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.
Read a good spy novel lately? If not, then you might want to bring one with you to savor at the perfect place: Spy Rock Beach, on the Eel River, east of Leggett, where you can write your own chapter in the book of life by swimming and sunning clothing-free.
Legal status:
Part of Round Valley Reservation.
How to find it:
The beach is just south of Blue Rock Creek and Bell Springs Station. If you can find Leggett, you’re on the right track because the swimming hole is just east of the town. Follow the directions to Dos Rios. This hole is virtually opposite scenic Spy Rock. Access is by canoe or other boat.
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:
Probably just you. Not too many people come here, perhaps because of the canoeing distance from Dos Rios.
Problems:
Unknown legal status; directions need improving; trash; proximity to train tracks.