The Wanapum Reservoir is a dammed area of the Columbia River where the river is artificially wide—well over a mile wide at some points. The reservoir is located in a sparsely populated desert region of Washington and is roughly halfway between Seattle and Spokane (about 140 miles from each city), and it is also about halfway between Ellensburg and Moses Lake (30-40 miles from either town). The reservoir is perhaps best known as the location of the Gorge Amphitheater, a huge concert venue known for its panoramic views of the river and the mountains. The Gorge has showcased some of the biggest names in rock and roll since it opened in 1985.

There is an area along the reservoir where nudity has long been customary, and authorities do not interfere. The nude beach is on the east side of the reservoir, about 3.5 miles north (as the crow flies) of where Interstate 90 crosses the reservoir via a mile-long bridge. It is often informally referred to as the Vantage Nude Beach, after the name of the small settlement that is just off the west end of the I-90 bridge on the opposite side of the reservoir. The nude beach is accessed from a large parking lot with a boat ramp, and you will be driving south as you enter the lot from its north side. The setting is a flat and mostly treeless riverside area of desert scrub, with cliffs rising up abruptly about 800 feet east of the waterline. The area south of the parking lot tapers into something of a geographic cul-de-sac, and that area is considered the domain of nudists, with a few protocols. There is a line of bushes along the waterline through most of the nude area, but there are a few breaks where there are small beach areas along with various niches amid the bushes.

A trail (drawn in green) begins next to the boat launch and goes south (i.e., the water will be on your right-hand side as you walk along the trail). There is also a gravel road (drawn in orange) a bit farther back from the water that parallels the trail. The gravel road leaves from the parking lot, but it is not open to public vehicular traffic. The land on the other side of the gravel road is private, and even though the property owner is tolerant of nudists, it is best to stay on the river side of the gravel road. About 700 to 800 feet along the trail, you will pass a tall pole, and it is the landmark that is generally regarded as the start of the nude area. Some visitors hike nude all the way from the parking lot, but this should be done with discretion. Keep in mind that textile boaters also use the lot as a launch point, and if there are other people in the lot, wait until you are out of view before disrobing. Another 700 to 800 feet past the pole, the trail will basically merge into the gravel road. Continue south along the road another 300-400 feet, then you will reach a small beach crescent about 250 feet long with a narrow ribbon of sand and pebbles. It is the main beach area (where this placemark is pinpointed).

If you keep walking along the gravel road beyond the crescent beach, in another 1/4 mile or so the road will end at a private camping area that is part of the aforementioned private property. It is okay to be in the area, but you must be an invited guest to stay overnight or drive along the road leading up to it. There is a second beach area next to the camping area. Sometimes the camping area will be empty, but the area is often occupied during summer—sometimes with nudists or nudist-friendly groups and other times with those with more conventional sensibilities. It is best to be a bit discreet about nudity in the private camping area and on the adjacent stretch of beach until you figure out the sensibilities of any campers who are present. Continue south of the camping area and there will be a maze of trails through an open area. Stay toward the water and in about 1,000 feet the land will taper and the cliffs will close in, and you will be below a large scree of rocks. That is about as far as you can go, and that is where the nude beach ends. The total walk from the parking lot to the rock scree at the end of the area is about 0.9 mile.

Because Wanapum Reservoir is not especially close to any major towns and is quite a distance from any cities, it get very limited visitation on weekdays, when the parking lot will likely be mostly empty and there may be just a handful of visitors scattered along the entire expanse of the nude area. Attendance spikes on summer weekends, when visitors come from farther afield—many all the way from the Seattle area. There are vault toilets in the parking lot, but otherwise there are no amenities. While there are some areas of sand near the water, the rest of the beach is rocky. You may want to bring a thick pad for sunbathing. Be sure to pack out your garbage.

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GPS: 46.9947N, 119.9870W

city, county, state, country  George, Grant, Washington, U.S.A.

classification  2 (traditionally nude)

There are 7 placemarks related to this site.