Founding
Oakdale Ranch was depression era truck stop on Route 66 when the member of the Valley O’ the Sun naturist society sought a new home. In 1937 they reached an agreement to build cabanas on the wooded area behind the business and Oakdale Rand was founded. A clubhouse, a pool, tennis and volleyball courts were added along with camping sites.
Growth
The end of the Second World War saw an influx of visitors powered by returning servicemen and their families who were moving into Souther California. The early 1957 Mel and Anne Hocker discovered and embraced social nudism. They sold their home and bought Oakdale Ranch from Jimmie Campbell. Over the next decade the ranch continued to thrive, and like many such camps hosted an annual pageant Miss Nude Cosmos. To compete attract a younger crowd and compete with the emergence of the free beach movement, the ranch defied ASA policy and hosted nude dances and allowed alcohol consumption on the premises.
