See how nudists spend their time at clothing-optional club in Oregon Bayla Orton, Eugene Register-Guard

The Willamettans, a 40-acre, clothing-optional property in Marcola, was established in 1953. The club offers beautiful views and myriad activities for its over 400 members, including frisbee golf, hot tub and pool access, shuffleboard, pickleball courts, a cafe and a bar called the Full Moon Saloon.

“This community has all the advantages and disadvantages of a small town,” Jaskonski said. “Life happens, and many of our members have tragedies and stuff… it’s always your Willy’s friends that show up.”

For the 95th anniversary of the American Association for Nude Recreation, or AANR, organization members traveled from across the country to The Willamettans for meetings and community activities, including a blindfolded golf cart race, in which one rider gives directions to a blinded driver.

Some nudists live on The Willamettans property full time, while others come to visit on weekends. Regardless, community members invest their time into the area and its people. Some run the Craft Shack, others wash everyone’s laundry and others maintain the landscape of over 100 RV sites and tent areas.

Why are people nudists?

Although each individual has their own motivations for naked freedom, many nudists appreciate the lack of status within the community, as well as the diverse group of values, jobs and individuals nudism attracts.

Rhonda Pratt has been a nudist for 35 years, and has lived on The Willamettans property for 26 of them. She and her husband met on the property and raised her kids within the nudist community.

“I live my life naked,” Pratt said. “When you have clothes on, there’s a barrier. And depending on what clothes you are wearing, it sends a social status. Naked, everybody looks the same and you don’t have that. Everybody sees whatever bodily flaws you might have, and nobody cares.”

Will Hanan, one of the youngest Willamettans members at 43, found out about the club after it gained news attention for a world record-breaking, nationwide skinny-dipping event through AANR. A total of 13,674 people simultaneously jumped into bodies of water naked across the country.

“We get groups up here where you can be sitting with Republicans, Democrats, gay people, lesbians, everything under the sun sitting around one picnic table,” Hanan said. “You’re probably not talking about touchy subjects. You’re probably just talking about enjoying life.”

Volunteering and being involved is another motivator for many Willamettans members. Pratt helps with the laundry and works at the Craft Shack full-time. Hanan was tasked with making breakfast and lunch for all those visiting for the annual convention in the Snack Shack.

How has nudism built women’s confidence?

A subset of AANR is Women in Nude Recreation, which empowers women to embrace their bodies as they are and builds community between women nudists, or those who want to be. Although their history is not exact, community members believe it began in 1997.