Fairfax State Recreation Area

Updated June 11, 2025

## Fairfax State Recreation Area (Bloomington, Indiana): What It Actually Offers—Beach, Boat Access, and Short Loop Trails on Lake Monroe

Fairfax State Recreation Area (SRA) is one of the state-managed recreation areas on Monroe Lake, Indiana’s largest lake. It’s geared toward day use—especially swimming, boating, and picnicking—with a major private concession on-site (Fourwinds) that adds marina-and-hotel convenience you don’t get at every lake access point. Government

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## Quick facts (verified)

– Place: Fairfax State Recreation Area (Monroe Lake) Government
– Address: 8955–9013 S Fairfax Rd, Bloomington, IN 47401, United States
– Coordinates (given): 39.0302923, -86.489787
– Managing agency: Indiana Department of Natural Resources (Indiana DNR), operating Monroe Lake under lease with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Government
– Monroe Lake size (as published by DNR materials): 10,750 acres of lake; 13,202 acres of land (brochure figure) Government
– Beach season (published): Open Memorial Day through Labor Day Government
– Known on-site features (published/visitor bureaus): swimming beach, boat ramp(s), picnic areas; Fourwinds Lakeside Inn & Marina on-site

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## What you can do at Fairfax SRA

### Swim (seasonal) + beach facilities
The DNR brochure states the beach at Fairfax is part of the two designated beaches at Monroe Lake (Paynetown and Fairfax), and that beaches are open Memorial Day through Labor Day with bathhouse accommodations. Government

Accessibility note (published): Indiana DNR specifically notes mobility mats for easier beach access are available at Paynetown and Fairfax SRAs. Government

### Boat access and lake recreation
Monroe Lake’s official DNR page lists boating as a core activity and notes multiple launch ramps across the property, with marinas/boat rentals available (including Fourwinds). Fairfax SRA is one of the named recreation areas around the lake. Government

If your plan is easy launch + amenities close by, Fairfax is positioned to be convenient because Fourwinds is highlighted by DNR as a marina/hotel/restaurant/bar option on the lake.

### Hike short, defined loop trails (names + distances published)
Indiana DNR’s Monroe Lake page lists the Fairfax SRA trail system with three routes and lengths:

– Big Oak Trail and Evergreen Loop: 1.5 miles, loop, moderate
– Homestead Loop Trail: 1.8 miles, loop, moderate
– Quarry Extension Trail: 0.4 miles, out-and-back, easy Government

These are the kinds of distances that work well for a quick leg-stretcher between swimming, picnicking, or time on the water.

### Picnic and day-use setup
The DNR brochure describes picnic areas across Monroe Lake property as commonly including picnic tables, fire rings, and toilet facilities. Government
The Monroe Lake page also lists picnicking/shelterhouses and provides a shelter reservation pathway. Government

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## Amenities and “what’s on-site” (published)

### Fourwinds Lakeside Inn & Marina (private concession)
DNR’s reservation platform description notes Fourwinds Resort on the lake’s southwest side and describes it as offering a marina, hotel, restaurant, and bar.
Local tourism materials also associate Fairfax SRA with Fourwinds Lakeside Inn & Marina.

### Contact + park office info (from DNR brochure/reservation page)
– Park office phone (published): (812) 837-9546 Government
– The brochure lists weekday office hours as Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., with weekend/seasonal hours varying. Government

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## Fees and passes (what DNR publishes statewide)

Indiana DNR publishes daily entrance fees that apply broadly to “State Parks and state-managed lakes” (with a few named exceptions that don’t include Monroe Lake). The current published daily rates are: $7 in-state and $9 out-of-state per noncommercial vehicle (plus a $2 per-person daily fee for pedestrians/bicyclists/horseback, ages 5+). Government

Important: This is the statewide fee schedule page; it’s the most defensible way to cite costs without guessing what a gate attendant is charging on a specific day. Always verify at the gate or on the Monroe Lake page before you drive out. Government

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## Safety + rules you should know (published)

### Blue-green algae caution (published on the reservation platform)
Indiana’s official reservation site for Monroe Lake includes a prominent advisory: blue-green algae can be found in lakes year-round, with specific guidance such as don’t drink the water and shower after swimming.

### Wildlife feeding restriction (published)
The Fairfax SRA brochure explicitly states feeding deer is prohibited, and warns that feeding wildlife can create nuisance behavior and risks to people and animals. Government

### Hunting procedures (published)
The brochure states that all hunters at Fairfax are required by law to sign in and return a hunting permit card to the hunter check-in station, and that hunting in certain waterfowl resting areas is restricted to special permit. Government

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## Accessibility and inclusivity (published)
Indiana DNR provides an “Everyone Welcome” section on the Monroe Lake page and points visitors to accessibility resources, and it specifically calls out mobility mats at Fairfax for beach access. Government
The Fairfax brochure also notes that information is available on accessibility and opportunities for people with physical challenges via the property office. Government

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## Outdated-data flags (so you don’t publish something wrong)

– The Fairfax SRA brochure shown in Indiana DNR materials is dated © 05/2023 (and also shows a map date © 1/2021). Treat operational details (like programs, exact facilities open, or seasonal staffing) as subject to change. Government
– The Monroe Lake main DNR page in this pull shows a published age of ~4.9 years ago in the tool result; trail names and the mobility-mat note are still valuable, but confirm anything time-sensitive (events, closures, ramp status) before you go. Government
– I attempted to use the required PDF screenshot tool for the brochure map, but the web tool returned a ValidationError, so I’m relying on the PDF’s extracted text instead of a visual read. URL

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## Internal links (can’t be safely included without your site URLs)
You asked for two contextual internal links. I can’t include RealJourneyTravels.com internal URLs without seeing your permalink structure (I won’t invent links). If you paste two relevant slugs (e.g., your Bloomington guide + your Monroe Lake guide), I’ll weave them in naturally and keep everything publication-clean.

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