Review: The Ledges

When it comes to American forest locales with freshwater swimming, it doesn’t get better than The Ledges. This waterside naturist spot is part of the Harriman Reservoir recreation area in Wilmington, VT. It is located approximately 30 minutes west of Brattleboro, VT. This is a fairly well known naturist destination for people around VT, NH, MA, and NY. People have been skinny dipping here since the 1960s. Even though most of the visitors to the clothing optional section are adults, this is a family friendly destination. There are a couple of parking lots which get busy on weekends and holidays. The clothing optional area is a bit of a hike from the parking area and is not accessible to disabled visitors.

The Ledges was the first destination on my naturist wish list. I had read many positive reviews on Tripadvisor and other sites from both one time visitors and regulars. I drove there via Brattleboro. The trip ended up being bumpier than expected. The main route was being dug up and repaved. In fact, the temporary gravel was so rough, I ended up with vibration related damage to my vehicle. I’m sure the roadway has been finished at this point. I went to visit on a holiday. This wasn’t the smartest move. When I arrived, there were only a few spots left and people started parking on the side of Wards Beach Access Road. That is the road in and out of the recreation area. I would estimate the combined capacity of the upper and lower lots is ~100 vehicles. Both lots will be on your right when you get to the end of the road. There is also a part of the lower lot that is on the left side. The first lot is the upper one and is the larger parking lot. Since there was no good marked map of The Ledges for naturists, I have made one. You can look it over below.

My visit to The Ledges took place in the summer. The best months to go are May to September. If you go around July and will be there for most of the day, I would recommend wearing some sunscreen. There are quite a few shady spots, but you’ll want to be right at the waterfront for sunbathing. There are all kinds of people visiting here. This includes singles, couples, families, and friends. During my trip here, there were more men than women and the ages ranged from 20s to 70s. For the average person, it should take around 12 minutes to walk from the parking lots to the naturist area. The trail from the clothed area leads to a spot with stepping stones which go across water at the edge of the woods. Next, you will arrive at the sign posted by the Friends of The Ledges naturist group that notifies you of the nude area ahead. This can be seen in the photo below.

I had done some research online before embarking on the drive to this oasis in the Vermont forest. Believe it or not, Vermont is one of the only states in America where public nudity is legal. This is one of the reasons why you can have the waterfront be split between clothed and clothing optional right next to each other. In fact, when I was sunbathing, textiles on paddle boards and small boats crossed over to the nude side. They were able to freely see friendly people enjoying the day while nude. At one point, I was sunbathing on the left side of the shoreline. Right around the separating bend, there was a pair of textile friends in their bathing suits enjoying the day. Nobody minded that our side was nude and their side wasn’t. There was really nothing to worry about. When you’re living the natural life, you have nothing to hide. When textiles see you nude, they’re just seeing the real you. The naturists I encountered were nice. I exchanged greetings with a number of folks. I was surprised at the number of friends hanging out together.

As you can see in the image on the left, the waterfront view is incredible. The forest surrounding the reservoir is lush and rolling in height. The sun shimmers on the calm water. There are many flat rocks you can sit and lie down on along the shoreline. There are also hiking trails which go north until you reach private property. When you get to the end of the main trail, there is a sign which states that “Clothing is required beyond this point.” If you do hike, watch your step. There are lots of rocks and roots. Overall, I would give The Ledges an A rating!