Honestly, I wanted to figure out what folks meant by gay cruising parks and how someone even finds these places. Heard the term tossed around but wasn’t exactly sure where to start, you know?
Just Plain Google Started It
First thing, I just opened my laptop and went straight to the search bar. Typed in “gay cruising parks near me” and hit enter. Felt kinda basic, but figured it was the obvious first step. Tons of results popped up – forums, weird map sites, some news articles. Scrolled through a bunch. Saw park names and cities mentioned constantly. Wrote down a few spots people kept talking about for my area.
Then I Hit Up Reddit
Remembered Reddit has those specific communities for everything. Searched for “gay cruising” subreddits. Found a couple big ones. Started digging through old posts. People were way more open there, sharing experiences:
- Specific park benches or trails to look out for.
- Busy times (usually late nights or super early mornings).
- Warning signs like unmarked cop cars nearby or sting operations.
- Which dating apps guys used nearby just to confirm park location vibes.
This felt closer to the ground truth, way more real talk than regular search results.
Checked Out the Obvious Hookup Apps
Didn’t wanna actually meet anyone, just needed proof. Opened Grindr and Scruff apps. Made my profile vague, didn’t show face. Zoomed the map view right in on parks I wrote down earlier. Bam. Profiles everywhere hovering right on top of those parks. Guys online right there, profiles saying stuff like “Parking lot, back row” or “Picnic area after dark.” Confirmed it instantly without even leaving my couch. Felt kinda spooky how easy that was.
Put It All Together & Took a Look
Had 3 main spots by then. Drove over during daytime, middle of the week when it’d be quiet. Just acted like a normal guy taking a walk. Honestly? They just looked like regular parks at first glance.
But looking closer?
- Secluded spots: Thick bushes far off trails, isolated parking areas.
- Signs: Weathered flyers mentioning park safety notices pinned up.
- Bathrooms: Locked shut or looked kinda derelict even when park was open.
Saw one guy slowly driving through the parking loop multiple times, not parking. Another guy standing awkwardly off a path, not really walking. Kinda matched what the apps and forums hinted at. Didn’t linger, just observed and left.
So, Yeah, That’s How It Went Down
Worked surprisingly well, honestly. Started with dumb searches, got real talk from Reddit, got instant confirmation from hookup apps, then did the legwork myself to see it for real. Felt like piecing together clues. Whole thing is way more underground than I thought, using normal parks in plain sight. Apps make it stupid easy to pinpoint the spots now, though, that part shocked me most.
