Mazomanie Beach Receives Unwanted National Attention

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Posted: 6:22 PM Jul 6, 2007
Last Updated: 6:48 AM Jul 7, 2007
Reporter: Melissa Wollering
Email Address: mwollering@nbc15.com

12 comments

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The Department of Natural Resources hopes the latest buzz about a local beach in the buff does not prompt more indecent behavior.

Mazomanie's nude beach was recently featured in a USA Today article.
However, even regular beach-goers are concerned about out-of-state tourists traveling to the beach as a result of the publicity.

For nearly sixty years, people sporting little more than their birthday suits have been able to mind their business on the Mazomanie beach along the Wisconsin River.

"We're basically free-spirited and have nothing to hide and I don't mean that as a pun," says regular beach patron Michael McGreevy.

Wisconsin DNR Conservation Warden Supervisor Jeremy Plautz is concerned that the beach is no longer a secret.

"It is advertised on the Internet," says Plautz. "It is advertised in the media now quite a bit that it is a nude beach. It becomes attractive for people coming for sex."

Ten people have been arrested for public sex and three others for drug possession since Memorial Day. Now the Wisconsin DNR is cracking down and regular beach-goers are taking matters into their own hands. Regular beach patrons keep their eyes on guests and discourage bad behavior.

The DNR removed several willow trees from the beach area to deter people from hiding. However, patrons say a portion further downstream has caused the problems.

"As for the some of the sex acts, these are isolated and not on the main beach," says Michael McGreevy.

Pastor Ralph Ovadal and his church have been protesting the beach for years and want it closed. Ovadal says he is not as worried about the adults as he is children. On Friday, NBC 15 spotted several children on the beach, some of them clothed. Other children were not clothed.

"Everyday we hear stories of children being used in child pornography," says Ovadal. "People are arrested for that. Now we have a place on public property where children are paraded naked and anyone can go down there."

One area along the beach that has been a problem in the past has now been closed off. The fine for entering the restricted area is $160.
There are also DNR rangers and wardens on patrol most days of the week.

The nude beach is legal but there have been attempts to close it. Eight years ago the Wisconsin legislature considered closing the beach during the summer months, but that failed. The same year an attempt to ban public nudity at all DNR recreational sites also failed.

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Posted by: Benjamin Hoppe Location: Madison on Jun 29, 2009 at 06:41 AM
Yes, it is true, children are running around on the beach with no clothes and their parents are their nude as well. What is the problem with this? The perverts are the ones who bring cameras to the beaches. Stop limiting the rights of nudists. Those who don´t like the nudist beach will never find it on accident, and never have to go there, so there is no problem. People who have been caught having sex there were almost undoubtably couples. The truth of the matter is that we have to let the nudists do what they want within a small area, and let the rest of the people go on living as they wish. Drug use? Public sex? Children and adults going together to a nude beach? No one is being harmed by any of these actions! If you don´t like the beach don´t go there, but it is by no means ´creating´ any problems..

Posted by: Alex Location: Los Angeles on May 24, 2009 at 10:20 PM
If mazo beach is designated as "adults only" then the implication is that nudism is about sex, which it is not. If people that come there to do drugs or engage in lewd behavior know the beach is being patrolled then this activity is much less likely to occur. To say a nudist parent is a pervert just for bringing their child is absurd and implies that being nude is inherently sexual and lewd. Until swimming suits became common kids skinny dipped all the time and it wasn't considered sexual, so why is it that way now? If you think of a minor as a sexual object just because they are nude, then who is the "pervert", you or the parent? The number of child molesters has not increased in recent years, just the number of people writing about them on the internet.

Posted by: anonymous Location: Waunakee on May 12, 2009 at 06:52 PM
One other thing, the person who said they ran around in their front yard naked...... I don't know how old you are but I did that also and I am now 55. You have to take into consideration that the times are different and children have to be raised differently in today's society because of what is now out there compared to when I was a child in the late 50's, early 60's. WHOLE different world full of scumbags who would love nothing more than to see a child running around naked. That beach is for ADULTS. A parent who takes their child there is no different than the pervert coming to see it!

Posted by: anonymous Location: Waunakee on May 12, 2009 at 06:45 PM
I don't care one way or the other if it stays open or not. I agree 100% that it is for ADULTS ONLY. 18 and up, period! Anyone who brings children should be arrested for child endangerment. Why? Because like the others have commented, there COULD be predators there looking for the little kiddies! Putting children in that envinronment who are under 18 is not fair to the child. That is a decision that ADULTS should be making. A child is being brought without consent and just because you are their parent doesn't give you the right to subject them to your adult behavior. As long as 18 and over, no kids, drugs, alcohol........leave the people alone! You can't be offended unless you go there to be offended!

Posted by: DC Location: waunakee on May 11, 2009 at 02:24 PM
keep the beach open. get rid of the problem people and only allow people 18 years old and older to be at the beach. and for people who don't like this, then don't go to the beach! the normal regular folks that go to this beach are peaceful and common sense people. its the few idiots that can ruin a place like that. get rid of the idiots, and let the regulars enjoy their one small area of beach. i have no problem with it! i just have a problem with the bad seeds that almost ruin it for everyone else because they are idiots. and don't take your kids. that beach should be for adults only.

Posted by: Paul Location: Chicagoland on Jul 16, 2007 at 10:13 AM
It is hard to find a place do go nude. When I have gone there I have only see friendly people there. I think it would be good to have Drug and Alcohol laws enforced but I think that is true everywhere. Let the people have a good time.

Posted by: Annie Location: American Parkway, Madison on Jul 15, 2007 at 04:28 PM
I ran around naked in our yard as a kid, getting in and out of an old galvanized wash tub which was our swimming pool. Nobody thought any ofit.We stopped doing that when we were about eight years old. Getting naked at the Beach is not about sex but about freedom. Most of us are overweight and getting on in years. We are not proud, nor ashamed, of our bodies. Except for the outsiders, very few see the beach as the site for a sexual romp. Naked ness itself is not a perversion, it is in the perverse heart and mind where naked children are deemed sexual. There are more perverted child molesters in the general public than at the Beach, and I'd bet money on that. It seems that even the Puritans among us are oversexualizing society. Europeans take nudity as a matter of course. Some Arabs think women who show skin even their faces are perverse. Go figure.

Posted by: Ross Location: Chicagoland on Jul 9, 2007 at 08:43 PM
It's very difficult to find a nude beach in the Midwest like this without having to pay or join a special nudist organization. This beach is peaceful and serene. I found it to be a relaxing and friendly atmosphere. Even though I'm not a local, I worry about too much media exposure attracting the wrong kind of people. Nudism doesn't mean sex! My concern that this may cause the beach to be shut down. And again, it is very rare to have a place like this to go to in the Midwest. I wish there were more beaches like this.

Posted by: Buster1567 Location: Monroe on Jul 9, 2007 at 04:34 PM
I have been going to the beach the last couple of years and has it has gotten better every year that goes by. I started going by MY choice! So there may be a few bad seeds. None that I have seen. But no matter where you go your gonna have that. The beach is a great place that many enjoy and IT SHOULD STAY OPEN!

Posted by: Julia Location: Mazomanie on Jul 7, 2007 at 09:16 PM
Shortly after we moved to the area, my husband and I stopped at the nude beach while out for a ride. There weren't many people there, and they all were clothed. However there were several VW buses(I'm not kidding!)parked in the lot. During the time we were there, men wearing only little leather pouches would exit then re-enter the vehicles two at a time. I'm glad our children weren't with us. Creepy.

Posted by: Me Location: Dane on Jul 7, 2007 at 09:53 AM
I think it should just stay open. If you don't like what goes on at the beach don't go to it.

Posted by: c Location: sauk city on Jul 7, 2007 at 08:43 AM
I grew up in mazo and that beach never hurt anyone.Any problems there come about from people pitching a fit because it is there If you don't like it, don't go there. some people should grow up. you are born nude and if you want to go to the nude beach in mazo and be free of clothes than do so but do it with respect for yourself and others. that beach also brings more people to local merchants in the area.since when is freedom of choice and good business a bad thing?

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