The Daily O’Collegian

About 50 miles southeast of Stillwater, a nudist park sits, surrounded by hickory- and oak-covered hills.

But there’s more to these misunderstood people than their nudity.

The members aren’t having wild sex parties.

They don’t have the bodies of super models or body builders.

They’re not freaks of nature, but some of them might be nature freaks.

They do like to dance and sing karaoke and have scavenger hunts.

They like to go on walks through the woods.

They’re airline pilots, judges, CPAs, nurses, attorneys, police officers, just to name a few.

A variety of people make up about 185 members at Oaklake Trails Naturist Park in Depew.

Diana McCalment and her husband, Ray, have lived in the park since 1996.

Diana McCalment said being able to walk around naked isn’t the sole reason she enjoys living at Oaklake Trails.

“There’s such a feeling of community,” Diana McCalment said. “If any one of us is in trouble, everyone of us is there …. There’s an open-mindedness, a non-judgmental feeling. That’s what holds me to the lifestyle more than being nude.”

The McCalment’s children, grown with children of their own, visit.

The McCalments said their children don’t seem uncomfortable with the idea that they’re surrounded by naked people.

“What we find is most people don’t object to other people’s nudity,” Diana McCalment said. “They’re insecure about their own nudity.”

Diana McCalment said people forget being nude isn’t a sexual thing.

“Truly though, it’s our Western culture that associates nudity with sex,” she said.

And one thing any member of Oaklake Trails will tell visitors — nudists don’t stare.

Jerry Fogle, Oaklake Trails office manager, said to glance is a natural reaction; to stare is not.

“After that first look, you’re no longer interested if you’re a nudist at heart,” Fogle said. “Once you’ve seen it once or twice, the curiosity isn’t there.”

People gawking or staring will be asked to move from where they’re sitting and, if the problem continues, those those person will be asked to leave and his or her membership will be in question, Fogle said.

Something stressed at the park is that it does not exist for sexual activities, Fogle said.

“If you want to be an exhibitionist, they do have clubs for that,” Fogle said. “But this is not the place.”

What happens in a couple’s tent, RV or camper should stay there, Fogle said.

A background check is performed for every person who visits Oaklake Trails.

Once that process is finished, visitors are welcome to explore Oaklake Trails.

The park has 13 walking trails, each about a mile or 1 1/2 miles.

The only place where it’s mandatory to be naked is the swimming pool and hot tub. The rest of the park is clothing optional.

Susan Hayes, a resident for the past 13 years, said she thought students would really enjoy the water volleyball.

Most rates are half-priced for students.

Tent camping costs $5 while RV camping costs $9.

An Oaklake Trails student membership is $277.46.

Visitors don’t have to be members to come to the park, but once they have come to the park more than three times, rates increase.

The resort has free wireless Internet available around the camping grounds and clubhouse.

Alcohol is allowed but only in moderation.

Hayes said the perk she sees in coming to Oaklake Trails is the loyalty among everyone there.

“It’s like the old days when people did trades and bids on a handshake,” Hayes said. “When someone says they’re going to do something, it’s by their word.”

Hayes remembered the first time she visited the park.

“Nobody stared,” she said. “Nobody looked. Nobody gave me special attention.”

Ray McCalment said he has tried to figure out a way to convince the rest of the world that it’s OK to be naked.

A nudist since 1963, Ray McCalment said there’s a test visitors can use to see whether they are true nudist

“There’s two ways to tell,” McCalment said. “One way for a women is if they’ll cook bacon. For men, it’s if they’ll weed eat.”