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.
Legal status:
Believed to be part of Round Valley Reservation.
How to find it:
Follow directions for Dos Rios, Poon Kinny Ridge, and North Poon Kinny. The Round Valley swimming hole is some 5-to-10 miles north of North Poon Kinny. If you’re coming by canoe, give yourself another hour past North Poon Kinny.
The beach:
Same as North Poon Kinny.
The crowd:
Naturists, fishermen and fisherwomen, and canoers all come here to cool off.
Problems:
Unknown legal status; directions need improving; trash; proximity to train tracks.