Can you see the Milky Way without a telescope?

A group of my friends are arguing about whether or not a person can see the milky way without a telescope. We live in a very remote area, so the sky is filled with stars on a clear night. On really clear nights we can see a curved cloudy area that streaks the sky. It seems to be in the exact same shape every night, so I don’t think it’s a cloud.

Is this the milky way, or is that impossible?