Awesome place. I went there in August 2022. I was a little disappointed by the amount of clothed people. Most were nude in the hot springs, but dressed everywhere else. I hiked to the bat cave nude and was the only nude person on the trail that evening. The coed bathrooms were kinda cool and unique too.
I used to go to VVHS with a girl that was like that. She had no issues with the nudity, no issues being nude, and absolutely loved going to VVHS, regardless of season, but would rarely move from one venue to the next without getting dressed even when it was blazing hot outside. Sometimes just a wrap, but sometimes much more. The funny thing was when we would go for hike (To the bat cave, or just exploring the endless opportunities) there (or at Mountain Air Ranch, which we would get invited to by a member friend), she would be completely naked. She was also the one that would get the old wood burning sauna so hot, she would run everyone else out of it (eventually, even me) - she was Russian.
John aka cobeachbum
I was a little disappointed by the amount of clothed people. Most were nude in the hot springs, but dressed everywhere else.It is so variable. Early and late season seems to have more nudist; in the summer month, more just skinny dippers and textiles. However, that doesn't always hold true. The same goes for the male-to-female ratio. I've seen men with the clear advantage, but other times women outnumber men. Young-old same thing. It's all good, and I've always have had a good time there and met great people. For me, the bottom line is that I can be naked where ever I want, hike naked, and if anyone has a problem with that, it's their problem. You can't go to Valley View and not expect to see naked people. I actually saw a review on a travel website where someone was complaining about the number of naked people - "It might as well be a nudist colony." Not sure what they thought clothing optional meant.
I concur with this. I've been going to VVHS for 24 years, and it's different every time. Sometimes it's a very young hip crowd, sometimes it looks like an AARP convention. Sometimes it's very quite, sometimes there's a major jam session going on either in the pavilion or (in the old days) the Oak House. Different vibe just about every time. With or without clothes is often a matter of relative temperature and wind. I think you see a lot more of the walking around clothed now (especially from pond to pond) since fires were banned. In the old days, on chilly nights (and days) there would be a fire in the pit at the Party Pool (Soaking Pond for you newbies), which was the main hangout before the Apple Pond drew people away for the hotter water. Made getting out into the chilly air much easier.
It also used to be a fairly stable group (Members). Everyone knew everyone, and was much more comfortable around each other. A lot of the old crowd is gone (for various reasons) and you don't see the same people from visit to visit.
John aka cobeachbum
We are headed down the first weekend of May. This has become my favorite visit of the year. It is warming up, and it is before the summer crowd descends. There tends to be more true nudist there. However, the main reason I like it that weekend is Naked Gardening Day at the Everson Ranch. I promised myself I would try to make that every year. It's some good healthy naked fun.
This is very good information thank you for sharing.Sadly, I did not make it out this year (It's been a few years now). For anyone that's going to be in the general area, it is well worth the trip. It is indeed a very special place.On the down side, it is slowly loosing it's charm. VVHS started out as a very rustic, bare bones place (Which i liked). Over the years, it has slowly become more commercialized. Due to the restrictions Neil and Terry very wisely put in place when forming OLT, it will never become a Cypress Cove type of place, but it seems the rustic charm is slowly fading away and the price (To pay for the upgrades) continues to climb. It's still cheaper (and more relaxing) than a hotel though, and the view can't be beat. Just my two cents.I will continue to make the occasional journey (It's about a 1000 miles one way for me now), but not as often as I would like.John aka cobeachbum
Personally, I'm glad that I only discovered Valley View about ten years ago. I can't compare it to the old days. I can only compare it to every other place I can get naked within a day's drive of my home, and there is no place else that compares to the freedom and relaxation I feel there. As has been discussed elsewhere, the vibe can be different from time to time, but I've never come away sorry that I went. I do have a friend that has been going there since the 70s. She does lament the loss of the community of regulars and that she can't just run over for a soak without a reservation.
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