When Naked Falls closed to the public in June 2016, Steven Epling was devastated.

The 37-year-old Vancouver man didn't grow up with a lot money, so instead of big vacations, his family took camping trips around the area. As a boy he loved the outdoors, but no place enthralled him as much as the small stretch of the Washougal River in Skamania County, where the crystal-clear water cascades over small ledges into deep, turquoise pools.

"I just couldn't think of my life without Naked Falls anymore," Epling said. "Naked Falls is my favorite place on earth."

The falls - named for nude sunbathers that frequented the spot before it was popular - is on land that has been owned by timber giant Weyerhaeuser. Last year the company closed the site to the public due to safety concerns. Naked Falls is a popular cliff diving spot, and like other local swimming holes, has drawn unsustainably large crowds in recent years.

But while most people simply accepted the news, Epling decided to do something about it. He decided to buy Naked Falls, and by this weekend - just in time for the Fourth of July - he'll officially reopen it to the public.

To be clear, Epling isn't in the forestry or park management business. He works in the finance industry, currently working as a manager at a local credit union. His work has taken him to different towns over the last 10 years, where he says he took advantage of the economic recession and bought three other houses to rent out.

That investment has now paid off. After selling those houses, and with some help from a small loan, he was able to make Weyerhaeuser an offer on the land. Remarkably, the company agreed, and this past March they closed on a $275,000 sale for 131 acres around the waterfall. A spokesman from Weyehaeuser confirmed the transaction.

"I have everything I've ever wanted right now," Epling said. "Money is just a means to an end for me, and I've met the end."

The purchase allows him to manage the falls like he always wanted to. That means cracking down on littering and overcrowding, he said, and expanding the amenities to turn Naked Falls into a developed recreational area.

He's planning on building a restroom with flush toilets, and setting up seven to 10 campgrounds, each with a view of the river and sitting on at least two acres. The falls will be open for days use as well, though visitors will have to buy a $10 parking pass online to go there. The fee will help Epling keep up with maintenance, and should curb crowds: He says he'll only sell as many passes as there are parking spaces available.

Naked Falls should be open to the public by the end of June, he said. Parking passes will be made available online at nakedfalls.com. More information is available at facebook.com/washougalriver.

Even as he finishes getting the falls ready for the public, Epling said the whole situation is surreal. It's been months since he signed the papers, but he still can't believe he now owns his favorite natural place in the world, a spot that's held deep meaning his whole life.

"It's a small miracle to me," he said. "I was at the right place at the right time, and I was tenacious enough to go for the moon."

Now it's time for other people to fall in love with Naked Falls, he said. Maybe they'll see what he sees in it too.

--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB