I visited Prior lake for the first time today. I first heard about Prior lake almost two years ago, when I first got into naturism but the location, Thetis Lake Park, is not particularly convenient for me.
I had heard many things about Prior lake:
1) its small -just a dock really
2) its busy - have to get there early for parking and to fight for a spot on the small dock or the tiny tiny beach
3) deviants! - I have heard that it is very popular hookup place for gay men.
My sources for #3 are mostly from two sources. The first being craigslist, and the second being a man I met at Sayward Beach in late august (2010).
Most of the time when you search for prior lake, on the victoria version of craigslist, you can find more than a few gay men looking to "hookup" with other men at prior lake. This suggests that prior lake is a known place in the gay (internet?) community as a place to get laid.
The fellow I met at Sayward beach agreed with my fears about Prior lake. He said that its not uncommon to be offered sexual favours and be inundated with the smoking of pot. I gave this fellow some credibility in regards to public sexual acts because he indicated his frequency of having sex at Sayward Beach with his wife.
Anyhow, I had business at the hospital this afternoon, a monday, so I decided to go early and check out prior lake on a weekday when it was not likely to be busy (and I wondered if perhaps even empty). I checked out google maps and the directions on the co-bc website, packed the usual gear and headed off.
I did not expect to hit rush hour traffic on the #1 highway at 3pm on a monday! But there it was so i crawled my way to the helmckan interchange and then took watkiss way all the way to prior lake.
There were 4-5 cars parked outside the gate to Prior Lake and room for about 3 more. I am definitely curious to see how many more cars can pack in on a hot weekend. Past the gate is a short and not too steep trail down to the dock. There is a single outhouse about half way down the trail. Took about 1 minute to walk from my car to the dock.
At the dock, there were four persons in various states of undress. Of the three men on the dock,all 40+, two were fully nude and the third was topfree - but I overheard conversation that suggested he is a regular and would have been nude if not for the breeze. The one woman present was about 30 and topfree.
I stayed about 40 minutes and only one other person arrived while i was there. A male regular who went nude. Everyone else was being very quiet or reading so i kept to myself and just enjoyed the sun. The end of summer is upon us but I intend to go again to get a better feel for the place.
Prior lake appears to be a decent place for a suntan (especially if you are not a fan of sand). It is indeed small, and was moderately busy on a breezy, mild, 18C, weekday in September. I can definitely see parking being an issue - I plan to try parking at the main parking lot for Thetis lake and seeing how long of a walk it is to Prior from there.
As for the question of sexual deviance, I have no answer at this point. I was very impressed by the behavior of the five other people at prior lake today. No pot smoking, No sexual gestures or innuendo and little or no staring - which impressed me. I hope to get into a conversation with a regular at some point to find out just what sort of problems do exist, if any.
As Prior Lake is part of Thetis Lake and a public CRD Park to be enjoyed by all I personally wish the gay men would just keep their shorts on, and straight men too - although straight men don't appear to frequent this spot. A huddle of naked men limit the enjoyment of this spot for others. A good place for gay men to gather and take their clothes off would be their own backyards. Another place being taken over by naked gay men is a certain part of the Esquimalt Lagoon. My pet peeve is I absolutely accept gay folk but why do they have to separate themselves and take over public places for their own exclusive use? The rest of us don't.
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DeleteI'm a regular at prior lake and have never once been propositioned on the dock by a man or a woman. With the exception of a few wannabe dock bullies the majority of people who use prior lake are egalitarian and welcoming of others.
ReplyDeleteTwo points I'd like to make are:
1. Dogs are not allowed at the lake from june first to mid September. It is a small lake and could easily be polluted by bacteria from dog droppings... Please respect the bylaw and take yoru dog to thetis lake.
2. The lake is in a public park and NO ONE has the right to try to force you to take your clothes off. Stand up to these bullies if they pressure you.
As for your 1 other comment. Your assertion that you 'absolutely accept gays' is an out and out lie. If you did you'd have no problem with a 'huddle of gays'. Your observation that straight men don't frequent the place is incorrect. The dock is a complete mix of gay, str8, other. And tough on you if you don't like nudity at the lake. Nudists have 1 fresh water lake in the whole of greater victoria. Clothed beach goers have dozens of them. If you don't like nudists that go to another lake.
Ditto.
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ReplyDeleteI am a regular at Prior Lake and I must say this is an ideal spot to get a good nudie tan and to swim in the pristine water.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen any type of sexual activity here, either straight or gay. This is not a place to hook-up sexually. No doubt people will make friends and that may lead to more in their private lives.
Most people are nude, that's why they go there. There are some women who keep their bottoms on. It is clothing optional and most everyone takes the option.
If you like to tan and swim in the nude, and don't mind being in close proximity to others, this is the place to do it near Victoria, BC.
I have started to going to the lake after a long absence and have found a big improvement ( small float to large dock ). I was convinced to try it and am very happy that I did. Sure it is crowded on a busy day but people try to make a space for you if at all possible. There is a large mix of people but everyone is welcome and no judgements are made. I have met some great people and plan to keep going as it is a great place to leave the stress of daily lives behind for a few hours which is one of the many reasons for living a naturist lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I are new regulars to Prior Lake (as of the beginning of this summer). We have encountered only friendly, respectful and community oriented people of all stripes and ages - gay, lesbian, bisexual, straight, married couples (like us) and families. [I am more offended by the sex ad links posted above in the comments reply section than anything else - perhaps the moderator should monitor the comments section better.] The only sexual activity I have seen was a randy (straight) married couple who got a little carried away. They were quietly and respectfully advised by a regular that it was not the appropriate place for sexual activity, and they left without incident. People even bring food to share which leads to a beautiful community, family like atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with the third poster's comments above in reply to the first poster's homophobic remarks about gay men. It is a nude beach to be enjoyed by ALL people, regardless of their sexual orientation. The many people we've met at Prior Lake are truly naturists, not exhibitionists or cruisers looking to get laid. BTW, what makes you think Prior Lake is the only place where gay people hang out? Being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered is NOT sexually deviant - that is a discriminatory way to describe others who have a different sexual orientation than you. Why do you care what other peole do in their bedrooms, are you Stephen Harper?!? I just love it when people claim to accept gay people, then make homophobic remarks suggesting that gay people should go back in the closet and shouldn't be allowed in public areas. ;-)
The only problems we've encountered is with people bringing their dogs onto the dock and beach during the months they are not supposed to, and then accusing regulars of hating dogs when advised about the CRD bylaw. Dog owners who obviously could care less about the potential harm to the natural pristine environment of the lake.
It is wonderfully freeing to be among like-minded people without fear of judgment, regardless of what our bodies look like, and what our sexual orientation is. The Prior Lake regulars are friendly, accepting and welcoming. Haters can take their judgments and go elsewhere if they do not like the crowd. The lake is absolutely beautiful to swim in and a perfect place to soak in the sun. We have seen gorgeous blue herons, majestic turkey vultures and bald eagles soaring overhead, a family of otters and other wildlife there. We only wish we could have found this place sooner to enjoy, and plan to be Prior Lake regulars from now on.
Thank you for mentioning the spam. I did not receive a notification in that case! It is now deleted.
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I’m a straight male who has been visiting this lake for over a decade. Sure it can get packed and the beach is small. Fine.. no big deal, friendly people will always make room for you and I’ve never had any unwarranted sexual advances. People are respectful here and look out for one another. My favourite lake by far, so peaceful and gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteAbout 20 years ago I walked the trails around prior lake and I was approached by a naked man asking me if I wanted a blowjob. I declined and it unfortunately took me close to 20 years to return after that unwanted encounter. I've now been to Prior Lake about a dozen times or more in the last two years as a straight male (or couple when my wife joins me) and I haven't encountered any problems. Smokers usually leave the dock to do their thing. I haven't seen dogs and I've typically seen people socializing normally or keeping to themselves. Ogling and creepy looks seem to not be a thing. I now enjoy the little nature oasis but wish there was a larger beach area in Victoria that's officially nude. I was recently at Wreck Beach and it was incredibly relaxing to be able to stroll without clothes and without fear of judgment or upsetting anyone. Surely a section of a large beach like Island View would be a good fit for this in the Greater Victoria area.
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