Glassbar Island is an island at the confluence of two forks of the Willamette River—the Coast Fork and the Middle Fork. This oval-shaped island, about 1/3-mile across from one extreme to the other, is something of an urban oasis. It is about 6 to 7 miles southeast of downtown Eugene and very close to the interstate, but it is tucked away in an area of undeveloped state and county property, and the access is not at all obvious unless you know exactly where to go. The seclusion is heightened by the fact that there is no bridge to the island, so it is necessary to wade through a rivulet to get there. Glassbar Island has a well-established history of nude use. In the past, this island was most commonly known as BRING Beach due to its proximity to the BRING recycle center. However, that name has fallen out of favor now that BRING has relocated a short distance away, which is a potential source of confusion. When the recycle center moved, their parking lot—where nude beach visitors used to park—was closed and barricaded by the county, so it is now necessary to park streetside to get to the island.

A mostly gay naturist advocacy group called Glassbar Island Volunteers (GIV) formed in the mid-00's. This group resurrected the traditional name of the island—Glassbar, and the new name has quickly caught on. This group maintains good relations with the Oregon State Parks Department and helps clean and maintain the area as well as defend its nudity tradition. While public nudity is a violation of a local ordinance, there seems to be no known history of anti-nudity harassment here. See the GIV website for photos of the area and the latest news.

Glassbar has traditionally been visited mostly by gay men, as it still is, but in the years that GIV has provided stewardship of the island, it has attracted a growing following of straight visitors and even occasional families with children. Nudity is acceptable all over the island, which attracts small crowds during the week and larger crowds on warm weekends. The main gathering spot is a grassy beach area on the east side of the island, identifiable by a fire pit and a brightly colored plum tree. This beach area is also the best place for swimming in the shallow river. If you follow the trail around the perimeter of the island, you will make a complete circuit in about 3/4 mile, and there are often nude sunbathers scattered in more secluded grassy areas away from the main beach.

Remember that you have to wade a short distance across a rivulet with slippery rocks at the bottom to get to the island, and that poses a bit of an access challenge. Wear sturdy footwear. The rivulet is usually too high to safely wade across until about the first of May, give or take a few weeks. At that time of year, you may be in water up to your knees. It becomes easier to wade across as spring and summer progresses. If the water is much above your knees, think twice about crossing. The GIV website advises that water over 2.5 feet deep is considered dangerous due to the current.

Glassbar Island Volunteers website

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GPS: 44.0203N, 123.0180W

city, county, state, country  Eugene, Lane, Oregon, U.S.A.

classification  2 (traditionally nude)

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