Ah, the 1970s — the era of The Beatles' breakup, bell bottoms and "Boogie Fever."
It was also the time when folks began baring it all, if they so desired, at St. Tammany Parish's Indian Hills.
Yes, dear reader, in answer to the Curious Louisiana question, "Does Louisiana have a nudist colony?", the answer is, "Yes."
Louisiana's only clothing-optional park for those 18 and older has been in operation for 53 years.
Gottlieb 'the Professor' Kogel, a lifelong nudist from New Orleans, founded Indian Hills in 1971. Kogel, also a magician, often entertained visitors with his tricks.
Gottlieb "the Professor" Kogel opened the nudist compound (and some people's minds) in 1971. Friends say he got the nickname "the Professor" because of a stint as a drafting instructor at Delgado Community College in New Orleans. Adding to his interesting life story, the Crescent City-raised Kogel was also a magician, performing shows in the area for 40-plus years, including for guests at the nudist park. Kogel died in 2010 at the age of 93.
For the answer as to how Indian Hills has managed "Keeping Louisiana Nude Since 1971," as its motto states, we turned to its current manager, Tim Kraemer.
"The previous owner was able to keep it open to many people without pulling too much negative publicity," Kraemer, 44, said. "And I think that's what kind of helped the longevity — is that it has positive publicity amongst the people who enjoy it without having too much negative publicity for those who may have a problem with the idea."
Kraemer's parents, Hilda and Selves Kraemer, managed Indian Hills after Kogel's death until they semi-retired. The couple still lives on the site. Hilda Kraemer was a longtime friend and employee of Kogel's and was granted ownership of the nudist/naturist establishment after his passing. Still a family affair, the Kraemers' daughter Stephanie Lasserre handles the accounting side of the business.
All stays quiet on the nudist front, reports Tim Kraemer.
The sign at the roadway simply says 'Indian Hills.' What lies beyond is Louisiana's only nudist park, located near Slidell.
"No, we don't hear anything really from our neighbors at all. Even when we have live music and stuff, we don't get much complaints that we hear of," he said.
Having enough space to create some distance from neighbors helps. Indian Hills is situated on 55 well-wooded acres off Gause Boulevard West near Slidell. The complex features 45 residential sites. Adding in RV spaces and cabins, there are 107 total rental sites.
Activities for park visitors and residents also include game night on Thursdays, and karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights. These events take place at the Clubhouse, where, in addition to the pool area, nudity is required although towels, wraps and shirts are allowed.Â
Yes, even in this carefree, throw-clothes-to-the-wind environment, there are rules. Here are a few interesting ones:
- No clothing of any kind in pool or hot tub, except a hat.
- No photography; minimize cellphone use and keep stickers (provided) over cameras.
- Sit on a towel always. Never sit bare bottomed anywhere.
- No sexual activity in public areas ever.
That last one is associated with the most common mistaken belief about the whole nudist lifestyle, Tim Kraemer said.
"The biggest misconceptions are kind of around the idea of it being a sexual place, where it's really not. It's a place where people just want to get away with other people and do something different. And not having clothes is something different that they get to do," he explained. "It's just normal people. There's no cultishness to it at all. You know, that's kind of the misconception that people feel like there's some sort of brainwashing, which there definitely is not. Everybody here is different."
The manager added that the few (about 40) people who live at Indian Hills are trying to get away from regular society and the vast majority of people who visit are just looking for a place to go.
Many other visitors are just out for a peaceful day in the sun, taking advantage of the nature trails, swimming and other amenities.
The biggest growth of the park, in 2015-2016, included a remodel of the hot tub, pool and clubhouse areas and adding another lane lined with RV sites.
Park patrons range in age from 18 to 93.
"We have a 93-year-old man who just left, was here for two months," Tim Kraemer said. "Yeah, he comes down from Maine as soon as Christmas is over, spends a month or two with us, and then heads on back."
Apparently, wrinkles are allowed, too.
For rates, complete rules and other info on Indian Hills, visit .
