Paynetown State Recreation Area — Attraction in Bloomington

I would likely rate this place higher were it not for Phillip the cleaning guy coming into the bathroom late at night kicking stall doors open, which was annoying and stressful, and then cussing me out and calling me profane names when I simply asked if he were looking for someone. I reported it to the other dnr staff working their that night. I asked them, what's with your cleaning guy, oh Phillip they replied, what's he done now. That wasn't a good sign but I expect to be treated with dignity and respect, especially by people who are employed by the state. Not sure if he still works there but I found that whole area to be crowded and highly trafficked during the summer season. Hardin Ridge was more pleasant and the people who worked their were friendlier and...

The grounds are very nice and the beach itself is fantastic, but small. The only reason I putting two stars is because staff, or someone who needs to be retrained on their hours. According to Google, the grounds close at 11pm. We were swimming at 9pm and most people cleared out. Well, some lady with a marked official SUV came and began yelling at us and saying it was time to leave. We ignored her because it's open until 11? She then proceeded to park and watch us while having her high beam lights pointed straight at us. Now maybe the area is operating on reduced hours, but that is apparent nowhere. I checked DNR and lake monroe websites, all of which staed the lake was open without restrictions. So why were we chastised at 9pm and...

My family and I visited the Paynetown SRA beach and thoroughly enjoyed our time there, although it could certainly have been better. The park and reservoir are gorgeous. The bathroom and changing/shower area was clean and easy to access. The beach was covered in goose excrement though. It appears that no one had cleaned it for days (at least). We had to walk across a swath of it 4-6 feet wide in order to get into the water. We had to carefully watch my grandchild with his shovel and bucket to ensure that he wasn’t playing with it. Someone needs to clean it at least daily. It’s a health risk.

P.S. Dog-lover and owner that I am, I was disappointed at the no dog policy while stepping through non-canine dung. I’d at least clean up...