CHICAGO AREA NUDIST
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- created by nudist_60187
Illinois Beach State Park
Return to DiscussionsYears 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).
81 degrees predicted for Saturday (inland, your mileage may vary), there's no way I'm skipping a day on the beach. I'll have to make the most of a short trip, as Easter prep is still needed, but I'll definitely be enjoying the sun and sand.
The beach was pretty empty, but for this early in the season there was a lot of ranger presence. The first time I saw him he stopped me to remind me not to go past the dead river (I wasn't, but I was walking in that direction). I said that rangers have been inconsistent, that in past years they've said it's fine to stay on the beach; this guy was insistent that nobody goes there without a permit. He circled back an hour later, and it looked like he cited someone for alcohol (can't be certain).
I was on the north unit for a while, and saw a ranger there too -- I haven't seen a ranger on the beach on the north unit's nature area in 20 years.
It's time to be a lot more cautious at IBSP.