For years, Black’s Beach, situated beneath the trailhead of Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, has been a place for nudists to congregate, play volleyball and frolic in the waves free of citation. But since a 2009 court case involving Trail 6 of the San Onofre State Beach near San Clemente, local naturists are concerned that nudity at Black’s, located at Torrey Pines State Beach, may become a thing of the past. “Historically, Black’s has always been a free-love area,” said Brian Ketterer, North Sector superintendent for Southern California state beaches. “Of course, that’s always been per word of mouth, but the nudity, bonfires and drum circles down there, they all sort of came about at the same time during the mid-1960s.” Trail 6 was the subject of a complaint involving lewd acts being committed in the beach’s parking lot, said Alex Peabody, a lifeguard and aquatics safety specialist for the California state parks. State courts later ruled that Trail 6 would prohibit nudity, and those in violation could receive a fine or misdemeanor charges — a decision that has The Naturist Society reeling. Allen Baylis, attorney for The Naturist Society, said the ruling at Trail 6 hasn’t changed nudity policies for other San Diego County beaches, but court cases of those who have been cited for misdemeanors could. “The reason we fought so hard to keep clothing optional at Trail 6 was because we knew that if the Department of Parks and Recreation could revoke the nudity policy once, they could do it again,” he said. The fate of other nude state beaches hangs in the balance, and Ketterer said any upcoming court cases could “tip the scales.” “What is ultimately decided in Sacramento will direct what we do here at Black’s,” he said. “But until that happens, we will continue to enforce the Cahill Policy, except for at Trail 6 where nudity is prohibited.” The Cahill Policy, coined for a 1979 memorandum written by former parks and recreation director Russell W. Cahill, has been the official program of enforcement for nudity at California state beaches. It asserts that, unless a private citizen makes an official complaint regarding lewd conduct, beachgoers are allowed to be nude in designated areas. But if a complaint is given, a park official has the authority to ask all nudists to clothe for 24 hours. The Parks and Recreation Department reinforced this 24-hour policy in a 1988 case involving the Western Sunbathing Association. “By prohibiting the activity for the balance of the day,” wrote a parks official to the association. “It is likely that the skinny-dipper and complaining party will not encounter one another again, thus serving the purpose of the ‘Cahill Policy’ in a rational, easily understandable way.” As for Black’s, nudity is only allowed on the Torrey Pines Park portion. The other side of the beach is property of the city, which banned nudity in 1999, said Claudia Kellersch of the Black’s Beach Bares, a La Jolla naturist organization. The Black’s Beach Bares have been a colorful part of La Jolla’s history since the 1980s. From June through September, the Bares enjoy potlucks, volleyball, surf competitions and diving — all in the buff. Kellersch also noted that generations of University of California, San Diego students have used the beach as a respite. “Having the nude beach in their backyard as a place to find peace and quiet was part of being a student,” Kellersch said. And peace and quiet is what the Bares have apparently been accomplishing, according to Ketterer. “Politics aside, the Bare naturists have been very conscientious and good about policing themselves, maintaining boundaries, picking up trash and just being good stewards,” said the beach official. “I think they’ve been good about maintaining it because they have something very special and beautiful that could be taken away from them at any time.”