My husband and I set out one Saturday morning with an uneasy feeling about the task ahead of us. We had hardly heard anything about, and certainly had never been to, a nudist club. The prospect of doing a photo shoot at the club made the butterflies flutter even harder in our stomachs. We eased the tension on the 67mile drive to Oaklake Trails in Depew, Oklahoma by making numerous nudist jokes. In fact, we had told the children the Thursday before that we would be going to a nudist resort to do a photo shoot and the jokes didn’t stop from any of us until our arrival at OLT. The predisposition we had about nudists was that of many Americans…completely ignorant. To many in America, nudity must imply sexuality. The nude body in pop culture is “the forbidden fruit” or to some, just plain grotesque. Most women wont even breastfeed their babies unless they are in a dark room where there is no chance of being seen because according to a well known radio talk show host “no one wants to see that.” Our fear of nudity in an open community caused by a dense attitude about the subject led us to be nervous and jittery. Little did we know that we were about to find one of the only places we could go where respect for others, open-mindedness, and freedom to look and be who you want without fear of ridicule or stares is commonplace.

We arrived at Oaklake early in the afternoon on that Saturday and were greeted in the office with smiles and a little bit of skepticism. We found out very quickly that management is very protective of their members and visitors alike. We had called in advance and made the arrangements to do a story on the resort, but one last session of twenty questions and a contract were necessary to be allowed on the grounds due to the nature of our visit. We were media after all and everyone wanted to be sure we were who we said we were. We were escorted to the pool area by Gary and Brenda Spangler (two people just walking up, fully clothed with an over abundance of camera equipment doesn’t go over to well with nudists.) Brenda let everyone know who we were and what our purpose was, and to my surprise most everyone just went back to their activities without objection of us, or our cameras.

We set up just outside the pool and began photographing a highly animated game of water volleyball. One by one everyone came over to say hello. It was then that I began to question the ideas I had about the club and the nudist lifestyle.

After a couple of hours of shooting around the pool and hot tub, a few members came up and offered to take us out on a tour of the grounds. Oaklake Trails is an extensive retreat with miles of hiking and jogging trails leading to eight lakes and ponds, canyons, and a seasonal waterfall. We were happy to accept. Eight of us loaded up in golf carts and cruised around the beautiful natural scenery as well as some lovely homes and RVs. Most of the members have a residence on the grounds, and surround their homes by gardens and covered decks. Golf carts can access most of these areas, but some are hiking only trails. We stuck to the golf cart. We reached the canyon and waterfall around late afternoon. I was shocked at how large the canyon is. It was truly a very beautiful sight. The canyon stretches out and down and the waterfall comes flowing out at the top. It is a completely natural area, the smooth rocks on the canyon having been formed by the water flowing across the canyon over a great period of time. It was just about sunset, we finally felt calm and the scene complemented us.

Our tour around the lakes and waterfall led us to the gazebo. The gazebo is on a hill on the far east side of the park and overlooks the grounds back to the west. As the sun began to set, the members sat around and visited while we moved here and there trying to do justice to this tranquil place.

A couple of the members informed us that there was a farewell party for two of the members that had lived on the grounds for years. They invited us to the party and gave us directions to Gary and Brenda’s where the party was to be held. We told the group we might stop by. After all, we were there to work.

When we got back to the main grounds it was dark and quiet. We could hear everyone at the festivity across the club. Our work was done. It is easy to see where this was heading. After a days work, what could be better than a dip in the hot tub in nothing but my birthday suit? Absolutely nothing. So, we took the plunge. We threw the business attire to the wind, rinsed off, and hopped in. If you remember the first time you were nude, out in the open, in a warm hot tub on a cool summer night it was fabulous wasn’t it? We didn’t get to stay too long, the hour was late and we had work to do when we got back home.

On the way out we stopped by the gathering at Brenda and Gary’s and told everyone good-bye. As we were leaving the park, I looked down at the two of us and decided that to enter back into the world we might need clothes. We reluctantly buttoned up the shirts and pants. We exited the gate, and the feeling in the car was serene as opposed to the tense consciousness when we arrived.

We discussed for days what it was about the club that made us feel so at ease. Maybe it was the open land, or the beauty of the nature surrounding the club. Apparently others had questions about the growing popularity of nudism as well. “Why is going without clothes becoming so popular today? Maybe people are troubled by the world that the business suit, the military uniform, and the cocktail dress represent. So they rid themselves of these clothes, and relax, temporarily forgetting about their responsibilities and troubles. …There are approximately 25 percent more nudists today than 10 years ago” (Lloyd Garver CBS Broadcasting Inc.). Oaklake Trails is one of the largest land area nudist parks in the United States with rapidly expanding facilities and one of the fastest growing memberships in the country. More than the restraint of clothes, I believe it is the people. Oaklake Trails is a family nudist resort, and the most of the members live on the grounds. They are very tightly nit, and by far the most accepting and openly friendly people I have ever come in contact with in my life. We have revisited Oaklake Trails many times since, and still enjoy the peace and tranquility that the luscious natural surroundings, friendly people, and open minds provide.

Oaklake Trails Naturist Resort is located about 41 miles from Tulsa and 65 miles from Oklahoma City. The communities of Stroud and Bristow, both located within 15 minutes of the Oaklake Trails grounds, offer several motels, locally owned restaurants, all of the typical fast food establishments, many antique stores and numerous other businesses. Other attractions in the nearby cities of Oklahoma City and Tulsa (less than one hour away) include The Oklahoma City National Memorial, The National Cowboy Hall of Fame, The 45th Infantry Division Museum, Frontier City Amusement Park, Remington Park Racetrack, White Water Bay, Big Splash, Kirkpatrick Science and Air Space Museum, Gilcrease Museum, The Will Rogers Memorial, and numerous other attractions including the Tulsa and Oklahoma City Zoos.

Oaklake Trails is affiliated with AANR (American Association for Nude Recreation), The Naturist Society, SWSA (Southwestern Sunbathing Association), and TANR (Trade Association for Nude Recreation).