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’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’t it? We didn't’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)
TANR (Trade Association for Nude Recreation)
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