It started as a part of a larger project for a not-for-profit organization dedicated to conservation efforts (among other things) on each of the 50 US State Highpoints. In this case, my specific role was the removal of some rotting sheds atop Jerimoth Hill, which at a not-so-lofty 812 feet is the highest geographic point in the state of Rhode Island.
Although I’ll refer to it throughout this article for the sake of continuity, this really isn’t a story about Jerimoth Hill. Instead, it’s primarily about a nudist campground less than 15 minutes away that became my side quest during the late summer and early fall of 2024.
I visited Dyer Woods Nudist Campground on three separate occasions between August and October and found each visit to be highly enjoyable. The final visit, which was an overnight stay with lots of interaction with fellow nudists, ranked ahead of my two “day visits” based on time spent naked and the overall quality of the experience.
My iPhone photo stream recorded that my first visit to Dyer Woods took place on August 1st, 2024. It was early-to-mid morning that day when I arrived at the gate accessed from a private lane just off of the sleepy Johnson Road in Foster, Rhode Island. The nearby gravel parking lot was perfectly located in the shady protection of a grove of trees. I stripped nude while still in the lot, grabbed my supplies for the day from the back of the car and walked over to the visitor registration area located just outside the small marketplace where visitors can grab snacks, beverages and other useful supplies.
The gentleman at the registration stand was extremely friendly and also completely naked. What a job to have! In any event, after presenting both my AANR and Naturist Society membership cards and receiving the associated discount, I wandered over to the far side of the pond and set up for the day alongside several other naturist men. The scene was pretty standard for naturist/nudist venues in my experience. The majority of folks I encountered throughout the day were middle-aged men, but there were also some naturist women as well as a few younger adults … maybe in their late 20s or early 30s.
I would describe the overall vibe of Dyer Woods as rustic. It has an actual pond rather than a swimming pool to go along with a wooden clubhouse and sauna. The permanent “resident” campers have basic sites well-spread throughout the sprawling wooded campground. No fancy $200,000 RVs, pickleball courts or other artificial draws. Everything you need in a nudist campground and nothing you don’t.
To start my day, I spent some time reading a book I had picked up during a recent trip to the Grand Canyon while nude sunbathing in the open grassy area along the edge of the pond. After about 90 minutes, I decided that it was time to explore the network of hiking trails on the property. The first part of the walk along the gravel road to the official start of hike was rough on the bottom of my feet and I walked very gingerly. I don’t spend a ton of time walking barefoot so the soles of my feet are not particularly tough. Once I reached the moss-covered and dirt hiking trails, the trek became much more pleasant.
About five or ten minutes after the starting my walk along the trail proper, another nude man approached from the other direction and we quickly exchanged pleasantries just as one would do on a regular hiking trail. I soon reached an old but well-maintained small cemetery on a hill. A miniature American flag was planted in the ground near one of the graves, leading me to conclude that the gentleman must have been a veteran.
There were a couple of other outlooks to be found as the trail continued to the shore of another pond. The trail gained some elevation as I worked my way along the right side of the pond before I spied a path leading down to a swimming hole. Perfect! I’d report that I stripped down to skinny dip but I was already as naked as the day I was born so simply waded out into the 70-75 degree water for about 20 minutes of carefree swimming.
Once out of this more secluded pond, I continued to explore for a bit and closed the hiking loop I was on before continuing back to the main grassy area. By this point, the campground was hopping on this beautiful summer day with many clothes-free men and women enjoying themselves. Some swam in the water while others rested on large floats in the pond. A few even used the long slide down into the water.
I nude sunbathed some more and swam in the main pond before my wife finally began to beckon me home in time for dinner. I protested mildly but ultimately obeyed. It was well past 2 PM by this point and I had a 2.5 hour drive home in front of me. A great and memorable day!
My second visit exactly three weeks later on August 22nd, 2024 was more of a tanning day whereas my first visit had been a bit more adventurous. Once again, the day started with a visit to Rhode Island State Highpoint Jerimoth Hill for some work regarding those ugly rotting sheds. This time, I secured the doors of one of the eyesores in question with ratchet-straps, thus blocking some graffiti from view until I would finally be able to get rid all three sheds once and for all.
On this second visit to Dyer Woods Nudist Campground, I took just one photo – at 10:26 AM – and it shows my legs and feet from my viewpoint of the pond and clubhouse. That was pretty much my base of operations all day. There were lots of fellow nudists cavorting about through the early-to-mid afternoon and I enjoyed the nearby conversation while also keeping mostly to myself in somewhat typical fashion. Although I didn’t further explore the network of trails, I did break up the day by taking a few naked strolls through the picnic and sunbathing area, also finding time to check out the clubhouse and sauna. Once again, I left very happy and looked forward to what I hoped would be a longer visit before year’s end.
Over the next six weeks, everything really started to come together with the shed removal project. I received permission from the entities involved in the ownership of the sheds to remove them, secured a tentative pledge for funding from the not-for-profit and made contact with a local junk removal company for an estimate.
On October 4th, 2024, I once again made the 2.5 hour journey to the zenith of Rhode Island and met with the owner of the junk removal company and his son. We went over all of the salient details of the project and the breakdown of the cost involved, shook hands and called it a day.
And then, you guessed it, I returned once again to Dyer Woods Nudist Campground. This time I had a tent with plans to camp for the night. Although it was now Fall, I had intentionally picked this day for the Jerimoth Hill meeting because I saw in the long range forecast that the weather would be nice and reasonably warm for an early Fall day.
Upon arrival, there was a bit of cloud cover and the air felt cool. There were not as many nudists around the pond as on my previous two visits and some folks huddled around the market area in their clothes. I was unsure if they were staff or curiosity visitors. Regardless, I remained naked for the entirety of my stay from the moment I arrived until the moment I left the following day.
The sun peeked in and out throughout the late morning and early afternoon. After spending some time reading and nude sunbathing near the pond, I walked over to my campsite and set up my spacious LL Bean dome tent. Leaves had started to fall and it added to the prettiness of the area.
Once I felt I had my campsite in good order, I went for a long walk on the trail system, this time deciding to explore as much of it as I could. I walked barefoot and nude in the woods for probably about an hour, once again visiting the small cemetery and more secluded pond. It was too cool to swim comfortably, however, so I just kept walking. I broke off of the main loop to a secondary trail that led to the edge of the property and then worked its way to the opposite side of the campground.
As I made my way back along the row of permanent campsites, I had a short and pleasant exchange with an older naked woman doing some yard work. As I walked away, she simply called out “namaste,” meaning “the spirit in me sees the spirit in you.” I turned back and said the same.
It was getting to be late afternoon by the time I got back to my campsite and I decided it was a good time to eat the Jersey Mike’s sub I’d brought. I also enjoyed a bottle of Shiraz with it. Three fit younger men (probably in their mid-to-late 20s) silently passed by my site on their way to their own nude hike as I enjoyed my meal.
Soon enough, I was feeling a bit buzzed from the wine and decided to go check out the sauna. When I had checked in, I was told everything I would need to fire it up (lighter, newspapers, wood) could all be found by the stove, just outside the sauna room. As I tried to figure it all out, a kind campground resident stopped in to give me a hand. We had a nice conversation and he invited me to the Friday night bonfire just up the hill. I happily accepted the offer.
After a very nice and warm sauna, I returned to my campsite and had a bit more wine as the last light of the day faded and darkness moved in. I was feeling a little loopy from the alcohol by this point but found this relaxed me just enough to go hang out naked with a bunch of naked strangers. I walked just a short way up the hill to the bonfire.
I had a great time at the gathering and was full of cheery conversation with everyone. I probably spent the most amount of time chatting with the campground’s President, who explained to me how difficult it is to get a fixed campsite at Dyer Woods. Most folks literally have to wait years for an opening. It’s not hard to see why. It is truly a special place.
It was pretty chilly by the time the bonfire wrapped up but I had managed to stay fully nude for the entirety of it as had most everyone else. Somewhat alcohol-impaired by this point, I half-wandered, half-stumbled back down the hill to my tent and quickly fell into a deep undisturbed sleep that lasted until morning.
I had planned an early departure so broke camp as soon as I awoke. My car was unlocked and I neatly placed all of my gear in the back of my Toyota Highlander. I was all set to get dressed and leave except that I couldn’t find my cars keys. After searching for way too long, a passing nudist asked if I was looking for a set of keys. I responded in the affirmative and she then told me that I could find them back at the site of the previous night’s bonfire. After my initial arrival, I had briefly returned to my car to retrieve a towel to drape over the chair I was sitting on. Obviously, I had brought my keys back with me as well and then drunkenly left them behind.
With the mini-crisis now resolved, I said goodbye to Dyer Woods Nudist Campground, perhaps for the last time ever.
I returned to Jerimoth Hill one last time on November 8th and found the junk removal company had completed all of the work I’d contracted them to do. I also took some photos of the new-look Jerimoth Hill for the not-for-profit that had funded it all. The campground was closed by this point in the year plus it was way too cold to be running around naked. It had been a good project.
Mark’s Mountain Travels 