La Mesa Dam Ecopark Itinerary: Day Trip

A relaxing atmosphere of greens in the heart of Quezon City

Attraction | La Mesa Dam Eco-park Day Tour
La Mesa Dam Watershed Reservoir, East Fairview, Quezon City
Specs/Amenities: Picnic grounds, La Mesa dam lake, swimming pool, fitness trail, boating, fishing, horse-back riding, orchidarium, butterfly garden, wall climbing, paintball, bike trail.
115 MASL taken at the Ipil Recreation Shed (waypoints.ph)
Hours from Manila: 1-1.5 hours






Things to consider:
. To get there: take a Fairview-bound bus, FX, or jeepney from Taft Ave. or Philcoa. Get off at the East Fairview Subdivision entrance gate. There you will find green tricycles that can take you to the Park.
. Bringing your own car will cut about 30 minutes from your travel time. From Quezon City memorial circle, take Commonwealth Ave. towards Fairview. Turn right at East Fairview Subdivision entrance gate. Follow road signs or ask the tricycle drivers for directions.
. You can safely park your car in the parking lot outside the park entrance.
. Park hours: 8AM to 5PM daily.
. Park admission rates:

Above 3 ft - P50.00 Yellow Ticket (adult)/Red Ticket (kids)
Quezon City residents (with valid proof of residence) - P40.00 Green ticket
Students (with ID) - P20.00 Pink ticket
3ft and below - Free
Senior Citizen - P40.00
Senior Citizens (with ID) - Free

. Pool admission rates (9AM - 4PM daily)

Above 3 ft - P80.00 Violet ticket
3ft and below - P40.00
Proper swimming attire is strictly implemented - no cotton made fabrics, no buttons and zippers
Pool admission rates apply to all who enter pool compound, whether they swim or not.

. Other attractions:

Boat Rental - P100 per boat for 30 minutes (maximum capacity of 4 persons)
Fishing - P40.00 and P80/kilo of catch
Butterfly Trail and Hatchery (9am to 5pm) entrance fee - P30
Horse-back Riding: from P50 - P150 (depending on the route)

. The paintball and wall climbing areas are located near the parking lot.
. The picnic area gets hot and humid in the afternoon. There's not much wind breeze to go by since the park situated in a small valley.
. Bring plenty of snacks to nibble on!
. The East Fairview subdivision entrance gate is just one of 3 entrances to the park.
. There are function halls inside the park that you can rent for gatherings or birthday parties. When I went there, there was a prayer group on one of the function halls near our picnic table. Their loud microphone and stereo kept us from having a peace-and-quiet time with nature. So, my advice is to choose a good picnic spot.

Options:
. I believe organized tours can be arranged, just ask for information at the ticket booth.
. Bring packed lunch or buy from the mini stores inside the park. There are picnic tables you can use free of charge. There are also grilling areas and sinks, if you wish to cook there (just bring your own charcoal and utensils).
. You can bring your own bike (or ride it to get there) and make use of the bike trail inside the park. There are no bike rentals inside the park.
. If you get tired of walking, you can hitch a ride from one of the park shuttles the go around the park. They have friendly operators who are glad to answer your park inquiries.
. There are areas to pitch tents and trees where you can put up a hammock but park visitors are not allowed to stay overnight.

Budget: around P450 per pax.
Budget estimate for 5 people:
200 Bus/FX/Jeep to Fairview
200 Bus/FX/Jeep back to Manila
100 Tricycle
250 Entrance fees
750 Food
750 misc (pool/fishing/butterfly/etc.)

visit http://www.lamesaecopark.com/ or call (+632) 430-5207 / 430-4051 for more info.

Photos from my sister hershey's multiply site.


In the park shuttle with my family. Don't hesitate to ask questions from the friendly shuttle operators.





Man-made fishing lake.


View from the top of the 118-step flower terraces leading to the dam lake.


"NO cameras and video taking". I know!

Itinerary and expenses updated March 01, 2009