Gay-popularOfficialTier 2 · Accepted in the cities

Rooster Rock

Columbia River Gorge, east of Portland · United States

One of the first legal clothing-optional beaches in the US, on a Columbia River sandbar in the Gorge. Portland's summer escape.

Status
Official nude beach
Crowd
Gay-popular
Country
United States
City
Portland
Water
River
Best time
June to September
Confidence
Medium

Find it

45.5500° N, 122.2310° W
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, tiles by OpenFreeMap.
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The gay end

The clothing-optional beach at the east end of the state park, with a gay section further along.

Crowd A nude beach for everyone with a gay end everyone knows about. Walk in the direction the guide says and you will find the boys.

Getting there

Thirty minutes east of Portland on I-84, exit 25. State park day-use fee; walk east from the far parking lot.

The rules

Official nude beach. Designated by law or by the council. Nudity is allowed and expected on the marked stretch, and nobody will ask you to cover up.

No photos of anyone, sunscreen everywhere, cover up the moment you leave the nude stretch, and go home with the light. It is a beach: sunbathe, swim, talk, flirt. Anything more belongs somewhere private.

Questions people ask

Is Rooster Rock a gay beach?

It has a gay end. The clothing-optional beach at the east end of the state park, with a gay section further along. One of the first legal clothing-optional beaches in the US, on a Columbia River sandbar in the Gorge. Portland's summer escape.

Is it legal to be nude at Rooster Rock?

Yes, on the marked stretch. Designated by law or by the council. Nudity is allowed and expected on the marked stretch, and nobody will ask you to cover up.

How do I get to Rooster Rock?

Thirty minutes east of Portland on I-84, exit 25. State park day-use fee; walk east from the far parking lot. Best time: June to September.

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Method

Status says what the law and the locals allow; crowd says who is on the sand. Both come from gay-travel guides, the national naturist federations and members who were just there, scored on sources, recency, crowd, legal footing and safety. How we rank. Pins mark the beach; the gay end is described above. Last reviewed September 2026.