Skinny dipping laws in Oregon and how they relate to camping
Anna
Oregon is one of the few states where skinny-dipping is legal, even
outside designated clothing optional sites. There are naturally a few
common sense laws that govern this, to prevent anyone from being
offended. A closer look at those rules is in order, to be able to see
how this relates to camping.
As might be expected, the rules are simple. The site for nude swimming
cannot be within view of a public highway. This does not include dirt
roads and the like, which are not commonly traveled. It does include
any paved road that is commonly well used by the public, such as state
highways and interstate highways. The nude bathing sites can be close
to a highway, but not in view of it.
If this rule is met, skinny-dipping is allowed with two provisions.
First, if there are no other people at the site, the nude bathing is
legal. Others arriving at the site after a person is skinny dipping
have the option of leaving, or they can stay, join in, or engage in
other activities such as clothed bathing, as they wish.
If there are others already at the site, the nude swimmer must first
get permission from every adult present, unless someone else at the
site is skinny-dipping already, in which case it can be assumed that
permission has already been granted.
If even a single adult denies that permission, the skinny-dipping is
unlawful. (The exception is in areas designated as clothing optional,
where permission is automatically assumed.)
These rules mean that everyone is allowed their rights to the
enjoyment of the area. Nobody has his or her toes stepped on,
figuratively.
How does this relate to camping? Much of Oregon is wilderness, with a
huge number of lakes, rivers, streams and ponds. There are an enormous
number of campsites on these bodies of water, which are secluded and
not visible from a public highway. This means there are many camping
sites at least potentially legal for skinny-dipping. In fact, a lot of
people purposely go camping at these sites, knowing they will most
likely be able to legally swim nude.
At many places, entire families engage in the activity, from young to
old. It is interesting to note that nudity in Oregon is not considered
against the law, though public nudity (in view of a highway, for
example) is. Even more interestingly, crimes of all kinds are lowest
in areas where nude swimming commonly occurs.
In such areas, it also isn't uncommon for people to walk around camp
without clothing, or to change clothing in the open. This can be a
shock for people not used to the behavior. Many people may be bothered
by the lack of modesty, while many others may relish in the freedom
not afforded elsewhere. Keep in mind that most people who camp and go
skinny-dipping are not nudists, and they aren't doing it to shock or
offend anyone. They simply have their own way to relax, as do we all.
In Oregon, skinny-dipping and nudity in general is more likely to be
encountered out in camp than anywhere else, particularly in secluded,
unimproved campsites. If you know in advance that it happens and is
legal, it can ease any shock, and can allow you to enjoy the outing in
the same way, if you wish. It is important though, that everyone
follows the rules regarding the skinny-dipping laws so nobody is
offended, and so everyone can have a great swimming or outdoors time.
Jenny6833A
> http://www.helium.com/items/1363145-skinny-dipping-laws-in-oregon-and...
Uh, please post the Oregon statute(s) that say what this character
claims to be the law.
:-(
Jenny
Zee
> http://www.helium.com/items/1363145-skinny-dipping-laws-in-oregon-and...
>
ok...we git it....he he....who ever is the firstist to arrive at the
site has the mostist rights....he he.....whut do you mean put my
clothes on....i wuz here first and i am telling you if you dont like
my stuff hangin out go back wher ye cum from.....great stuff and with
no state sales tax no wonder those idiots from wa come down there on
the weekends....jz
Anna
Yeah, I was wondering about that.
David Kaye
>Uh, please post the Oregon statute(s) that say what this character
>claims to be the law.
Actually, it goes way further than that. Here's an excerpt from a news story
on the issue:
Oregon Supreme Court overturns 2 sex-show laws
By The Associated Press
09.30.05
SALEM, Ore. � The Oregon Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional
yesterday a state law against conducting live sex shows and a local ordinance
regulating conduct of nude dancers.
Both restrictions violate the Oregon Constitution's guarantees of free speech
and free expression, the court said in a pair of 5-1 decisions.
The free-expression rulings continued the state court's modern pattern of
broadly interpreting state constitutional rights as forbidding virtually all
regulation of obscenity.
The court's decisions have given Oregon "one of the most protective approaches
to the interests of freedom of expression" of any state, said Steven Green, a
Willamette University constitutional law professor.
"It certainly keeps us on the edge so far as what is expressive activity," he
said.
The state constitution, adopted in 1859, says, "No law shall be passed
restraining the free expression of opinion, or restricting the right to speak,
write or print freely on any subject whatever."
Justice Michael Gillette, who wrote the majority opinions, said it "appears to
us to be beyond reasonable dispute that the protection extends to the kinds of
expression that a majority of citizens in many communities would dislike � and
even to physical acts, such as nude dancing or other explicit sexual conduct
that have an expressive component."
Here's the URL for the story:
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=15861
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> I don't know where you got your information but that's not the way I read the law. Basically unless otherwise prohibited, as long as your intent is not to arouse yourself or others, nudity is legal. There's also an indecent exposure statute that in effect says your genitals must be exposed to be indecent. So lady going topless is not illegal anywhere.
Oregon has no "indecent exposure" law; it does have a "public indecency" statute:
A person commits the crime of public indecency if while in, or in view of, a public place the person performs:
(a) An act of sexual intercourse;
(b) An act of deviate sexual intercourse; or
(c) An act of exposing the genitals of the person with the intent of arousing the sexual desire of the person or another person.
Note the word "intent"; it's key.
So the original post is full of errors. As a matter of fact, I enjoy several swimming holes that are in view of state highways and have no problem with the law; the only time there was a question was when someone over a hundred yards upstream thought a couple of us were "wagging our junk" at them -- the reality was that we were trying to wrestle a large rock out of the path used by people inner-tubing the stream, which happened to aim our rear ends upstream (the deputies got a good chuckle).
Judges here on the Oregon coast have actually reprimanded law enforcement officers for citing people for nudity, since there is no law against it.
