Eugene weekly., August 21, 2025, Page 8, Image 8

THE NAKED ISSUE
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WILLAMETTE STREET
Woodfield Station
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M - Sa 9am - 7pm • Su 10am - 6pm
70 W. 29th Ave. Eugene • 541-343-3295
The Willamettans is a
local nudist club that was
officially established in
1953. Hopefully, this will
answer some of your
questions.
BY SAVANNAH BROWN
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8
August 21, 2025
Security, and we have multi-millionaires
and everything in between. And once the
adornments go off , there’s really no way
to tell one from the other, and everybody
just comes and relates as human beings.”
Jaskoski says that it is not uncommon
for people to feel hesitant about the idea
when they fi rst arrive. “Most people have
apprehensions about taking their clothes off
in front of other people they don’t know,”
he says. “Most of that is gone within 10
THE WILLAMETTANS AU NATUREL.
Photo by Don Gustavson
minutes.”
Shirley Gauthier says that in order to
maintain the respect and comfortability
cles of clothing (Bun Marche) and a café,
for everyone, The Willamettans put “a
where the staff is required to be clothed
lot of energy into educating women and
(The Sunshine Cafe), among many other
educating men. We have a ‘women in nude
amenities. It is a clothing-optional retreat,
recreation’ program.”
where the only clothing-prohibited spaces
In the same vein, there are many hard
are the sauna, hot tub and 9-foot-deep
and fast rules and etiquette when it comes
swimming pool (which just happens to
to this club. “Sexual and lewd conduct is
be the most popular spot for the retreat).
a big one,” Jasoski says. “We don’t even
The area is so gorgeous, in fact, that
allow the kind of dancing you see in town.
Jaskoski says last year a young couple
I mean no off ense, but the younger people
visited “looking for a place to host their
and all their twerking? No, we don’t do
wedding. They were not nudists, but some-
that up here.”
body had told them how pretty our grounds
Also, cameras are limited, and photos
were.” He told them The Willamettans
can only be taken in the non-common
would be happy to let them use the space
areas with the expressed permission of
for the wedding, should they decide. “They
everyone around.
chose not to.”
Another big one: Should you decide
The Willamettans operate year-round,
to spend your days in the buff , you must
but when the Willies get chilly, “most of us
make sure to place a towel before you sit
don’t go outside,” Jaskoski says. However,
down anywhere, as you can’t plant your-
“We are not against naked sledding, for
self directly on the furniture without a
the photo opportunity.”
barrier. So long as the rules are followed,
The Willamettans is a 100 percent
“We don’t care what your personal life
member-run co-op, which means the club
is, or who you are,” Jaskoski says. “If you
is entirely upheld by volunteering members
come up here and behave yourself and
(aside from the three paid front-office
pay your fees, you’re going to be treated
staff ). On the wall in the
nicely and treated fairly and
‘Once the
lodge, there is a large list of
respected.”
chores on the bulletin board,
Gauthier fi rst arrived at
adornments go off,
and it is expected that the there’s really no way The Willamettans when she
members (especially the to tell one from the was 22 years old in 1972. She
regular guests) complete
says there’s a saying in the
other, and
them. This means that walk-
nudist community that she
everybody just
ing around, expect to see (or
didn’t believe at fi rst: “It’s
participate in) lots of naked comes and relates as the men that get the women
leaf blowing, landscaping
to come, but it’s the women
human beings.’
and gardening outside, and
who keep them coming back.”
— ALAN JASKOSKI
clothed cooking and coff ee
“Women, I think love it
THE WILLAMETTANS
pouring in the cafe.
so much because we kind
PRESIDENT
Jaskoski says the average
of take a beating in the real
member visits, either camping or renting
world with body acceptance. I don’t know
one of the 121 cabins, for around four days
that I’ve ever had any clothes as comfort-
at a time, but some have bought houses
able as my birthday suit.”
on the property and live there full-time.
It is a long and rigorous application
Rhonda Pratt has been a member for
process to be accepted as a member, which
34 years and has lived permanently on the
includes a full tour and three required
grounds for 25 of them. She bought her
visits (after which you are not welcome
house there 33 years ago and moved in
back if you decide not to apply) and a
with her husband, where she would even-
national criminal background check. Then,
tually raise her children until they grew up.
you undergo a year-long probation period
“As soon as I stepped on these grounds, I
where your behavior and contributions to
knew that I would be here forever. I was
the community are scrutinized and moni-
30 years old.” she says.
tored before you are fi nally voted in.
In terms of making the choice to bare
But when you fi nally do get accepted,
it all, “I think most people would say it’s
you will be free to live your chosen leafl ess
a sense of freedom,” Jaskoski says. “We
lifestyle, deep in the woods past Marcola
all have fl aws and things like that, and
on windy Highway 126, left down Willie
you discover pretty quickly that nobody’s
Way and up the long dirt path.
looking and nobody cares about them.
The Willamettans offi ce is open 10 am to 6 pm
every day 37000 Parsons Creek Road, Springfi eld.
You’ll see a lot more eye contact up here.”
It is part of the American Association for
He points out the inherent equality that
Nude Recreation. For more information visit
comes with nudity. At the retreat, he says
Willamettans.WildApricot.org or call (541) 933-
2809.
members include “people on minimal Social
f you drive through Springfi eld and
onto Highway 126, and then keep driv-
ing, you’ll get to a long, beautiful wind-
ing road. You’ll drive deep into the
western Oregon woods, where the road is
lined thick with beautiful trees that touch
the sky, and there’s a view of not-so-far-
off mountains carved by angels.
If you keep driving down this quiet,
scenic path out past the very small town
of Marcola (population 580), then, hidden
in the trees, you’ll fi nd a very tall wooden
sign that proudly says “WILLIES” in worn,
yellow paint.
If you turn down this road, it might be
hard to turn back.
You’ll drive up a dirt path, and if you’re
using your GPS, it will say “turn left onto
Willie Way.” There, you’ll approach an
old locked farm gate, and you have to
intercom into the offi ce as to why you’re
there. Usually, it will only open for tours
or members.
If you’re so lucky and the gate opens,
you will enter the grounds of the biggest
nudist club in the Pacifi c Northwest. The
Willamettans, or “The Willies,” is about a
25-minute drive from Springfi eld.
“Nudist ‘colony’ is an outdated term,”
says Alan Jaskoski, The Willamettans’
current president and a recreational nudist
of 20 years.
According to historical records, the
club’s original incarnation, Club No. 327,
was fi rst documented in 1948, when 12
people (six couples) from the Corvallis area
regularly met at one of their houses “to
enjoy the benefi ts of nudism.” As member-
ship grew and it became all-ages, they
eventually decided to buy property to
host their lifestyle. In 1953, The Willamet-
tan property past Marcola was acquired.
With over 44 acres of picturesque land
deep in the forest, The Willamettans is
currently home to 450 members each
paying around $300 per year. On these
grounds, members have access to a lodge,
a tennis and bocce ball court, a craft room,
a dog park, a cheap bar with karaoke and
themed events (The Full Moon Saloon),
a gift shop which sells sheer, loose arti-
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