The Northern Hemisphere summer solstice arrived at 5:46 UT this morning (1:46 a.m. EDT). Now we’ll experience the longest day, the shortest night, and perhaps a spate of naked hikers.
Hiking au naturel is not legal in our national parks. That’s not to say it doesn’t occur on the park trails and elsewhere on the many thousands of miles of trails in this fine country. If you’ve spent a good deal of time hiking the more remote trails, the chances are that you’re already aware of this phenomenon. No doubt some of you reading this have …. ahem … participated.
I recall a hike on the Pacific Crest Trail a few years back that was enlivened when our little hiking party encountered Naked Guy, which is what we call that particular hiker in our recountings of the event. Naked Guy was German, and as you may know, there is a lot of naked hiking going on over there in Europe (though it is discouraged in many places).
Whatever. Today is a day when the odds of spotting unclad hikers on trails right here in the U.S. are significantly higher than normal. That’s because people who like to hike in the buff have informally declared the summer solstice to be Naked Hiking Day.
On Naked Hiking Day, they say, we should just go ahead and let it all hang out. Just say to hell with the insects, thorns, and sunburn. But be considerate and pick remote places. Don’t be crude or lewd.
That part about being discrete is very good advice. The vast majority of hikers believe that nude hiking is inconsiderate or rude. Law enforcement officials are not amused, either. In the national parks, rangers stand ready to cite naked hikers for indecent exposure. That doesn’t happen a lot, because nude hiking is apparently still rare on national park trails.
But then again, if nude hikers are doing their thing in places where other people don’t see them, how are we supposed to know for sure how much of this is going on? Hmmmmm. Looks like we might need a government grant to study this. About three hundred thousand bucks should do it. Be sure to let us know if you spot an RFP. A couple of old college professors of my acquaintance might be willing to come out of retirement for this one.
Postscript: If you are going to declare a Naked Hiking Day, it makes a certain amount of sense to choose the summer solstice. Since time immemorial, nudity has been a feature of pagan festivals and other rituals marking the arrival of the summer solstice.
Comments
Hmm, I don't think you are correct that WAY most people - accept the nudity taboo.
Society's response to public nudity varies on the culture, time, location and context of the activities. There are exceptions and particular circumstances in which nudity is tolerated, accepted or even encouraged in public spaces. Such examples would include sex segregated showers and saunas, clothing optional or nude beaches. The reason nudity in public can considered be considered indecent exposure is because in general and across cultures, more restrictions are found for exposure of those parts of the human body that display evidence of sexual arousal. Sex organs and often women's breasts are covered, even when other parts of the body may be freely uncovered. But there are also clear signs that the existence of a taboo is because many people don't like being in public without their clothes the position and authority in society that it gives them - we are all equal when we are naked and some people find that scary.
To accuse nude hikers of being flashers seems completely over the top and frankly quite narrow minded. If they were flashers would it be fair to assume they would pick areas with more people than remote trails in natural parks?
Another point that seems to escape this conversation is that there is nothing illegal in being nude in public. It is offending other people that can be an offense. This is the legal details on the matter:
In 1992 New York State’s highest court ruled that it was legal for a woman to go into public without covering her breasts. Case in point: Two years ago, a 27-year old New Yorker, Jill Coccaro took a walk without covering her breasts. She was arrested, taken for a psychiatric exam, and thrown in jail for 12 hours. Finally, after someone in the District Attorney’s office realized what had happened, she was released and told no charges would be pressed. In turn, Jill sued the city and, just recently, received a $29,000 settlement.
California State Parks policy dictates nudity on public lands is not, per se, illegal. State Park rangers have operated for decades under a policy known as the "Cahill" policy, named after former Parks Director Russ Cahill:
"it shall be the policy of the Department that enforcement of nude sunbathing regulations within the State Park System shall be made only upon the valid complaint of a private citizen. Citations or arrests shall be made only after attempts are made to elicit voluntary compliance with the regulations."
You might be interested to know that many of our Founding Fathers, including Benjamin Franklin and John Quincy Adams, were fond of outdoor nudity. Indeed, one reporter tracked down Mr. Adams as he was bathing naked in the Potomac!
I don't mean to offend anyone, but YOU may be the one with the problem and if you teach your children that they should be ashamed of their body you’re passing that problem on to the next generation. That is up to you, but don't pass it on to everyone else.
Have a nice day :-)
Christian,
Nude trail-walkers are engaged in an activity that is offensive - suddenly 'inflicting' their exposure upon unaware, unprepared "victims". It is appropriate and accurate to compare this activity to that of flashers and other exposure-perverts. I personally enjoy nudist venues, but I don't kid myself that dropping my trousers in the midst of a clothed social setting would be Ok. Unless a trail is recognized as a nude trail, it is offensive - and perverted - to traipse down it naked. Yes, it is reasonable to be suspicious of the internal motives of such 'ambush-nudists': some of them are simply exercising poor judgement, are just being inconsiderate & rude, but others may very well be more worrisome individuals. This sort of thing is 'perfect' for the "real wackos".
At a very low incidence, nude trail hikers are more a bizarre anomaly, but at higher rates I will predict a fairly stiff enforcement-policy against them. Like steakers & flashers, the context of trail-nudity shows that the intent is to shock (that's plainly what will happen), and that's what makes it an offense.
The case of the topless female city-walker you mention did not set a precedent. The problem with her arrest, incarceration, psychiatric examination etc is not that nudity was legal in her jurisdiction, but that those who intervened overreacted to her offense. It's against the law to jay-walk, too, and though we may agree that it's pretty crazy to do so on many streets & highways, there is no need or call for us to get hysterical about it ('hysteria' is the word for the reaction we saw in the topless case). The authorities are lucky she only got $29,000 - but she got it not because it was Ok for her to be exposed, but due to the excesses of her apprehension.
Yes, WAY most people support the nudity taboo 'as we know it'. A quick search does not uncover a definitive nudity-approval poll, but there are useful proxies we can look at (and perhaps more reliable than polls). There are nude beaches, hotsprings, and other free-access public settings where folks can register their disapproval of the nudity taboo and indulge their preference for exposure. These venues are an extremely minor component of the overall beach, hotspring and other public-access venues available. It is simply the case that way most people choose a clothed setting, over a nude alternative. If there was more demand, there would be more nude places.
Socially, private citizens assemble casually in private settings (house-parties) for their mutual benefit & pleasure in many ways & styles. It happens occasionally that such private gatherings incorporate nudity ... but it is really quite unusual, overall. When we say that WAY most people support the nudity taboo, we are actually giving the nudist-faction the benefit of the doubt.
These two proxy-indicators - low use of public nudity-venues, and the tiny incidence of private house-party nudity - are clear affirmations that WAY most people support the nudity taboo - not that they like it, or think nudity per se is inherently disagreeable - but that they accept the status quo as it exist. Yes, it's 'just' a taboo. Do we think that humans have evolved beyond taboos? Does the illusion that only 'primitive' cultures in the Darkest Heart of Hollywood Africa are subject to social taboos & fetishes still affect contemporary North Americans?
The National Parks Traveler website is overwhelmingly about 20th & 21st C. Parks of the United States, the citizenship that owns them, and the governments that control them. The condition of pre-European tribes, especially-liberal sections of other continents, etc, is immaterial to this post & thread. We're talking 'here & now' - and the nudity taboo is overwhelmingly-dominant reality, here & now.
Not only do way-most people support the nudity taboo, but most of those people are not religious, and what's driving our position is not shame, neurosis, etc. I have some sympathy for nudity-activists, and as mentioned I'm happy to join in appropriate nude venues when & where they arise, but the nudism-community (rather like the vegetarian/PETA-community) has a rather-dramatically skewed impression of their own status & significance in the greater community-web, and a baseless optimism in the ascendancy of their preferred outlook. Nudism & vegetarianism both represent noticeably-deluded, small, single-digit portions of the population with little prospect for growth in the foreseeable future.
For an alternative viewpoint, consult the website of the American Association for Nude Recreation. Yes, there is such an organization. In fact, the AANR recently sponsored what they hope will be a Guinness World record skinny dip. The event, staged at a pool in Granger, Indiana, drew 119 participants.
There's a beach in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore that is a de facto nude beach. From what I hear, the rangers look the other way unless a complaint comes in, and generally just do the, "please cover up" thing and go about their business. Kayaking past the beach is a good way to go nude-watching, should you care to do that.
I agree completely with Christian's comment in this string. I would not intentionally offend
any other hiker. I suit-up when others approach. Sometimes there is a surprise situation,
I attempt to suit up, and the other hiker says, it's fine, go on. No offense was taken, and
the attempt to suit up was appreciated for the politeness, I guess.
Paul
If humans hike naked deep in the forest, can anyone still be offended?
Sorry, but I will have to disagree with comparing most nude hikers to flashers. Flashers purposefully seek out victims and then flash their genitals for sexual gratification (often it is accompnied by sexual behaviour). Most nude hikers, my self included, purposefully seek out venues where they are unlikely to meet other people and they hike naked because they enjoy being naked in the great outdoors and because they find it more comfortable. So the motive and behaviours are quite different. There may be exceptions, but these are even rarer.
I usually bring along a sarong or wrap so I can cover myself in seconds. Most of the time when I've been caught off gard people will chuckle and smile. But then it helps to hike with others and be in a mixed group. I don't know how the article can state "The vast majority of hikers believe that nude hiking is inconsiderate or rude" - did he conduct a poll or study? Or was he just projecting?
In any case it seems like a harmless activity and with precautions like selecting secluded, little traveled trails that are not likely to be used by parents with little children and by bringing wraps much a the conflict can be avoided or minimized. To some one who has never tried it or does not like it this may seem odd, but to those who enjoy it - it seems natural and good. A little tolerance also goes a long way and can help us all enjoy life as we see fit with out inflicting harm on others or ourselves.
"The first thing I did was take off my pants. Naturally."
~Edward Abbey~