This riverbank nude beach—a band of sand and gravel that extends several hundred feet— is located upstream from Wohler Bridge over the Russian River. This site has endured over the years despite occasional flooding and past hostility from county authorities. Although Sonoma County has an anti-nudity ordinance, it stopped raiding the beach years ago. Today, there is little threat of harassment from authorities and nudity can be practiced safely. The county seems to have settled on a policy of making parking difficult rather than continuing to harass nudists more directly (see the related placemarks for more details). Many visitors now bring bicycles due to the far-flung parking options.

The crowd here is smaller than in past years when parking was easier, but you can still expect several dozen visitors on hot summer days. Most visitors go nude, and the crowd is mostly gay and often all gay. (The Russian River area is a very popular gay resort area.) You may encounter as much or more nudity in the meadow behind the beach as on the beach itself.

The parking situation means you'll probably encounter only nudists or nude-friendly people on land. However, boats and canoes frequently pass by on the river, and, although there have been very few complaints the past few years, any complaints about nudity are likely to originate with people on the water. For that reason, we recommend you use discretion about nudity when watercraft pass by to avoid potential interference. Sheriff's deputies only show up if someone complains.

VISUAL RESOURCES

GPS: 38.5157N, 122.8745W

city, county, state, country  Forestville, Sonoma, California, U.S.A.

classification  2 (traditionally nude)

There are 6 placemarks related to this site.