'the Truth.'
If you didn’t know, well, you’re welcome.
Hey, Guys! We are Gregory and Glen (aka the Palm Springs Guys).
Consider us your new local guides to Gay Palm Springs. We’re pretty new to the high desert ourselves, so we invite you to explore the wonders of this Gaytropolis along with us, hand-in-hand (aww).
Why the Palm Springs Guys? The truth (the T) is that we wanted to create the kind of platform we were originally looking for ourselves before we moved here. There are lots of great resources available for all things gay here in Palm Springs, but none of them offered the kind of streamlined local flavor in one place that we were seeking. The Palm Springs Guys is our take on Gay Palm Springs!
While we may be new full-timers here ourselves, we hope our fresh perspective and new discoveries will become your secret weapon to Gay Palm Springs travel and pleasure. We can’t wait to share everything we learn with you along the way – all the hidden gems and the not-to-be-missed – so that you can eat, play, and stay gay here in the greater Palm Springs desert of Southern California.
The best way to follow along is through our What's The T? newsletter (which you can sign up for below)…
Like you, the pandemic served up some serious transitional realness for Glen and I – from Maryland to Marilyn (with a few places in between). If you’re curious to learn more about our backstory, check out our about page.
For now, here's some food for deep thought. After three (3) months in Palm Springs now, we are surrounded by shining examples of pride everywhere we go. Beautiful layers of pride to replace outdated layers of shame.
We’ve come a long way as gay men, but there’s still so much shame we carry in the queer community. That’s why it matters to celebrate who we are. That’s why gay communities that flourish in destinations like Palm Springs are so important – and why destinations like Palm Springs are only baby steps in the right direction in acknowledging generations of shame and struggle.
Glen and I are 40 years old now. We’ve been lucky in both our lives, but we’re finally PROUD to be who we are. We are no longer ashamed – and we’re reminded of that every day out here so far.
Come visit us sometime!
Cheers,
Glen & Gregory, The Palm Springs Guys
😎🌴🍸🏳️🌈⛰🏜
