San Francisco Bay Guardian

Sonoma County

Cazadero

Rating: D

Skinny-dipping holes used by locals dot the landscape around the Russian River town of Cazadero, but they're rimmed by private property and their owners have been doing a pretty good job of running off visitors.

Legal status:Read more »

Elsewhere on Russian River

Rating: CRead more »

The Rocks

Rating: C

Diving off the rocks here can be risky, but that hasn't stopped this little skinnydipping site from growing in popularity. Visitors also like to sunbathe, swim, read, and just relaxed at the sunny nook along the river. If you jump from the rocks, please use caution.

Legal status:

Public access land of private property. See Lower Wohler Bridge for enforcement policy.

How to find it:

Follow the trail from Sunset (see above) downstream about a quarter mile.Read more »

Blanket Beach

Rating: C

Here's a blanket statement: people who don't come early will miss out on using Blanket Beach, where a towel's needed, but clothes aren't. The site is frequently used by nude sunbathers and swimmers in the summer. But, even if it's cold, drop by in the morning or you'll have to go elsewhere. "It's only big enough for a single blanket," says a regular visitor. Best time to visit is weekdays. On weekends, it's often occupied by the first swimsuit-wearing guests who appear -- usually a family or two who wander down the trail from nearby Sunset Beach.Read more »

Odd Fellow's Beach

Rating: C

A little slice of riverbank on the Russian River is awash in controversy, as a verbal tug of war has broken out between free beachers who are trying to establish a nude beachhead on one side of a bridge and a family that says it owns the land on the other side. Read more »

Sunset Beach

Improved directions!

Rating: CRead more »

Upper Wohler Bridge

Improved directions!

Rating: C

Over the last four years, a new clothing-optional riverbank has been emerging just upstream from Lower Wohler Bridge. Only used by handful of locals, it's reported to be in good shape this season, though it has more gravel than the traditional Wohler site. Says Redbeard, a poster on a naturist Internet message board who tries to keep the area clean: "It's worth checking out. It gets good sun throughout the day, yet is very secluded."

Legal status:Read more »