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the story of Rosie Smith and her family’s San Bernardino nudist retreat, the Lazy K Ranch. nBelieved to have been located in Badger Canyon near present day California State University: San Bernardino, Lazy K Ranch was started by Joe and Bessie Smith after an initial foray into nudist resorts in partnership with Mel and Anne Hawker who created Oakdale Guest Ranch. Lazy K Ranch consisted of 153 acres with an artesian spring and abutting the San Bernardino National Forest. The property was only accessible via the gravel-surfaced Badger Canyon Road which connected to US Route 66 and lacked all utilities. nThis sign appears to have been near the entrance to Lazy K Ranch and bears Joe, Bessie, and Rosie’s names at the bottom next top “Jack” who was Rosie’s husband.nIt’s unclear exactly when Lazy K Ranch opened for nudists, but by the late 1950?s it was clearly well-established. Throughout the decade, the Smiths had worked to develop the primitive site into a club typical of the era. They brought electricity to the resort, added a pool at some point, and built their home and several other structures. They met with great success attracting people to their club and endeavored to popularize the lifestyle. On Monday, October 5th, 1959, Joe, Bessie, and their young daughter Rosie appeared on Paul Coates show on KTTV and shared the growing popularity of social nudism with viewers all over the Los Angeles area. Later, the Smith’s were also interviewed by Ben Hunter, but sadly no portion of either broadcast remains. nAt it’s peak, Lazy K Ranch was home to the first ever Junior Western Sunbathing Association (JWSA) Youth Camp for nudist children aged 13-19. The brainchild of sixteen-year-old “Linda” of Oakleaf Ranch in California, the program was directed by Alice Apgar who managed to attract scores of young nudists to the camp which was unique to North America at the time. It’s been reported that up to 80-100 teens would attend the camp each year between its inception in 1964 and 1969 when the program was terminated. To help pay for the cost of the camp the Western Sunbathing Association (WSA), would allow the nudist magazines of the era to photograph the camp. nSometime in the late 1960?s, but certainly after the 1967 JWSA Youth Camp, Lazy K Ranch abruptly closed. Some reports indicate that the Smiths moved to Arizona and bought a hotel.n
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