16 January 2008

Nude Hiking PDX

By coincidence, a combination of a couple old posts on Sellwood Street have generated a bit of traffic searching for "Nude Hiking PDX." Here's an abbreviated Nude Hiking PDX guide for all you folks stumbling across my humble blog.
Oregon is one of the more nudity friendly states, the girls can take their tops off pretty much anytime they want, and if dancing around a pole the full bush can show, even if there's alcohol in the room. That's just how progressive we are in the beaver state.
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As for outdoor nudity, at least with my experiences in Portland, this seems to mostly interest older gay men. We've got the spot for you! Rooster Rock State Park, about a half hour east of Portland in the Columbia River Gorge has a clothing optional beach, although it seems more like a few miles of clothing optional hiking trails, which is cool in its own right. There's plenty of nude beaches, but how many nude hiking trails are there?
My experience while looking for a place to swim at this park was mostly puzzled looks from the naked dudes cruising around looking for other naked dudes, watching my straight clothed friend and I try to find the river, where we actually planned to get nekkid, but walking around in the woods just seemed too uncomfortable and scratchy.
As a gay man, I was fully aware of what we'd stumbled onto, I'm not sure if my straight buddy was, but the adorable idea that that one space we stumbled onto that kinda looked like a spot where a deer had smashed down the grass and made it into a bed was kinda shattered by the condom wrappers strewn about...
Appropriately enough, the name "Rooster Rock" is actually Oregon State Park shorthand for "Cock Rock," the original name of the stone monolith the park is named after.

If actual swimming is your chosen naked activity, as is mine, you'll find Collins Beach more suitable and less creepy. One of my favorite places, out on the north east side of Sauvie Island, quite a trip from the city, but worth it on a hot summer night in Portland. Sure, you're swimming near the end of the Columbia, in the drainage of Idaho, Washington, Oregon and British Columbia, an international slurry of industrial and nuclear waste, Just try not to open your mouth unless you really have to. The water doesn't seem worse than any farm pond I've swam in, actually the water seems surprisingly clean and fresh and cold.
The southern portion of the beach is more family oriented, with volleyball courts and kids running around. I love the pantsed vs unpantsed matches of volleyball here. Hilarious!
Head a little farther north down the river and you'll encounter the less family friendly portion of the beach. This is my favorite section of beach, this is where there's more drinking, more small groups spreading out, and a few perverts lurking in the brush. If you see some dude spanking it while looking at you, feel flattered and walk away, no need to confront them. That's how Collins Beach works...
Hope this little tutorial on "Naked Hiking PDX" has been helpful.

5 comments:

Ding said...

Your straight buddy knew what was up after stumbling upon the first pair of cuddling, wrinkly men still sweaty in post coital pillow talk. As a rule, I try to keep my daily viewing of old-man penis to a minimum, but I suppose sometimes it can't be helped. I still wonder if there's an actual beach to be found there.

Slammin' Sam said...

thanks for the tips ;)

DropTheSoap said...

I've been to "cock rock" but will have to try Collins beach based on your review, sounds way more interesting. I hope I see you there, woof!

Anonymous said...

The "beach" at Rooster Rock varies greatly with the water level. Mid-June 2017, it was just the bank, about maybe ten feet. August's lower levels last year were much better.

Anonymous said...

The hetero part is available once the dam flow and river level drop, check later, like June, but optimally July through October. Instead of staying ironically 'strait' at the foot of the access slope, turn left shortly after you reach the bottom- in April 2024 you can already walk about five minutes then turn right and follow the wide path to the shore, as I did on April 20th. By July for sure you will be stunned by the beauty and you will see the mix of non-sexual hetero couples and friends of both orientations hanging out you were hoping for. The main area out there isn't about hooking up; it's an AANR- friendly family friendly area for worshipping the sun and special times with friends- think a TV commercial vs a gay porn photo shoot. To really appreciate the beauty of the place, wait until July; after you kick up some water in the Columbia hike along the shore Eastward all the way to the end of the 'island'. Even more powerful in early October when warm winds caress you coming from the east and most of the usual folks aren't around anymore, and you're all alone out there as dusk approaches, listening to a train passing on the Washington side or a Harley heading East into the night.