Lake Bronson Club

A long-established naturist club in the Washington woods, 320 acres of forest in the Cascade foothills an hour from Seattle, open all year. At its heart is a seven-and-a-half-acre spring-fed lake with a beach, a sunbathing lawn and four floating docks from which you can swim, canoe or paddleboard; the internal trails lead on foot to a 26-metre waterfall that plunges into the Sultan River. There is a sauna, a hot tub, tennis and pickleball courts, volleyball, disc golf and a games room in the lodge. You can sleep at tent sites scattered through the woods, in an RV area with hookups, in four cabins, in rooms in the two lodges or in the new glamping tents on platforms. It is a private club run by volunteer members: nudity is the rule, not an option, the gate is locked and every visitor goes through a background check, which regulars cite as a guarantee of safety. Those who go talk about silence, real nature and a close-knit community; anyone looking for resort facilities or an impersonal welcome is in the wrong place, and quite a few people note that the members' group can feel closed.