Rating: C
You may have canoodled, but have you ever canuded? It’s the art of paddling a canoe — nude or not — to a nude swimming hole. And it’s also a preferred way to reach this Eel River site, along with others that are nearby. Other options include rowing or hiking. This beach, north of Willits is a sandy bank along the Eel River where you can pull your watercraft up on the bank, take off your clothes, and plunge into the invigorating water. Access to the hole is believed to be from the area near Dos Rios to the south and little Cummings to the northwest. The nearest large towns are Laytonville and Leggett.
Legal status:
Not known.
How to find it:
From the Bay Area, head north on Highway 101 to Willits; from the Mendocino coast, go east on Highway 20 to Willits. Follow 101 north past Willits to Longvale, then travel northeast on Highway 162 to Dos Rios. The first of the skinny-dipping holes is several miles north of town.
The beach:
Larger and sandier than most of the swimming holes on our list, except Mendocino’s Lilies Beach and the sites along the Russian River.
The crowd:
Fishermen, boaters, and small numbers of skinny-dippers show up here.
Problems:
Unknown legal status; directions need improving; trash; proximity to train tracks.