When the Russian River became California's nude beach battleground

In the summer of 1978, the Russian River near Wohler Bridge in western Sonoma County became the focal point of a long-running public dispute over whether nudity in public spaces was acceptable. Crowds of nude sunbathers—estimated by newspapers at 2,000 to 3,000 on busy weekends—drew complaints from nearby residents and heavy media coverage, prompting calls for county action and even comparisons to an “epidemic.” Reporter recollections describe arriving fully clothed and finding a more complex, everyday reality than the sensational headlines. The controversy, framed as more than simply “rights to be nude,” also centered on whether nudity could coexist with neighbors, passersby, and families.