Nude Fun Walking and Hiking

“The best dress for walking is nakedness.” - Colin Fletcher

“Nude hiking is freedom and the ultimate way to experience nature.” – John

“You get out to experience nature, right? Well get out there as natural as you can. Feel the sun and breezes on the largest sensory organ on the human body . . . the skin.” – Rick

“People can enjoy hiking clothed, but freehikers know firsthand that doing so naked makes the experience quantitatively and qualitatively superior in every way.” – Mark Storey

“The first written account of a European climbing a mountain merely for pleasure appears to be by Petrarch in 1336. Why was such an account so long in coming? Historians . . . have missed the point. People didn't climb mountains for fun because so few of them thought to do it Nude!” – www.bodyfreedom.org

For me a solo nude hike in a remote forest is a spiritual experience. It renews my soul and fills me with joy.” – Alan

I love everything about hiking nude – the feeling, the exercise, the beauty, and how it has fixed my head. Nude hiking has become such a wonderful, freeing experience that I call it freehiking. Every time I go for a freehike I'm more and more convinced of how enjoyable and good and right and wonderfully beneficial naturism, and especially freehiking, is for my life.

It’s wonderful to experience nature as you hike, and freehiking makes the link to nature so much stronger. Freehiking is really a spiritual experience, made more interesting and enjoyable when shared with good friends. I’ve made so many close, really life-long friends hiking nude.

Freehiking motivates me to me to exercise, bringing together so many positive feelings and motivations – the feel of sun and air on my body, the cooling as sweat evaporates, the visual beauty and interest of being one with nature, the aerobic beating of my heart. I love freehiking, so I easily get the exercise I need.

The freehiking experience defies simple description; it must be enjoyed first-hand. I've never heard of anyone saying they tried naked hiking and regretted or disliked it! It is addictive, but it is the most healthy addiction possible.

So how does someone get started freehiking? As mentioned, I was always interested in being naked, but didn’t understand how freeing and healthy it could be until I read a story on the Internet about a person who enjoyed freehiking. I decided to try it. I found a private area up a canyon, took off my clothes, and took a hike. Life has never been the same!

Here’s an account about how freehiking happened to Cheef:

“. . . it started raining while I was hiking, and in no time at all I was soaked. My heavy, soaking wet blue jeans soon began chafing my inner thighs as I walked. I doubted I would meet anyone in the rain, so I removed the jeans and hiked nude. . . When the rain quit, I just kept hiking nude. It dawned on me that the day before had been Labor day and I had only seen one hiker after leaving the road. The odds of meeting someone the next several days were minimal. I just decided I would do without the clothes for the rest of the week, which I did. I only dressed when I got within sight of the road. Ever since then, I have been hooked on nude hiking.”

Cheef and I are not alone. Many people enjoy freehiking as can be seen from the many quotes that follow:

“I enjoy hiking in the nude, free and feeling whole with Nature, the Earth and the Sky. It’s an overwhelming feeling of joy.” - Palm Springs Nudist

“Nothing beats the freedom of walking naked in the open air, unencumbered by the restrictive grip of clothing. Nothing. Not even gravity. I felt like a kid again.” – Tracy Issacs

“I personally enjoy hiking nude. It's a magnificent, often spiritual experience communing with nature in my natural state. . . To commune with nature in my natural state was such a transcendent experience that doubt just melted away. I discovered how ‘blind’ I had been before, smothering almost my entire organ of touch with clothing. Hiking clothed was like hiking with my hands over my eyes and peeking through little slits between my fingers. Feeling nature on every square inch of my body was exquisite. I craved the touch of the wind where it had never touched me before. I could sense the slightest change in temperature. The connection I felt with nature was palpable.” – Marty

“There's no way to explain it [freehiking] until you experience it. . . It's not about being lewd and crude and all that. It's just enjoyment.” - Andrew W.
“This summer I was able to go for a nude hike for a couple of miles at Cedar Trails in Ohio. My wife and I wandered through the woods and around a meadow for well over an hour, completely free and out of sight of people and signs of civilization. Until you have experienced freehiking you cannot appreciate the comfort of not having sweaty clothes clinging to your body.” – Nudiarist

“I have thought about this for awhile, looking for a way to express how I feel about hiking, the outdoors and being naked. . . I have often thought that there is a spiritual feeling from being in nature. . . I often feel that connection when I am alone in the woods. . . Being naked . . . just comfortable shoes and your true self to connect with nature and your God.” – Nude Walker

“When we first arrived [at Mountain Air Nudist Resort, Colorado] I was very nervous, and actually went into the bathroom to remove my clothes, and then persuaded my husband to go on a hike with me. We went on a hike, and I was in paradise. I loved every minute of it, and it gave me time with just him to become comfortable being naked in public, though we did pass people by the pool, and on the way to the trails.” – Texas Woman

“I have hiked nude in Yosemite National Park and it was great. I found a small waterfall and got in - something I have always wanted to do. The sun on my body and the cold water was so fantastic. Just below the falls the water pooled and I was able to soak up the experience. I hike nude whenever the opportunity comes up.” – John

“My favorite is hiking in the rain. The feeling of the cool random raindrops is unlike any other. After shedding the clothing, it's not long before it feels completely normal. The worst thing about the entire experience is knowing it has to end. I dread that time of having to get dressed.” – jcg

“I have been fortunate enough to freehike at Ohio's Cedar Trials, which has 5 miles of paths, and after feeling the freedom of not having sweaty clothes clinging to my skin, and feeling the cool breeze instead, I think it's weird that anyone would ever want to hike wearing textiles.” – The Political Naturist

“I am an avid nude hiker, and this most naturally healthy pursuit has forced me to seek out the unbeaten paths of the Sierra and the Big Sur mountains near my home. . . any true wilderness devotee would appreciate humanity's natural state, which is to be nude in the wilds.” - Jeffrey

“Been freehiking for a couple of years. Nothing more enjoyable than the freedom of enjoying the great outdoors with nothing inhibiting all the sensations the environment has to offer. The fact that I have also lost 30 lbs. is a bonus (not including the clothes). I highly recommend it to all hiking enthusiasts.” – dodger

“Freehiking is great. I don't mind hiking clothed if it’s cold; but if it is warm, the clothing has to go!” – yogaman

“I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in the 2009 Naked European Walking Tour . . . The first day we climbed more than 1100 meters . . . We pitched camp amid cows and horses at a high pasture area called Angeralm, and for the next three days we did naked dayhikes from there to various peaks and passes. . . The wildflowers, including the deep blue gentian, were in full bloom. . . the days were all sunny and warm, perfect for naturist hiking. It was absolutely great.” – Milt

“For me there is no greater recreation activity then walking nude in the sunshine through a forest and meadow . . . You can't get this with clothes on. I stood there eyes closed slowly breathing the pine-scented air, sun warming my body . . . with a gentle warm breeze wafting up from the ground around my legs swirling around my body as if mother nature were giving me a wonderful hug. I looked at my body, the body of a lone creature contrasted against the granite, ground, wildflowers, and trees of this area. I felt dwarfed by such a magnificent spectacle as all the worldly stress of everyday life melted away in insignificance compared to such beauty. Thank you God for this moment and day.” - Jay

“I remember my first freehike in Utah just a few years ago, and how amazing it felt to the have the sun on my skin, and being at one with the earth. I went with a group I didn't know very well, but that's the thing about being nude together, it's easier to get to know each other and be real. We all have this unique thing in common. I had so much fun and have been freehiking ever since!” - Namaste Naturist

“I enjoy . . . hiking in the nude. Be warned it is addicting. It feels so great to be a part of nature this way.” - Steve

“I live in the desert near Palm Springs where I hike naked more than I do with clothes on. There's plenty of empty desert where I never encounter another hiker. It's more comfortable to hike naked in hot weather and I don't get tan lines.” - Ron

“[My wife] shares my interest in hiking, so we've done that a lot together. At one point on one of our hikes together near Provo, UT, I decided to be funny, and when I was a bit behind her on the trail, I slipped off the bottom half of my clothes and caught back up to her, just to see her reaction. She laughed, but told me not to put them back on. Later, we went off the trail a bit, and we both shed our clothes and just enjoyed the feel of the sun and wind on our skin.” - Cori

“I've had the joy of walking through a forest nude, feeling the spongy ground under my feet and the forest air kissing my skin. My husband and I strolled nude down the Hamma Hamma River in Washington.” - Crystal

“Nothing feels better that getting out in nature and getting nude and taking a hike. This year I have done away with the backpack and have a camo side pack that goes over my shoulder and a water bottle attached. When I hike I go during weekdays when most folks are at work or school.” - Gabare

“I belong to a naturist walking group . . . where I can enjoy discrete naked hikes in the wonder of God's Creation - this is simply just awesome!” - Ceci

“I had a great naked hiking and camping experience last weekend at the Arizona (Ringbolt) Hot Springs, downstream from Hoover Dam. . . There were three of us, a 62 year old woman, a 46 year old man, and me, a 59 year old man. . . We hiked in nude from the highway to the river (about 2 miles), then along the river to our camp spot below the main beach and camping area. We encountered several groups along the way, but as usual, our nudity was not a problem. . . We spent the weekend getting in and out of the cold river, hiking to and soaking in the pools, and just generally hanging out in a beautiful area.” – Canyon Hawk

“I think I am definitely going to do all the summits nude! I love the experience of dropping the pack by the trail, and running up to the peak naked! . . . I'm sure there are many more nude summits in my future.” – Eric

“. . . there is a resort near Jacumba, CA that is clothing optional. . . I parked my car and with shoes, a walking stick, and water bottle headed up into the hills above the resort and out into the desert. . . The trail system is a mixture of footpaths, old jeep trails and dry sandy washes that cut into the granite creating a meandering path through the oddly shaped rock . . . Walking nude so far from my clothes felt wonderful. I soaked in the sun and breeze totally.” - Jay

“The weather has improved enough to get back out to the desert. . . it is desolate and the terrain appears harsh at times from a distance. I think it is only when you walk amongst it that the beauty and thriving life is evident if you’re open to it and being naked your whole body is open.” - Jay

“I went yesterday to our nature reserve, stripped, took of everything . . . including watch, glasses, shoes, socks, the lot. . . and went off, for a two hour hike. . . there is no better way to experience complete freedom, to experience nature in all it glory, just you the way you are supposed to be, with God and his creation. You don’t see the animals, but the sounds of so many creatures are all around you. The rustling of the wind in the trees, a gently cool breeze stroking your skin. . . moonlight which gives everything that special, spooky is the wrong word, appearance. I don’t know how to describe it, but it is fantastic.” - Habakukrsa

“Naked Hiker Day was a blast! I hiked from about nine in the morning to four in the afternoon completely in the nude! What an awesome day! It was sunny, sunny, sunny! . . . Hiking along the cool drafts of breeze felt wonderful all along my totally exposed body. The warm rays of the sun were free to hit along skin rarely exposed to the sun, creating wonderful large amounts of vitamin D reserves for the winter! . . . The day ended with lively conversations around a campfire at beautiful Chicken Spring Lake.” – Eric

[Why hike nude?] “There’s not much to discuss. It’s freedom. First, freedom in your head; then, freedom of the body.” - Konrad H.

“I find that being nude has a real benefit when it comes to hiking, it`s sooooo much more practical and comfortable, than having restrictive clothes that make you all hot and sweaty and chafing, plus you can do it in lower temps, when just hanging out sunbathing nude would be too chilly.” - Phil

“Freehiking brings one closer to nature, and the Creator, than is otherwise possible. Clothed, I feel like an observer of nature. Naked, I am a part of nature.” - Paul

“I love to be out in nature, the way God intended me, without a scrap of clothing, so that I can feel the sun, and, if it`s not too cold, the gentle wind. I really feel close to God and nature, when I am naked in nature.” - Jonathon

“There was a time that I used to laugh at the idea of nude hiking . . . I remember seeing photos of a nude hike posted at Valley View hot springs in Colorado (they were wearing only their hiking boots and backpacks), and I thought it was the goofiest thing I had ever seen. But since then I've been hiking on various occasions without my sweaty clothes on. It makes so much practical sense, and is far more comfortable . . . I've taken a real liking to it.” – Alan P.

“I used to hate hiking; when I would go hiking I would get exhausted, thirsty, and sweaty - it was simply a miserable experience. When I tried hiking nude I found it to be liberating and exhilarating, the feeling of walking, climbing, the sun, the wind and the feeling of freedom is amazing.” – Nude Explorer

“I found my overall experience hiking [the Deep Creek Hot Springs] trail to be fantastic! It was only a matter of getting out and openly doing it. To allow myself to be cloaked solely by God's created skin. To experience the natural way my body was meant to feel and witness the elements; and touch with harmony the inherited latent gene in the mind which validates all the senses when the body is purely in accordance with the way our early ancestors hunted and lived for thousands of years. This experience has opened a whole new dimension in hiking for me. It felt so good, so relaxing, and so very natural.” – Deep Creek Hot Springs Freehiker

“You’re more a part of the world when you’re not wearing a whole bunch of clothing. It connects you to the wilderness so much. You get up in the high country, in the tundra, and have a light breeze blowing, and it’s absolutely magical.” – George W.

“My wife and I are keen naked bush walkers. We have hiked many extreme tours (naked) all over Australia and the World. Our absolute favourite area is the Northwest of Western Australia. . . It is paradise on Earth. We climbed the second highest mountain in WA [naked] and spent many days in Wittenoom Gorge, Bee Gorge and the Karijini Gorges (also naked) - one of the most stunning places we've seen . . .” - karijini49

“. . . when freehiking . . . I almost always have a chance to meditate, a chance to converse with myself, with those I'm with, and with God, and a chance to feel a part of that which is around me. On every freehike we also try to take a moment for a contemplative and thankful prayer, and at the end of the hike, thanks and a hug for those who have graced us with their presence. I can think of few things more enjoyable.” - Nkdmn N Cps

“I feel connected to the natural world around me more when I am nude with nothing standing between me and the environment. . . For me it is very nearly a religious experience. I feel closer to my version of The Creator when I am nude in nature. I am a part of this wonderful world, another being sharing that space with the wild creatures that live there. I find my senses are more heightened. I feel and sense things more. My eyes are keener and my hearing sharper. I feel the breeze and the rain on my skin, or the sun. I am enveloped by the surrounding nature. I go out in nature to recharge my batteries, to renew my soul, and to scrub off the layers of crud that living in civilization tends to put on you. . . My memories of these hikes sustain me when I am cooped up in my civilized world. I savor these memories and look forward to the next hike to rejuvenate my soul.” - NudeAl

“Last year I started on a lifelong wish to do overnight hiking. I started with a three day hike around the southern tip of our state . . . I had a wonderful time. Went with a number of Christian friends. . . Have you tried nude hiking? It is the best!” - Alfie

“I love to hike naked and take several hikes each week during the summer, and once or twice a month in the winter, when the weather cooperates. When I get to one of my trailheads and take off my clothes and stand naked again, it's like my body breathes a sigh of relief at being cooped up in clothes since the last hike.” – BillBill

“. . . think of hiking naked as skinny dipping, not in the water, but in the breeze. There are few experiences that match the cleansing that occurs when one has an opportunity to peel off all of the layers of civilization . . . I feel blessed to have been allowed to experience in person, a special place of beauty and peace in my life.” – Dan

“I may not be in big wilderness . . . But the creek in my city has many deer, raccoons, skunks, foxes, birds, etc., and I have seen many of these wonderful creatures during my naked walks around the creek. . . My nude walks usually start about Midnight and I often end up noticing the coming of a new day when the sun starts to rise about 5- 5:30 am.” – Aqui Zinaga

“There is nothing better than communing with nature dressed as nature intended. A 5K nude walk in open countryside is just what the doctor ordered for de-stressing.” - Pete

“. . . when you are nude and have managed to not take along too many things, you can practically float along the trail. Not just smooth, flat trails but any trail. You can manage pretty well by leaving more things behind. It might be minimalist but it is also primativist . . . And it's more fun - but mainly because you're naked.” – Blue Train

“I have a strong appreciation for the ‘nature’ in ‘natur-ism.’ Being naked in a rustic environment is like a vitamin for me. I can get by day to day without it, but eventually it ‘catches up’ to me and I have to get out and get natural in the woods. Long leisurely walks in the nude where possible are delightful.” - Van

“Here in Charleston, South Carolina . . . Anne and I went to a secluded island . . . Leaving our clothes in a safe place, taking only a small satchel with supplies, we decided to go for a long hike through the forest, along the marsh, and hopefully explore a beach on the other side of the island we'd not ventured to before. Hiking nude is different because your body must physically navigate variable terrain. . . Seeing your partner's body perform the work of climbing, stepping, hopping, walking, and balancing is a completely different experience. . . The length of the hike, the hours spent far away from our clothes, and the exhilaration of experiencing our bodies and the natural terrain without clothing are what made that fall day so amazing and memorable to us both. I highly recommend . . . hiking nude.” – Christopher & Anne

But what if you run into someone when you’re freehiking? Won’t the clothed person get upset? Won’t you get arrested? Surprisingly, no, few people get upset, and getting arrested is very unlikely.

It’s not a bad idea to take along a loose cover-up like shorts, or a light kilt, or a long t-shirt to slip on if you hear someone coming. But sometimes you don’t hear people coming – they just appear. And it looks guilty and stupid to start jumping around trying to get dressed. In fact, the person may totally misunderstand your intentions if you jump naked into the brush at the side of the trail. My experience is that it’s better to just say nude, say something like: ‘Hi, hot day isn’t it’, and keep walking, or perhaps even stop to talk if the person is interested.

For instance, on one freehike I encountered a woman on a horse (you seldom hear a horse before it’s too late to dress). As she rode past we exchanged greetings. She said how nice it was that the rain had finally stopped, and how green the area was. I asked if I could take her photo - she agreed. She didn’t mention my nudity and didn’t seem embarrassed or upset at all.

Many other freehikers have had similar experiences meeting clothed people:

“I spent two days hiking nude in a California State Park. The only person I saw was a ranger that drove by on a back road; he just waved and kept going. . . A nude hike to a backcountry lake for a swim is the only way to go!” – Anonymous

“I’ve met people on the trail several times while hiking nude. Most just nod, say hello, maybe giggle a bit, then move on. And I ran into one woman once who, when she saw me, said, ‘I wish I had the guts to do that.’ I told her, ‘Why not?’ She thought about it a minute, then just took her clothes off. We hiked along together for about a half-hour.” - Rusty Stevens

“A great day was had on Mt. Martha. About 5 hours of naked hiking with my dog. Heard one couple so I called out, ‘Naked hiker coming.’ They smiled and agreed it was a hot day and kept on going. I finished hiking both summits, meeting no one until I was almost at the base. I looked up and suddenly saw a lady in front of me. She smiled. Asked a question about the trail. Never mentioned my nudity. We talked for about 5 minutes and I stayed naked to the trails end near the parking lot.” - Mike

“. . . my wife wanted to go for a hike. . . About 1 mile in on an old unused trail . . . My wife stopped . . . The next thing I knew she was naked. Well, I joined her. . . My wife was right, great fun, super feeling of freedom and my skin loved the sun and wind . . . The leaves were red, orange, yellow and falling with the wind. It was so natural . . . After a while we turned around and there were two couples just staring at us. . . We just said hi and I said why not join in. Believe it or not the women got naked and joined and then the men. The day continued, with all six of us naked hikers and with no loss for conversation. I guess this friendship will last a long time. . . This was a great day to remember . . .” - Bear

“I was in Yosemite National Park a few Springs ago . . . a beautiful day, sunny and looking to get warm . . . by the time I got to the top of the falls it was mid-morning and I reckoned this was about the place that most tourists stop, take their pics and head back for home. . . I wondered if I dared risk taking off my clothes. . . But I hadn't seen anyone for a while so I reckoned I should just give it a go. No sooner had I got my clothes off then I heard steps behind me. A woman with her young daughter were walking up the path behind me . . . I got the shock of my life but did my best to keep my cool and told them I hoped I hadn't startled them. She . . . suggested . . . that my clothes might have got soaked in the spray of the waterfall on the way up. . . She even said they had taken their own clothes off through that part . . . Then off they went. . . I can't have been going for more than a few minutes when I heard someone else behind me! No time to cover up, so I turned to brazen it out. It was a female park ranger! Now I was really busted! But she wished me good morning with nothing more than a smile... and a warning that she was about to meet a bunch of teenagers waiting round the next bend and I might want to cover up. . . from that point on, for the next five or six hours, I walked up and back along the valley trail, completely nude, without meeting a single person. . . I'm very grateful to the two women I bumped into for being so chilled and not scaring me out of my first proper hike!” - Greystoke

“. . . in Maine and Vermont where on remote trails my clothes are more often than not, packed away and unavailable. . . attitude is everything. It didn't take me too long hiking naked in different contexts, and encountering numerous people over time, to personally feel no difference between being dressed or undressed, in such situations. In my mind, I am simply another hiker using the trail and this projects. Most everyone I meet accepts me that way, totally. Any question of ‘lewdness’ is instantly dispelled under such circumstances. I have had many pleasant trailside conversations during such chance meetings. . . I have gone from starting a hike textile to hiking naked within the first mile, with some of my coworkers. They were not expecting it, yet settled into it very quickly, remarking that they were surprised at how natural, it appeared for me to be so, thus encouraging them to feel the same about the experience.” – FreewalkerMA

“I kept wondering what other hikers would say if they saw me hiking nude. . . after rounding a blind curve on the trail and having no time to cover up, there was a couple coming at me. I said hi . . . The guy looked surprised but said hello and the girl looked me over and smiled. I felt relieved again that people just didn't seem to care I was hiking nude. . . So, down the trail I went. I came across about 30 hikers on the way out with no negative reactions that I could sense except for a few surprised looks. The interactions were much the same as if I was hiking 'normal' - most people said hi and some passed by with no reaction. Two females hiking together stopped and talked to me about my dog for a bit and didn't mention my nudity, then wandered on. . . I'd guess that around 400 hikers have seen me in 8 years of nude hiking . . . The positive reactions have been numerous and have been subtle as smiles, to verbal comments like ‘Alright!’ or ‘I wish I had the guts to do that’ . . . I came across a lone female hiker who said ‘I've got to tell my husband about this!’ She told me she had always wanted to hike nude, but couldn't get her husband to do it and didn't feel safe hiking nude alone being female. . . I was hanging out nude at my favorite spot . . . when a female and her two male companions came down the side trail to where I was. They could see I was nude, but didn't seem to care. . . She said, ‘Alright, that's what we should be doing!’ [I] started on my way down. I turned back and noticed they had stopped and she was removing her clothes! It felt good that I had inspired someone else to try nude hiking!” - Steve

“I suspect clothed hikers totally approve of seeing the freedom expressed in a fellow hiker having the balls to hike nude and do what something inside them wishes they were doing themselves.” - Deep Creek Hot Springs Freehiker

Sunning, swimming, and otherwise being outdoors nude is wonderful, but freehiking is an altogether different experience. Freehiking is a unique blend of satisfaction, for a longer period of time, and over much more terrain. Comfortable footwear is required - I like low socks and tennis shoes. Water, snacks, sun or insect cream, and a compass are helpful, along with a hat and a camera if you like. By definition, clothes are usually left far behind when freehiking, except for a loose cover-up that can be easily carried. Depending on how far you decide to go, freehiking can be a lengthy and thrilling commitment, with heightened exhilaration. Freehiking is definitely fun.

“You know; it’s not rude to bathe in the nude, in the shower, a spa or the bath. Well out in the scrub, I walk in the nude; so I ‘bathe in the breeze’ on the path!” – Luis Cortes

“In recent years, it has become fashionable for a growing number of Swiss and some foreigners to wander in the Alps clad in little more than hiking shoes and sun screen. Last summer, the number of nude hikers increased to such an extent that the hills often seemed alive with the sound of everything but the swish of trousers. . . in Switzerland there is no law against hiking in the nude.” – John T.

“German naturists will soon have their own 18-km (11-mile) long trail for hiking in the nude . . . Heinz Ludwig, who runs a nearby campsite, has led the project to create the nudist trail that meanders up and down the Harz mountain range in central Germany . . . between the village of Dankerode and the Wippertal Dam. . . The trail is being marked with special signs warning the uninitiated that they could encounter nude hikers. ‘If you don't want to see people with nothing on then you should refrain from moving on!’, reads one warning sign.” - Caroline C.

“We were born to be walkers. Other forms of life creep, crawl, hop, leap, bound, gallop, swim or fly - but humans walk - and many of us find it to be a great delight. A regular schedule of walking boosts mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health. It can lower high blood pressure, keep arteries healthy, relieve tension and anxiety and calm a troubled mind. Walking is the exercise that needs no gym. It is the prescription without medicine, a tranquilizer without a pill, weight control without a diet, therapy without a psychoanalyst, and a vacation that doesn't cost a penny. If we were born to be walkers we were also born naked so we were born to be naturist walkers.” - adapted from a piece by Dr. Dale E. Turner

“If two of the main purposes of hiking is to dive into nature and to experience the exhilaration of one’s physicality, clothing is obviously an obstacle.” - Jim C. Cunningham

“I have become an unabashed advocate of nude hiking. I've been day hiking and backpacking all my adult life, but when I started doing it nude a few years ago, I was changed forever. . . Try it . . . you'll like it.” – Mark Storey

“I lost my wilderness when I lost my fear. . . Once you lose your 'sense of wilderness' you gain something much more precious - the sense of existing as a part of the natural world. This is not something that ends when you come out of the woods. It's a life lesson . . . It's about experiencing nature in a direct way, and it's also about experiencing yourself in a direct way after you've removed your masks and set aside your filters of preconception. . . What makes wilderness natural is the fact that you are immersed in the natural world. Once you put clothing on in a deep woods spot, you aren't part of the wilderness anymore, you are in direct touch with civilization. You are wearing a mask that protects you not just physically, but also mentally from the wilderness.” - Shane

“You haven’t lived until you’ve hiked naked! . . . Hiking nude may be the ultimate experience of freedom. Nothing between you and the air allows you to totally relax and become one with the environment.” – InternationalNudist

“Amazing what a naked walk will do to recalibrate one's sanity barometer.” - FreewalkerMA

Why Hike Naked?

"For people who have already experienced an entirely natural walk in the woods, the question, "Why hike without any clothes on?", is easily answered. . . Clothing is just a mask . . . By wearing clothing in the wilderness we're staying in the car and looking out the glass. We aren't experiencing our animal nature directly. Wearing a bathing suit in the middle of nowhere when nobody else is around is what I call the 'civilization reflex'. By wearing clothes, you deny that your body is part of the natural environment, and you can't hack pure nature. . . There are two ways that clothing conflicts with our experience of nature. The first way is the fact that an anchor of civilization (otherwise known as 'civilization infrastructure') has come with us into the wild. Clothing isn't always critical gear . . . It allows the wearer to separate himself from the natural state of wilderness. What makes wilderness natural is the fact that you are immersed in the natural world. Once you put clothing on in a deep woods spot, you aren't part of the wilderness anymore, you are in direct touch with civilization. You are wearing a mask that protects you not just physically, but also mentally from the wilderness. Hence, through your actions you have broken the idea of wilderness and cannot experience it directly. It's as though you're sitting in a car, eating a burger, and drinking a coke while parked at a scenic overlook and looking out the window at the scenery. . . second and more important . . . When you elect to wear clothing when unnecessary in the environment, you unwittingly tell the world (and yourself in a subliminal way) that a sense of nature is a problem for you that you need to overcome. The natural world as it exists isn't really what you like and you need to counter nature's reality by introducing something to shield and comfort - and this is the important part - not your body, but your mind. This is a kind of sabotage of the direct experience - like the bars on the cages at a zoo. . . Getting out for a walk and a little recreation is great, but shouldn't we be trying to get more out of our experience in nature? To go higher and entertain greater goals? I like my walks to be a more sophisticated venture where the type of recreation and its effect both mentally, spiritually, and environmentally are considered in order to produce an outcome. I like my walks to take me somewhere special, not just out and back again through some kind of tree museum. To have a full understanding of nature and your part in it, you have to understand that it is there for much more than just recreation. It is, in fact, your natural habitat. The habitat of the animal of man. . . NO, I don't expect you to go exposing yourself all over the countryside. . . Some discretion is warranted . . . You must use some sense in all of this and understand what you're reaching for." - Shane - http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/hiking/sections/naked/bodymind.htm

I couldn't agree more!

Ken

12 Tips for "Hiking Naked" by Mark Storey

"I have become an unabashed advocate of nude hiking. I've been day hiking and backpacking all my adult life, but when I started doing it nude a few years ago, I was changed forever. There is not much that can beat the physical and psychological satisfaction of hiking nude up a long, hot, sunny alpine trail, of finding an icy, glacier-fed lake, of quickly jumping in, of leaping out even faster, of bragging to any Gray Jay that will listen of your superhuman ability to withstand the most Arctic of water temperatures, and of baking dry on a nearby flat piece of warm granite. Such activities were meant to be enjoyed nude, and I encourage all men and women to experience them." - Mark Storey

From 12 Tips for "Hiking Naked" by Mark Storey: http://www.bodyfreedom.org/guide/essays/hiking.html

Winter Freehiking

"We had a nice snowfall followed by a warming trend so I could not pass up a trip to the farm. . . So on a bright sunny day while there was still snow cover a trip and walk was in order. I hesitate to call it a hike because there was not much distance involved and it was still a little cold to spend outside naked for long. So after a drive where the uniform of the day were coveralls, hiking boots, hat and sunglasses I quickly lost the coveralls at the farmhouse and began to explore. Since we haven't really had much of a winter the pond only had a light covering of ice with bare spots at the inflow and outflows, much of the old roadways had melted in the sun leaving a muddy trail. . . So for a little over an hour I walked back and forth from the truck to different areas I wished to see in winter. Not wanting to get dressed again I reluctantly pulled the coveralls on again since the return trip would mean passing buses as school was about to be dismissed. My apologies for not being able to describe a full on hike but even a short period of naked outside time was enough to lift my spirits. Hopefully, some others of you also." - NudeWalker

Nude walker expresses well the desire to freehike even when the weather is cold. I've enjoyed freehiking in the snow, and as long as the sun is out it's easy to get used to hiking naked with temperatures in the upper 30s.

Has anyone else experienced winter freehiking?

Ken

Merry Christmas Outdoors

Christmas is nearly here; is yours going to be white?

If so, maybe these photos of people camping and hiking and having fun while being naked outdoors will inspire you to think about warmer days to come: http://imageevent.com/kenandjane/freehiking

PJ and I wish you all a Merry Chhristmas and Happy Holidays.

Ken

NASWE Anyone?

In a previous blog I asked “Why don’t we have a NAWK (Naked American Walking Tour)?”

This would be much like the NEWT (Nude European Walking Tour).

One reason is it would have to be named NAWT not NAWK, and NAWT sounds like it can’t be done.

But I was serious in asking that question.

Let’s dream for a moment.

Because it would be held in America, it would have to be less open than the European version (that’s just how American culture is) so it couldn’t very easily be a “tour”. But it easily could be a naked campout with a series of freehikes in a remote area of a beautiful wilderness destination.

For example, would anyone attend if the nude camp and freehike were along the rim of the Grand Canyon?

I know of an area where that is entirely possible.

Logistic-wise, those who attend from far away could fly into Las Vegas and enjoy a few interesting days before being picked up for a three hour ride to the campsite. (Perhaps some attendees would enjoy riding naked during this part of the event – entirely possible in this more remote area of the US.) Some might rent a car and visit other nearby red-rock attractions like Zion National Park or Bryce Canyon National Park after the camp/freehike.

Whichever, attendees would spend a week camping nude and freehiking and photographing the fabulously scenic Grand Canyon.

As far as a name goes, maybe it could be named the NASWE (Nude American Southwest Experience). (Any suggestions for a better name/acronym?) It could be held at a different location each year. The Grand Canyon would just be first.

Perhaps next June would be a good time?

What do you think? Would you attend?

2011 Naked European Walking Tour

Video of day five of the 2011 Naked European Walking Tour: http://dai.ly/nKqSss

Wow, beautiful scenery. It looks like lots of fun with many smiling faces, at least until the authorities showed up. (They seemed to be understanding.) The hike seems to have grown a lot larger.

I hope PJ and I can attend next year. It will be held the first week in July: Sunday 1st July to Saturday 7th July 2012, in the Austrian Alps south of Munich. To register your interest (and to join the mailing list) simply send an email to Rich at: newt.2012@naktiv.net . PJ and I registered.

Anyone know if English only speakers get along okay?

Anyone else interested in going along with us? We’ll keep everyone informed.

Ken

PS – Why don’t we have a NAWK (Naked American Walking Tour)? It would have to be less open than the European version, but there's no reason it couldn't take place. We’d certainly attend.

PPS - A more detailed review of the planned NEWT hike can be found at http://www.naktiv.net/newt/plan-english.html

One Last Freehike - Photos

I came to understand that I was a naturist as I began freehiking. I suspect a person can't fully appreciate naturism until he or she tries freehiking - a nudist, maybe, but not a naturist. It's a type of conversion - the feel of the elements around your entire body is simply amazing.

The freehiking season is nearing the end (except for those of us crazy enough to freehike in winter - one winter I freehiked 18 times in January), but it's not too late to get in one more freehike before the snow flies.

Here are some photos of people freehiking that might inspire you to take that one more freehike(http://imageevent.com/kenandjane/freehiking), or perhaps even your first. If you do, I promise you'll love it.

Is anyone with me?

Ken

Austrian Skinnyhike Report

"I drove from Munich to Warth, Vorarlberg in Austria, on the Sunday afternoon with Polly . . . The day dawned blue and we set off from the Hochkrumbachpass at 10:00 towards the Widdersteinhuette. I quickly stripped off my t-shirt + shorts and we were heading steadily up the slope towards the hut above when two middle-aged women came trundling down and passed us with a minimal exchange of good cheer. Another walker, and more uphill, and after an hour or so, Polly and I reached the traversing trail from the hut which goes along the base of the soaring cliffs of the Widderstein above us. Here we had a stupendous view of the Salopaner ski region, a remote lake and mild forests tucked away on the other side of the valley.

We met our first "Gormley", a metal man built and installed by the British Artist Anthony Gormley who specialises in placing these "installations" in interesting positions around the globe. He has a naked man on Waterloo bridge, and several in the Vorarlberg region. We were going to "pick up" a few on our way around the high traversing trail which snuck under the steep cliffs above, and wended it's way to the end of the ridge, a Gormley half-way along the flat path below, and another on the shoulder of the ridge ahead of us.

Two more walkers, one descending from the Widderstein itself. We saw a number of mountain gophers, or Murmel-Tier to the locals, or heard their high pitched peep-peeping, as we approached their dry holes in the ground.

Polly went tear-arsing after them, and of course they nipped under ground just before she got too close. I managed to stop her a couple of times with a well-timed "Frisbee" distraction call. I managed to get quite close to one particular gopher for the camera.

We strode on, with Polly taking a dip in a snow lake and the opportunity for a refreshing drink. Another couple, and a small family, and an exchange of pleasantries, before I headed across the valley to the ridge on the opposite side.

One more Gormley, right on the shoulder again, where I broke my camera trying to get a clever shot of us, Polly, the Gormley and I, by precariously balancing my camera on top of my rucksack, on a loose and rocky slope... with predictable consequences.

Walking along the ridge was simply gorgeous, a view down to Schroecken on one side and across to the Braunarlspitze massife, the Widderstein behind us, and all around huge rocks pushing their way up through the mountainous turf, a gentle breeze to accompany the bright warm sunshine at 2000m.

We kept along the narrow ridge, passing two male walkers, another couple, and finally a man and two fairly mature ladies. The first lady exclaimed with a smile when she saw me: "my goodness, a naked man - what are we two 'jungfrauen', (young girls, implying maidens/virgins), to do - we have never seen such a thing!" I had to laugh, and they passed with otherwise good grace, but who knows what they made of the equally naked metal Gormley they were about to encounter on the cusp of the ridge we were all walking along.

I reached the top of the Hoeferspitze (2131m) at approx 13:00 and time for a short lunch break. At the actual summit was the customary cross and sign-in book, and an appallingly high number of what appeared to be bloated flying ants, so we tucked down on the windy side for a bite.

The views were glorious, the position serene, but when one's walking, one has to keep moving. Polly and I set off to retrace our steps along the ridge back to the last Gormley (which the maidens would have passed quite recently), and then followed the brow of the hill more or less back to where I'd parked the car, just off-road (to avoid paying the fees for the vast ski-car-park at the pass. Returning to the B&B for an early shower I stayed the night as I was a tad dehydrated from the high sunshine, and exertions of the day." - Rich

Bumping Into People While Hiking Naked

The following great freehiking advice is reposted from hikingnaked.com:

"It has been my practice over several years to continue naked as if it was as normal as hiking clothed. My theory is that the more often people see naked bodies and nothing bad happens, the less uptight they are about seeing naked bodies. When some majority of people have occasionally seen naked people and it becomes "ho hum" then being naked will not be shocking or illegal.

Over the years I must have encountered a couple hundred clothed people while hiking naked. Most of the time I just "howdy" them as I walk past naked. Reactions are mixed.

One woman who was sitting to rest as I came past said, "I wish I could do that." I stopped to chat and she explained that I looked so free she wished she was brave enough to take her clothes off.

Three women walking the other way through a large open field moved about 10 yards off the trail so as not to pass too close. They didn't say anything.

Two teenage men held their tongues until my wife and I had turned a corner and then made crude teenage comments to each other.

Most clothed hikers just respond with a "Good morning" or some such greeting much as they would for a clothed hiker.

If I look "guilty" and embarrassed and lurch into a cover then I'm guilty and embarrassed and ought to have been covered. If I'm confident and naked and project normalcy while naked then I'm usually accepted as a version of normal. Its important to PLAN to act naked and normal, or you will have to figure out what to do when suddenly confronted and it won't work out very well.

Having fun naked" - Bob Knows

The Question - To Cover Up or Not

Here are interesting thoughts from two freehikers about covering up when encountering textiles on the trail. Does anyone else have advice about covering up?

Ken

Thoughts by Milt: Except when hiking in very remote and little-used areas, I usually carry a pair of shorts in my hand as I walk. When I get wind of textiles approaching, I turn around (since buttocks are seen as somehow less offensive than genitals) and quickly slip on my shorts. This is easy enough for me since I hike in sport sandals rather than heavy boots, but loose-fitting shorts should even work with boots. Most times when I'm hiking alone, I am fast enough that the approaching textiles don't realize that I was nude, but even if they do realize it, they don't react strongly and respond appropriately when I turn back around and give them a cheery hello. Whatever may have been "wrong" in their minds has been quickly "righted" and they are not terribly offended.

Recently, however, I went walking in the woods with no shorts or anything else, and unfortunately got lost and ended up out on a road where I encountered a woman walking her dog. I explained, as I asked for directions, that I was terribly lost and had intended to stay on private property, and apologized for any offense, but it seems not to have worked because she later called the police (according to a newspaper account of the police log). How I wish I had had my shorts in my hand that time.

Some naturists argue that one shouldn't rush to cover up when surprised by textiles because it implies that we were doing something wrong. In fact, according to the laws in most jurisdictions, and in the opinion of the vast majority of textiles, hiking nude is in fact "doing something wrong." Dressing quickly minimizes the sense on the part of the textiles that something is wrong or even sinister.

Sometimes the encounter happens so quickly that you can't put on shorts. Whether to scramble to cover up minimally at that point depends, for me, on whether there are children, older women, etc etc. It is a judgment call.

Lately I've been hiking with groups of naturists, several of whom are not prepared to dress quickly if approached by textiles. That changes the dynamic -- unless all get dressed, there seems no point in anyone getting dressed, and perhaps then it is best for all to brazen it out as though part of some unusual hiking club.

Lee's Thoughts: I have managed to avoid nearly all encounters entirely in recent years, and very much by design, but remarkably I did have one a couple of weeks ago. It was on a trail that I've considered "safe", sufficiently safe that I've taken groups there. . . I was walking along carrying my wrap . . . and was rounding a corner in a very shaded/dark canyon bend in the trail. As I looked forward I thought I saw something that seemed out of place, but I couldn't see it well enough to identify it. Once I got probably within about 10 feet that "something" said "hi". Since I couldn't see much, or gauge reaction, I decided to stop and put my wrap on (presumably right in front of whoever it was). As I walked toward them and into the shadow, I realized it was an older guy (Dad, I'd guess) and two young boys (sons I'd guess). I followed my philosophy of making the best of it and greeted them warmly after putting on my wrap and walking right by them, and to which Dad (presumably) responded quite warmly. One of the sons (presumably) was laughing. Still, I just went with it. I worry about the legal ramifications, but I'm surely not embarrassed by it. I think stopping like that and putting on the wrap sends the message that I'm both not there to shock them and I'm also not scared of my own naked shadow. Hopefully that gets realized. There usually isn't a lot of time to try to make a positive out of the encounters. I carried on my way and hoped they wouldn't get my license plate (which given everything, they might could have, but I have no idea what direction they were even going on the trail, since they were just laying down in the shade on the side of it). Nothing came of it, so I guess it ended okay. In fact, I'd say considering, that "Dad" seemed surprisingly unbothered.

A Good Way To Spread Freehiking

Isn't the power of example interesting. Perhaps if more of us were less concerned about being seen freehikng, others would join in as shown by the following example. Has anyone else been able to share freehiking by being seen?

Ken

“I saw a guy hiking nude a couple weeks ago on a popular trail here in Altadena, California which I regularly frequent. I was hiking back down close to evening on a weekday and saw a nude hiker and said "Hey buddy I've been thinking of trying that myself" but kept walking because for some reason I was a little shy. But it was the truth I had been reading about it and wanting to try it for months now. So the very next day I hiked about halfway up the trail and disrobed. Just my luck less than probably a minute after I started walking again two young couples are coming down the trail at me. I was thinking uh oh but kept my cool and one of the girls giggled a little but the guys didn't look really thrilled about it. I said hello and moved on and came across another couple with much the same reaction. So I have gone naked hiking on the same trail like three times since last week all during the week mid-afternoon to evening. . . the only way to change people's opinions of doing this is for textile hikers to see it more often and I agree. I will go out of my way to avoid families and weekend hikers though.” - NaturalHikingDude

Montana Freehiking Encounter & Lesson

I've also learned this same lesson about not over-reacting when encountering others while freehiking. How about you?

Ken

“We strapped on our water-packs and headlamps for a night hike. The moon was rising bright as we walked down the road chatting. We hadn’t gotten too far when we realized there was a silver truck behind us about 200 feet on the sharp turn of the road. We scattered like naked chickens looking for cover with no good hiding place. The woman passed with her hand to the side of her face to block the view this naked man who inadvertently was moving in her direction. After the disruption of our peaceful walk, the conversation turned to the appearance of the truck. We decide that we should have just moved the road a bit and waited for them to pass. The run and hide act was a clear statement of being in the wrong. . . By the time we reached the valley meadow it was night. . . We lost the trail so we turned back hiking up the somewhat steep mountain slope. Never once turning our lamps on to see the trail, because of the bright clear moon light. It was a glorious clear starry night. Once back at camp we sat for a while and talked while looking at the stars until it got too cold. . . My flight response is quite strong and I don't like encountering automobiles when I'm nude because I can't communicate with the passengers, nor can I discern anything about the age and gender of the occupants. So, when we were surprised by a pickup stealthily rounding the bend in the road behind us, we both took off into the woods like frightened deer. It was, we quickly discovered, a quite stupid move as there were no trees or underbrush to hide our naked bodies - at least nothing nearby. We must of looked comical to the driver as we scrambled for cover, but judging from the hand she held to the side of her face, she didn't find much humor in the situation. Oh, well....there was a valuable lesson in the encounter for us hikers. Next time, we decided, we'd step to the side of the road, continue walking, and give a polite nod and brief wave as the auto passes - just as if walking along the road in the nude is the most natural thing in the world - because, really, it is.” - Beltcreek

Freehiking Photos

Here are a number of photos I've collected over the past few years that help show just how wonderful freehiking can be - alone or with a group: http://imageevent.com/kenandjane/freehiking?n=0

South Dakota Freehike

Can one find a place to freehike in the mid-west? I did today!

Over the last few weeks, PJ and I have traveled from Southern California, through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and Nebraska – driving nude most of the way - and have reached Arlington, South Dakota, where we have been visiting a daughter and grandchildren. It’s been fun visiting those we love, and yesterday I helped put in their garden – clothed – oh well.

Today I had some free time since PJ and driven into Sioux Falls to help another daughter, so I decided to walk along the roads to pick asparagus. I didn’t find any, but several miles out of town I came upon a nice wooded section of land bordering a large corn field, cut down to just brown stubs from last season. It looked just too inviting, so I decided it was time for a freehike.

I stepped through the woods, stripped, and wandered naked along the edge of the cornfield for about 15 minutes until the wooded area neared the road and petered out. Hiking nude outdoors always feels so wonderfully freeing – I guess that’s way it’s called freehiking. I walked back to where I’d started, and dressed, prepared to return to town.

On the way back I noticed a dirt road that passed through extensive, stubbled cornfields. Walking down this detour I realized that the land rolled, leaving shallow valleys in the fields through which one could walk without being seen. It was time for another, longer freehike.

I walked far enough down the dirt road so I couldn’t be seen from the main road, except perhaps from afar. At a shallow valley in a field I stepped off the dirt road, again stripped to my brown, naked and natural self, and hiked out into the open field. The day was clear, the sun warmed my skin, the temperature was just right for freehiking, and a nice breeze constantly brushed against my entire bare body. No bothersome bugs. It was soooo natural and wonderful to be freehiking once again.

Along the way I jumped up rabbits, ducks, pheasants, and even a white-tailed deer. Experiencing and observing nature is such an integral aspect of freehiking.

Occasionally, I’d reach a rise in the land and see a truck pass by on the distant road, so far away that it would be impossible for the driver to see that I was as naked as God made me, hiking through the corn fields.

As I neared town, just when I had about decided to get dressed, I came upon a marshy area that diverted me away from town a little way. That turned out to be fortunate. I stayed naked.

Eventually, I reached a row of trees, four wide, that been planted by a business on the edge of town, so I just continued walking naked through the trees until I was only 25 yards from the first road in town. It was finally time to get dressed again.

As I returned to our daughter’s house, it felt so very good knowing that I had enjoyed an hour freehiking through the flat cornfields of South Dakota, and to realize that with just a little care, one can enjoy the love of freehiking nearly anywhere.

Ken

Meeting Others & Freehiking in Colorado

Here's a great report about meeting people and how accepting they can be of freehiking.

Ken

"I went into an area to hike on a Tuesday. It was up in Colorado, the trail head was about 1 hour from a city so I knew I could hike naked the whole day.

I got to the trail head and there was an older couple a woman and two dogs. I got out and was getting ready and the man came up and saw my plates from another state and started talking. They hike the trail a lot and the woman was their daughter, they were getting ready and they invited me to go with them. I declined and all three of them said I should come with them. I asked them how they felt about nudity, they kind of looked at me funny. I then explained free hiking and that was what I was planning on doing. The man said no problem. I said the women need to decide. So off they walked to their car and talked and came back and said it wouldn't bother them.

So I stripped down and off we went. The older man said he would like to try it and also stripped down as we were hiking; his wife kind of giggled a little.

Their daughter said she was going to stop for a minute and would catch up. She showed back up with her top off. We kept hiking and a little later she again said she would catch up, this time she caught up naked.

Her and her father were talking about how great it felt and couldn't believe how it felt. Mom kept all of her clothes on. They said they would do it again and Mom said she was to embarrassed to do it in front of strangers but she wanted to strip also." - jamaccl

White Sands Naked

The end of March, we (Ken and PJ) enjoyed a road trip from El Paso where we were working, to southern New Mexico. We visited a number of interesting areas around Alamagorsa, NM, but the most enjoyable place by far was White Sands National Monument (http://www.nps.gov/whsa/index.htm). White Sands sits at the base of desert mountains. The sand is made from Gypsum, the stuff from which sheet rock is made. Over the millennia gypsum crystals that were created in a lake at the southern end of this area had broken down to form a soft white sand, that was then blown into over 250 miles of vast, sandy-white dunes. Very little vegetation grows in this sand. And unlike beach sand, it doesn’t stick to the body at all.

So, it was March, the time of the year when there were few visitors, and the weather was warm – what were two naturists to do but park, take off into the dunes, and get naked. Freehiking has always been Ken’s passion, and PJ loves the experience of being nude in nature as well - it was a joyous time sharing some naked time together in the white sand.

Ken got naked immediately after cresting the first sand dune twenty-five yards from the car. We dropped into a valley and followed it between the dunes where a little grass (dry this time of the year) and an occasional yucca cactus had survived. After perhaps a quarter mile we reached the base of a steep, colossal dune. Here PJ decided she had to get nude as well – creating nude sand angels and posing for a few memorable photos, including her signature pose – legs spread, arms extended to the sky, shot from behind. We have many photos of her signature pose, taken at locations across the country. (See photos at http://imageevent.com/kenandjane/whitesands?n=0&z=2&c=4&x=0&m=24&w=0&p=0 ).

From there, we freehiked the dunes together for some time, looking back on occasion to be sure we didn’t get lost (something that would be so easy to do in the vast dunes of sand). Looking back at one point we noticed a couple standing on the crest of a distant dune. They looked as small as ants, so there was no way they could tell we were enjoying a freehike - no concern. It wouldn’t really have mattered to us anyway. We don’t like to shock others with our nudity; we’re not exhibitionists, but we are unashamed naturists and are not really embarrassed by being naked around textiles. One sure sign of true, experienced naturists is that they proudly and openly share with friends, family, and people they meet that they prefer living nude as God intended.

Woman Freehikes in Oregon

Nude hiking in Oregon is at best challenging. Not because you can’t find a great location but because the weather discourages it. I am a warm weather hiker and it had been awhile since experiencing the joy and freedom of a nude hike. . . I accidently found a very large BLM land park. . . around 10 am I entered the park and kept my eyes open for footprints in the sand. The only ones I spotted were a set of human and dog prints going in and returning out. So I felt fairly secure that I had the park to myself. . . I was able to spend almost two hours nude hiking. It was if the sun decided to give me a gift. The sand dunes blocked the coast wind and it was wonderful. Every once in awhile I would be at the top of a dune and the wind was strong and chilly. The silence of being there was a gift in itself. The blue sky and sunshine were like an added gift that I did not take for granted. . . this time of the year I long for nude camping in the mountains, hiking the trails, and ending the day soaking in some hot springs. . . Incredible that there is a place in Oregon where one can be nude, hike and be alone. One of Oregon's treasures for sure. I hike a lot in the national forest but this hike is one of my favorites - no people, no dogs, no noise and no litter.” - Shirley

Saddle Mountain Freehike

On our way back from Texas, PJ and I stopped and stayed overnight at Casablanca’s place in Tonopah, AZ. We had the chance to meet Bill and Camilla briefly, talked for some time with a young man new to naturism who lived there, and enjoyed the guest house. A few other naturists lived there, but we met only Ajo, a 70 year old naturist who agreed to guide me on a freehike of Saddle Mountain, and that hike made the entire visit worthwhile.

Saddle Mountain rises steeply from the barren desert only a few miles south from the Tonopah freeway exit. The dramatic mountain is easily seen from the road. The dirt road to the mountain can certainly be accessed by car. The area offers hours and hours of scenic freehiking territory.

Ajo and I got nude where we parked the truck, and took some shorts along in case we ran into other people (something I’ve nearly got out of the habit of doing since living at Olive Dell Ranch).

First, we freehiked up a small hill to visit a memorial site. Along the way we observed a natural arch – Indian Eye – and checked a geocache. The wind and sun on our naked bodies felt sooo nice, and views of the surrounding desert from the top were breathtaking.

Then we descended into the valley below and freehiked along the base of the higher mountains. Along the way we crossed several washes, and saw flowers, cactus, a ancient Indian grinding rock with a wonderful petroglyph on the side – probably a ceremonial site – and even a rattlesnake.

Although we could have spent many additional hours hiking nude in these mountains, by lunchtime it was time to return to meet up with PJ so we could get back home. As always, it was difficult to get dressed, but that didn’t last long. Soon PJ and I were driving nude down the freeway, two comfortable naturists driving to our home in California.

If you ever find yourself driving between Phoenix and Southern California, I highly recommend a stop to hike Saddle Mountain. (Photos of this freehike can be seen at http://imageevent.com/kenandjane/saddlemountainhike .)

Group Freehiking/Skinnydipping

Freehiking and skinnydipping with a group is one of life’s most wonderful, unique experiences. I’ve loved it in the past, and recommend that everyone take the chance to experience it from time to time.

With this in mind, here is a great group freehiking and skinny dipping video by Alex Nackt called Via Bavarica Nudensis Per Pedes - die Nacktwanderung '10 - http://www.vimeo.com/20977904

Ken