Fairview Riverside State Park
HIGHLIGHTS
Historic Otis House, Swamp Trail, Spacious Sites, Clean Bathrooms, Beautiful Walk Along the River
HISTORIC SITE & BEAUTIFUL SCENERY
Fairview Riverside State Park sits on the northern side of Lake Pontchartrain. The park houses the Otis House, a Queen-Anne style home built in 1885 by a lumber baron. On display is an original steam engine operated lumber mill. It is impressive to see the complexity such machinery and makes for a great educational opportunity for children.
The park has a combined 102 camping sites available for RVers and tent campers and a dock for those bringing water toys. There are two camping areas. The primary camp area is tucked beneath tall trees while the secondary camp area is adjacent to the boat ramp.
"Take a sunset walk on the riverside boardwalk every night."
We stayed for a week and enjoyed morning and evening walks on the riverside boardwalk and walked the Swamp Trail multiple times. You should take a sunset walk on the riverside boardwalk every night. Fairview Riverside is an incredibly peaceful park and our neighbors were kind and courteous. The kids told us spooky stories around the campfire and met a lot of other children at the kids park. The park checks all the boxes for family camping and we’d gladly stay here again in the future.
We should note that you are likely to see wildlife, and by wildlife, we mean alligators along the waterways. Be mindful of small children.
Aside from the park itself, the location is ideal for a day trip into New Orleans, via the impressive and expansive Lake Pontchartrain bridge. At almost 24 miles long, this is the longest continuous bridge in the world. At its centermost point you will strain to see land from any view point.
We took advantage of this and spent a day walking the French Quarter of New Orleans and visiting the world-class National World War II museum. If you’re staying at Fairview Riverside or any other parks close in proximity to New Orleans, we highly recommend doing both.