If you are traveling to Dexter, an unincorporated community nestled in the trees outside of Eugene, it could be for a myriad of reasons. Perhaps, you are visiting Dexter Reservoir to have a picnic or frolic through nature on the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. Or, you’re going to town to eat at one of the cozy diners or cafes, escaping city life while catching up with some of the 800 folks who live there.

But maybe you’re going to Dexter after the sun sets. You’ve swapped your work uniform for an outfit of rope, lace and chains, and your car has a toy chest of whips, paddles, Saran wrap or maybe even some medical supplies. 

If you find yourself driving past Dexter and onto its outskirts, while the lights are off but you’re turned on, then you’re likely going to Dex Ranch, and you’ve come out to play.

Dex Ranch is a sex club that’s open to the public, founded in 2016 by Ken Friedkin — and the only one of its kind this side of Portland (and pretty much throughout the rest of the state). “People like to have a place where they can safely explore their kinks and fetishes and fill their curiosity,” Friedkin says. 

The ranch hosts themed kink parties twice per month and swingers parties every six weeks. At the top of the 60-acre property sits a 500-square-foot enclosed horse arena (one that definitely does not cater to horses). On Feb. 7, the ranch will have its first party of 2026, with the theme “Roses and Thorns.”

Among many pieces of equipment, Dex Ranch contains a multitude of spanking chairs, St. Andrew’s crosses — sex equipment composed of two diagonal bars meant for restraining submissives — massage tables, a new dog kennel (one that definitely does not cater to dogs), a medical suite (to play “doctor”) and four curtained-off suites with beds, illuminated by red lights and mirrors on the ceilings. “We call this the red light district,” Friedkin says. 

There is a fresh linen station and laundry bin, and everyone is expected to change their sheets when finished. In the middle of the room and at every site, there are couches and chairs for socializing and voyeurism.

Friedkin says that there is no pressure to engage in the evening’s activities. “And a lot of people come out just for the socialization; they never really play,” he adds. “They watch other people play, and then they just chit chat and talk and have a good time.” 

Rahne Griggs has been attending Friedkin’s parties since the beginning, and says, “It’s not always about sex, it’s about connection.” Though both happily maintain that it is very much also about the former.

The establishment contains three Harbor Freight engine lifts, which, on this ranch, are used for rope suspension.

“Every New Year’s, we do what we call a Sub Drop,” Friedkin says. Instead of watching the Ball Drop in Times Square, the Dex Ranch New Year’s Eve party sees a dominant tie up his submissive with ropes and suspend her from one of the structures, with everyone clapping and cheering as he lowers her at the stroke of midnight. “It’s pretty popular,” he says. “The couple who does it met here and got engaged here. Oh, and they got married here.” Friedkin is an ordained minister and officiated the wedding on the property. 

Friedkin operates the parties with several rules, but there’s one that umbrellas them all: “Don’t be a dick.” If that’s broken, with things like interrupting a scene — which is a planned BDSM encounter — touching other people’s toys, engaging in nonconsensual behavior or participating in knife or gun play (the only two sex acts banned from the parties), Friedkin says those folks will be dealt with directly and promptly removed. Also, everyone is required to sign a legal waiver and show their legal ID before entering every party.

When it comes to kinks that are represented at his parties, Friedkin says, “What haven’t we done?” He says his parties frequently see “Impact play, and that includes paddles, bare hands, spanking, canes, whips, floggers. People will do different types of suspension. There’s even been a few people that will do self suspension,” he says. “There’s people that want to be led around just wearing a chastity cage. We’ve done gang bangs.” He adds, “To my knowledge, we haven’t done scat play. We have done water sports.” (You can Google those.) 

Friedkin continues, “If we haven’t done it, and someone is interested, we can do it.” 

However, he has several protocols to ensure safety. When it comes to more dangerous activities such as electrical, blood, fire or rope play, Friedkin says they can only occur after his expressed permission following separate interviews with both the dominant and the submissive. “If you’re experienced, you know what you’re doing and you have the right equipment, then we can discuss what our requirements are, as long as everyone’s going to be on the right page.” 

That being said, he does have a fire extinguisher on hand just in case — though he says things have never gotten too out of hand in that regard.

During swingers parties, all of the kink play is off-limits in favor of moving more beds in and clearing out the spanking chairs for a dance floor.

Friedkin started out by having parties in just a couple of rooms in his house before they became too popular too quickly. “In the house, kitchen, living room, upstairs, even into the garage, it started exploding from there,” Griggs says, “So much to the point where even when he opened up a second area inside the house, it was still not enough.” 

Griggs is a frequent guest at Dex Ranch because of “how accommodating, how warm the people are,” they say. “We are all walks of life. We can all have differing points of views, and this is what brings us together.” 

Dex Ranch holds kink parties every first and third Saturday of the month, starting 8 pm on Feb. 7, and swingers parties every six weeks at 81372 Lost Creek Road in Dexter. Admission is $15 flat or $10 with five non-perishable food items for a food drive. For more information, email Play@DexRanch.com or visit DexRanch.com.