fairfield lake state park
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fairfield lake state park印象
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It was my 8 year old son's first time to go camping, so I wanted to pick a place with some wilderness that would not be overwhelming. This park was perfect.We camped in the area that only had water and no electricity. There are about 100 such campsites, but we were one of only 3 or 4 groups that were there. The ranger set us up in a spot very close to the bathroom/shower (spot 26). There was a small opening next to the bathroom where we could throw the ball and there were swings there (which we did not use). Our campground overlooked the lake and there was a short path down the a rocky beach. My son had a blast finding rocks and skipping them on the lake (which was smooth like glass while we were there). There are a couple of hiking trails and we went on the long one that doubles as an equestrian trail. It did not appear that anyone had been on this trail in some time as there were a lot of large branches we had to move or cross. The trail was not challenging, but there were some scenic ponds and lots of wildlife and birds to see. After reading a few other reviews, I was a bit nervous, but the bathroom and showers were clean. A few spiders were crawling around in there, but no large webs or anything like that and the fans kept the mosquitos at bay. The areas for the tents were a bit bare, but were flat and easily prepped for the tent. I don't know what the normal behavior for raccoons is, but they were very aggressive. As we were making smores over the campfire, they actually came up and stole the dog's food dish. They took the whole thing and disappeared into the woods! They were all over the campsite while we slept and this kept the dog really worked up. So, while the park is pet friendly, you might want to keep this in mind if you are planning to take your dog.The lake was very smooth and I wished that we had brought the wave runners, but the end of the lake by our campground did have a lot of stumps close to shore so I don't know if we would have been able to open them up.
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Love this park, its big and saw lots of deer including one doe and her 2 fawns. Lots of beautiful birds. Good fishing from the bank as well. Great if you have a trailer or for tent camping (fall/winter). Although hot outside really enjoyed the beauty. Plenty of picnic tables or just sit out on the point overlooking the lake and enjoy. There is a sandy beach for swimming as well. Entry fee is $4.00 per person or $70 annually for your auto.
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We went early in the morning on a hot day. The park was beautiful. The kids were bored because the only play area only had a swing set. Lots if picnic tables and campsigjts are available.
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***Disclaimer*****************We’re a family of 5 with kids ages 9,9, and 6. Our setup is a 35’ motorhome with 50amp service. We rely on the MH bathroom and shower but will take advantage of park facilities when they are acceptable. We have an inflatable kayak for smaller lakes and we like to fish and geocache. We also take the kids’ bikes along. We typically spend 2 or 3 days max in a park and consider things to do nearby, but most of our time is spent in the park itself. Our park experiences and reviews are based off the above.**************Fairfield State ParkI’d like to qualify that this review is based on a drive through experience or what we like to refer to as a “scouting mission” while in the area to see if it is a park we’d drive to stay at. We were staying at Fort Parker SP near Mexia, TX at the time. Earlier in the year we ran into some people at a different park that had given us a rough review of Fairfield SP so I had expectations in check, but I was pretty surprised by what I saw, and not in a good way. I really question the good reviews others on Trip Advisor have given this park. In the last 2 years We’ve been to about 25 of the state parks so I feel like I have a pretty sound basis for comparison, and although I did not stay overnight at this particular park, I saw enough to make the determination that I will not be going back. On to the details:Camping Sites – I was surprised by the quantity of campsites that this park has available. Looking at the map on paper, you’d think they have such high demand, but from what I saw, I think most of those campsites have not been used in about a decade. Again, it’s the middle of summer and maybe the park sees a lot of visitors in cooler weather, but I didn’t see signs of it. I couldn’t get over the terrible condition of the campsites in general. Most of the sights I could barely even make out the parking pad. If they weren’t covered with all sorts of debris, they were practically nonexistent due to erosion. The sheer quantity of debris, dead tree limbs, and “slash” for lack of a better word throughout the whole park, including the campsites, was very surprising. To top it off, I don’t think there was a level place in the whole park. If you have a bigger unit you had better be prepared with planks and blocks to help level your rig out. I feel bad writing a review like this, but this has to be one of the worst parks I’ve seen in the last 2 years. None of the loops really looked better than the other. My personal opinion is that they need to shut down at least 1 if not 2 of the loops and concentrate on cleaning up the other one.Lake/Reservoir - I can’t comment on the lake outside it looked rather large. I did notice that the fishing pier by the first boat ramp did not appear to be there.Bathrooms/Showers – My daughter needed to use the restroom so we stopped in the facilities in the loop towards the end. I stepped in to check them out for this review. I can’t say I was surprised after seeing the general condition of the campsites. An old bathroom is one thing, but there is no excuse for spiderwebs and bugs throughout. The one thing I noticed is they had drainage mats in the showers which made me wonder why most parks don’t have those. So, my initial thought was “’’meh”, but what I expected. Then, I heard my daughter making a commotion before coming out of her side. I asked what the issue was and she told me there were all kinds of scorpions in the lights in the women’s side. I thought surely not, but I opened the door and saw for myself. They have a big issue in that bathroom, and it’s a little more than some bleach water is going to fix!Trails – I can’t saw we hiked any of the trails. We were going to until we had the bathroom incident but then determined it was just time to leave instead. The area in general looked like it needed some serious work. Maybe the trails are nice like one person noted. Maybe we missed the gem of the whole park. I doubt it though. Wildlife – we did see a deer while in the park and one on the road away from the park. Be careful driving at night and in the morning. oh yea, we saw some scorpions! I’m going to get on my soapbox for a minute here and rant. The state park system is in a crunch and they need people to go out and visit to keep funds moving in. Almost every park we visit I hear something about being understaffed. That said, if you don’t provide a product that people want to be in/around, nobody is going to come. It is a big Catch 22. If people don’t come visit, you can’t afford to clean up and maintain. My sense is that is what happened with Fairfield SP. Either it is poorly run due to bad management, or it is a budget issue. Either way, the park needs to be cleaned up as it is a poor example of what the Texas State Park system has to offer. If that was the first state park I had ever been to I probably wouldn’t have a desire to see any of the others thinking they were all like that. Texas is a beautiful state with many diverse areas that are a joy to visit. I would simply suggest you take a pass on Fairfield SP in favor of another one. After reading the other reviews, I just don’t know how people could write such great reviews. They obviously provide a completely different perspective. To each their own I guess. I’m providing pictures of the playground, sand volleyball, and an example of a campsite. It is hard to tell in the picture of the campsite, but the dirt area that looks like it gives nice space to the campsite is actually the parking pad. It had once been asphalt but is so weathered that is all that is left. I should have taken a few more of other sites to show the debris that is around. I found it strange that the volleyball area actually looked nice and new. Clearly they need more of this effort in the rest of the park.On a side note, when we checked in I went to hand my state park pass to the attendant. I was told that since I had my Fort Parker receipt on my windshield I was fine. I said ok and went on, but if they don’t check me in, that is 2 people less that they have record for visiting the park in 2012. That has to amount to a budget number somewhere right? It takes 2 minutes to check me in, why not have a record and get credit for having an extra two visitors in your park? I sense that maybe that is just “the way things are” at Fairfield SP. Oh well, I won’t be returning.It hurts to write a scathing review of one of our parks, but that's my honest take on it like it or not.
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It was a bit smaller than usual but it was nice and peaceful. The problem is there is very little to do.likes- It was peaceful It was quietDislikes- Smaller than I expected Not much to do
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swimming, fishing, hiking, bird watching, and camping all tucked into a smaller looking park. deer come right to your tents. warm water from plant keep lake swim temperature year round.
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From the front desk person with her un-ironed ill-fitting shirt to the pot holed RV pads, the park is sadly second rate. I have to admit, they do seem to be TRYING. The mowers were out. One of the camping loops was closed down (for renovation?). It can only get better...
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Our family camped at sites 56 and 57 near the volleyball court and playground. These were great sites. We were there Memorial Day weekend and all of the sites were booked, and even still the place did not feel crowded.I haven't been tent camping in more than 15 years, so I forgot about the bathroom aspect of camping. Having to drive to the bath house when nature called was a drag (I have feet problems, so walking was not an option). I will be investing in my own portable potty for the next trip.The bathrooms were clean in the morning but as the day goes on and folks don't flush their toilet tissue and it's left on the floor, well that is a drag. But the park does have clean bathrooms. It's the campers who trash the place.The showers were nice. Nice hot water (if you need it - we were hot, so a cold shower was welcomed). The bathhouse near us was near campsite 73, and for the women's showers there are three stalls with locking doors and one stall with a shower curtain. A rule of thumb is to always wear shower shoes. We did that, and the showers were clean and it was nice to know we could take a shower in a clean environment. It gets very, very, very humid when folks use the hot water for showers, so be prepared to be very sticky after toweling off and trying to put on dry clothes.Park rangers were everywhere. I was very impressed by this.We took the boat out and it was just a fantastic lake. I love it there.The play ground has swings and a climbing dome. And there is a volley ball court. And plenty of space for a game of football, baseball, etc.We went to the swimming part of the lake and it as very nice. I don't much care for the squishy mud you walk through at the shore line in order to get in the lake, but once you're over that, you are good to go. We took our kayaks and it was wonderful.The campsites are great, the lake is great, the bathrooms are clean, the park is well maintained (I saw absolutely no trash lying around the park), the boat launch is great - this is a great park for chilling out.The only trash I saw a the park was by people not cleaning up after themselves in the ladies room, and someone let a diaper into the lake. ??? You will find folks like that at any park, unfortunately. But the park was absolutely not riddled with litter. Our family had a great time; our kids loved it. We will gladly return to this park.
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Dont go out of you way for this one unless you want to swim or fish. I say this because the trails are not that great and were not very well maintained the last time I was there. The lake at this park is warmed by a very large power plant on the lake so it supports many large fish species. The beach was very crowded when i was here but Im a hiker so I came for the trails. probrably wont be back.The statements in my reviews are true and are solely based on my own personal travel experiences and therefore do not reflect the views or opinions of other travelers whom have been here before me. Make everyday a new experience! Mark
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We drove through this park after reading reviews. We really tried to like it. They have just repoured the pads in the largest campground, Cooks Ferry, and I have included a photo of the pad here. It's really nice BUT they didn't touch the bathrooms. There are 64 campsites that are served by two showers for men and two showers for women. That is it. They did have two separate bathroom locations in that campsite but one of them didn't have any showers. Do NOT stay in the Post Oak campground for at least the next two years before they repour the pads there. You seriously cannot park your camper on these pads. I have included a picture. At the best, the pads were 7' wide but only in small areas as the rest of the asphalt had completely deteriorated. The bathrooms were filthy. The public swim area is horrible. You have to step down from a retaining wall to get into the water. The playground is sad. Basically, the park does not look well maintained in most areas.As has been previously stated, there are so many better parks in Texas, why go there? We would not.