MX
MXQ123Original Poster
Jun 25, 2013Years ago, nudity at IBSP in Zion was not uncommon, but it had gotten to be a cruising site, and was cracked down on hard (mostly by enforcing the rules about going off trails -- made it harder for honest naturist+naturalist folks like me to get pictures of some of the wildflowers).
Since then, there's always been a contingent of thong-clad men, and other nudity has been rare on the south unit -- I found secluded spots for sunning and discrete skinny-dips right on the beach in the north unit but those have lost their cover as erosion changes the beachfront year by year.
It appears that ranger patrols have been reduced (I'm guessing budget limits, especially with what they've had to spend after the last few years' storm damage). I've started to see a bit more flagrant nudity on the south unit (a topless woman this last sunday, a guy changing into his thong in full view of the beach). Especially further down the beach, it seems an opportunity to start colonizing the place again.
Sundays seem to be my best day to get there -- anyone else want to join me? Walk a mile south of the nature center, you might find me (but without a signal, you won't find me nude -- I'll see you coming).
Since then, there's always been a contingent of thong-clad men, and other nudity has been rare on the south unit -- I found secluded spots for sunning and discrete skinny-dips right on the beach in the north unit but those have lost their cover as erosion changes the beachfront year by year.
It appears that ranger patrols have been reduced (I'm guessing budget limits, especially with what they've had to spend after the last few years' storm damage). I've started to see a bit more flagrant nudity on the south unit (a topless woman this last sunday, a guy changing into his thong in full view of the beach). Especially further down the beach, it seems an opportunity to start colonizing the place again.
Sundays seem to be my best day to get there -- anyone else want to join me? Walk a mile south of the nature center, you might find me (but without a signal, you won't find me nude -- I'll see you coming).
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- SU
May 5, 2016Friday forecast - 75, sunny and light wind from the south - now i have to figure out how i can get some time away.
ReactReply - SUMay 12, 2016Thursday forecast, 72 degrees and partly cloudy but wind from west...ReactReply
- PR
May 24, 2016I went to this park for the first time on Monday. I arrived and it was about 70 degrees but the wind was from the south and it stayed very warm on the sand. I hiked down to the river and met a man in a thong. I went ahead and got naked, and then he did too. Later we were joined by a young guy who also lost his speedo. On two different occasions, two clothed men past us on the way to the other side of the river. A young male/female couple spread their beach towels out within eye shot of us, but they were no problem, and the young lady seemed to have taken her top off. No rangers, no flies and no clouds. A perfect day. Only real problem was that i waited too long to put on my sunscreen. :( The sun was very hot!
ReactReply - NU
Jun 2, 2016Today is the day for my first trip out to the beach this season. I will also be there tomorrow.ReactReply - MXMXQ123Original PosterJun 6, 2016Beautiful day at the beach - weather was about perfect, but biting flies are on the increase. Look for days with wind out of the east to keep the flies down (but it will generally be cooler on those days).
I spotted nudistbicpl's umbrella just past the dead river, and figured that was the right neighborhood so I set down a ways past them... but there was a regular traffic of joggers and walkers preventing total relaxation. The rangers drove by once; no issue with thongs or with being on the beach past the dead river (but stay out of the dunes).ReactReply - MXMXQ123Original PosterJun 11, 2016Where is everybody? There were only a dozen cars in the lot, and nobody even in thongs. Come join me just south of the dead river, although I'm probably out of here by 4.
(later)I never did see any of the usual crowd. Flies were less annoying than last weekend. I picked a spot by the dead river where I could see folks coming from a long way off and cover up, but otherwise spent quite a while soaking up maximum sunshine.
With a day this hot -- and there were nice cool breezes off the lake every once in a while, I'm astounded that it was this empty. There weren't even many muggles (ahem) textiles. I drove past the main beach and it was moderately crowded, but usually there are a lot more people out on the nature center beach.ReactReply - NUJun 11, 2016[quote]I was there last Friday afternoon (6/3/16). Weather was great. The wind was out of the SE, so there was no problem with the flies. Rangers didn't come by, and it looked like they hadn't been by for several days. Lot's of thongs, but no one was totally nude. Spoke to one guy who said he had been ticketed last year for being nude and they told him that they were going to stop ticketing nudists and start arresting them. I hate wearing a thong. I would much rather be nude, but I don't want to be arrested, so I guess I'll be keeping my thong on there.
[/quote]I was there with you Dan. It was an awesome day. No flies, lots of thongs and there was some nudity. The two guys in the "bunker" were nude. The older one and the younger one.ReactReply - MXMXQ123Original PosterJun 26, 2016
Another beautiful Saturday. Water was warm, breeze kept the heat down, but I may have gotten a little crisp. Several guys in thongs on the main section of the Nature Center beach, several without beyond the dead river (including one guy who couldn't take hints that I wasn't chatty).
Only sign of rangers was older tire tracks, but vigilance is essential
ReactReply - NUJun 26, 2016MXQ123, I was out there on Saturday as well. Had my bike with me so I couldn't make it past the dead river. How is it down that way?ReactReply
- PRJun 26, 2016
I didn't realize you "could" go beyond the river. How far? Is it "safer"? I did enjoy my one visit nude without rangers and without flies. Hoping to get back soon.
ReactReply - TH
Jul 3, 2016I'll be there tomorrow with my wife so I won't be able to get any skinny dipping in😕
ReactReply - MXMXQ123Original PosterJul 4, 2016Probably the best weather we've had all season today.Cooler than last weekend, but after about 1PM the clouds were gone, a nice breeze off the lake dismissing the bugs and pushing warm surface water to the shore, the place was a delight.
The main nature center beach was relatively crowded -- a couple folks in thongs, but definitely didn't seem like a good day to let it all hang loose. On the other hand, almost nobody on the north unit. Either walk north from Hosah Park (Zion park district right next to the old power plant), or south from the gate by the Sand Pond in the North Unit. Lots of coves and fallen trees that let you be out of view while seeing folks from a long way off.
Around 5PM I was in the mood for a quick skinny dip, and just that moment a guy arrived a couple hundred yards away with his bicycle. I almost thought he was going to strip off, but he didn't (not sure if my demonstrating the best kind of beach use would have been a positive or negative). I waited him out, and got one last swim in before leaving.
Don't think I'll get back there again tomorrow, but next weekend looks to be another scorcher.
Oh, and try La Poblanita, a new taco joint in the back half of a Mexican bakery. Great tacos al pastor for $1.90, on the west side of Sheridan just south of 27th.ReactReply - MXMXQ123Original PosterJul 11, 2016Another beautiful day on the beach. Morning on the north unit: more people than usual, but still got a lot of sun. While wearing a thong in the quite-warm lake I tried to convince two women to take a swim, but they complained that they didn't have swimsuits. I evidently wasn't convincing enough about them not being necessary.
The south unit nature center beach had average crowds, typical number of guys in the grassy parts of the shore, but no nudity. It was pretty safe past the dead river (one other guy in a thong, a couple in skimpy but not quite thong suits).
Ranger tracks looked old -- I didn't seem them in the couple hours I was there.
Oh, and the taco joint is Los 3 Hermanos - they're just replacing the signs.ReactReply - MXMXQ123Original PosterJul 12, 2016[quote]I was at ibsp on sat AND sun. Beautiful weather and I had my new see thru thong on. I saw some folks but not too many. Did u see me? Tall lean tan backpack. Got a nice blowjob on my way back to car Saturday and was mostly nude around the river on sun[/quote]Possible that I saw you just south of the river, right?
Please keep the sex out of the park. Simple nudity may annoy people, but open sex is likely to result in more patrols and enforcement.ReactReply - MXMXQ123Original PosterJul 20, 2016[quote]They need to go ahead and make a section for nudists. That area is not busy, ao they can use that spot. There are a lot of hidden nudists in upper Illinois and have a nude beach will help bring them and their money to the beach. I'll bet that beach will be crowded if they made that the one nude beach in Illinois.[/quote]Unlikely without a change to the laws.Frankly, I think that it's more likely that we'll see a topless beach in the city of Chicago proper to bring in European (and European-minded) tourists.ReactReply
- KY
Jul 24, 2016[quote]The laws won't change until peoples attitudes change. I don't see that happening any time soon.
Yes, the beach probably would draw larger crowds if there were a nude section, but I doubt that the park service would welcome that. They are so underfunded right now because of the Illinois budget problem, that I doubt that could handle larger crowds. With the limited budget they have right now, they probably like that the park is under utilized.
[/quote]i would be fine with a daily fee to use a nude section of the beach.illinois needs money so fine make a couple of bucks and free up the rangers to do more of what they are suppose to do.it seems the rangers are wasting time chasing topless or nude people around. so charge entrance fee, make money let us enjoy ourselves.....everybody wins!ReactReply - MXMXQ123Original PosterJul 26, 2016[quote]But doesn't our state law say you basically can be nude as long as you aren't being lewd or intending to arouse anyone in the process? I mean, if that weren't the case, our WNBR wouldn't actually have nudity in it, but it's there (and this year, bike cops rode WITH us, so it's not like the city doesn't know what's up) What exactly needs to change? Clearer rules?[/quote]Note: I am not a lawyer, I could be wrong here.
You would seem to be right: http://naturistaction.org/StatesFrames/State_Laws_Frames/Illinois_Laws/body_illinois_laws.html
Zion's law appears to be substantially similar:https://www.municode.com/library/il/zion/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH62OFMIPR_ARTIINGE_S62-23PUIN
However, the State Parks have additional regulations:https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/adrules/documents/17-110.pdf
Section 110.175 Nudity Prohibited It shall be unlawful for any person to sunbathe nude, or expose their genital area in a public place on Department owned or controlled property. (Source: Amended at 24 Ill. Reg. 12556, effective August 7, 2000)
The good news is that this is only a Class B Misdemeanor, which means that three strikes doesn't roll up to be a felony, and it is not considered a sex crime unlike the indecency statute. However, they can still arrest you, kick you out and prohibit you from returning.ReactReply - MXMXQ123Original PosterJul 28, 2016
Dan,Glad to hear the use is picking up. At some point, it'll become a Movement. :)I haven't had a chance to get out there on a weekday in quite some time, or even the last couple weekends... maybe next week.
ReactReply - MXMXQ123Original PosterAug 2, 2016Apparently Monday isn't the day for naturists.I got there around 1:30PM; a half-dozen guys in thongs on the south unit. I prefer solitude so I walked down about a block south of the river. As I set up my blanket, someone else set up right next to the river... and stayed thonged, so I did not take full advantage... but he left after about 15 minutes, letting me get a bit more sun, and a swim.
But I left my water jug at home... so I couldn't stay too long, had to rehydrate. Afterward, I went up to the north unit and spent several hours on my favorite spot. Not another soul was seen until I was on my way out just after 5.
Novel sightings: Three turkey vultures cleaning a fish carcass just south of the river; a brand-new PFD washed ashore on the north unit, made a nice pillow for leaning against a fallen tree.ReactReply - MXMXQ123Original PosterAug 2, 2016[quote]I got there a little after 2:00. A few thonged guys and no one was nude. There were also enough textile beach walkers to make nudity more risky, so I stayed thonged, except when I went in the lake for a swim. [/quote][quote]...[/quote][quote]Later on, I noticed a nude couple a little ways north of me. They were a little hidden by the grass, but could be clearly viewed as someone passed walking along the beach. A couple of times when beach walkers went by, I noticed they didn't cover up.[/quote]Sounds like I should have stuck around a little longer :)ReactReply