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A water park is one of many outdoor features at Camp Fimfo off Lake Shore Drive in Waco. Northgate Resorts opened its second Texas location of the upscale family resort on July 15.
Squirrely’s Tavern at Camp Fimfo is open to non-campers.
Camp Fimfo general manager Craig Copeland says that “Our main goal is to have activities planned where families are together, rather than plugged into an iPad all day.”
Camp Fimfo, a “glamping” resort, opened its doors on July 15. The Waco location, on the Bosque River next to McLennan Community College and Hawaiian Falls, offers an alternative to camping ready-made for families wanting to visit and see Waco.
“Glamping” is a combination of the outdoor aspects of camping with the accommodations and amenities of modern resort hotels. Camp Fimfo allows guests to experience nature without all the hassles of braving the wilderness on their own.
General manager Craig Copeland said he likes to think of Camp Fimfo as a 600-room hotel, only it is spread out horizontally rather than vertically. He said Fimfo is different from a traditional hotel in the amenities offered and the focus on providing activities that the whole family can enjoy.
“Our main goal is to have activities planned where families are together, rather than plugged into an iPad all day,” Copeland said. “What separates us more is we’re more outdoor based. We offer a variety of activities that are scheduled throughout the day for kids to enjoy.”
At Camp Fimfo, guests have access to amenities such as a restaurant and general store, a heated pool complete with a swim-up bar; a small water park; hot tubs; mini golf; courts for basketball, tennis and pickleball; yard games like horseshoes or cornhole; and even scheduled events like trivia nights and live music performances. The 211-acre park has about 150 parking spaces for RVs and is currently building about 150 cabins, which Copeland said should be completed by the beginning of next year.
Camp Fimfo’s store is open to the public. The resort features outdoor activities for all ages.
Miniature golf is one of the many recreational amenities at Camp Fimfo.
RV sites range in price from $168 to $188 per night and come with hookups for electricity, sewer and water as well as Wi-Fi, a grill and a fire pit. Though not open yet in Waco, the New Braunfels location of Camp Fimfo has tent sites listed between $91.50 to $112.50 per night and cabins available for $253 or $389.50 per night.
Tent sites come with electricity, water, Wi-Fi, a grill and a fire pit. Cabins have all the same amenities that RV and tent sites have but with air conditioning, cable TV, a kitchen and a private bathroom.
Additionally, day passes are available for $41 and offer access to all camp amenities, and the camp’s general store and restaurant are always open to the public.
Waco is the second Camp Fimfo location. The first one opened in New Braunfels in July 2021. The chain of parks is operated by Northgate Resorts, a company that also owns a number of Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts, which have a similar premise to Camp Fimfo, and other resorts.
Camp Fimfo off Lake Shore Drive has about 150 parking spaces for RVs and is currently building about 150 cabins, which are expected to be completed by the beginning of next year.
Copeland said Fimfo is a new brand meant to be a higher-end version of the Jellystone parks, with better food and dining options and activities targeted more for the entire family, where Jellystone is targeted more for younger kids.
Copeland said Northgate wanted to bring Camp Fimfo to Waco due to the growth in tourism in the last few years.
“With Magnolia and the amount of tourists that are coming into Waco, we’re hoping to fill that need or that void for a nicer accommodation, rather than just your basic hotel room,” Copeland said. “Here at Camp Fimfo, we’re close to the big sporting events, we get [guests] closer to their location and the kids have stuff to do rather than being tied up in a hotel room. All day long, they can be here and be active and be outside enjoying our amenities.”
Copeland also said Camp Fimfo hopes to highlight aspects of Waco for its guests.
“Our main reason is to highlight Magnolia and other things,” Copeland said. “We’re looking to partner with the Ironman group with offerings for the contestants to stay out here. We’re trying to push as much local stuff — we’ve got a local honey provider, we’ve got a lady that makes local jewelry that we have in our general store. We’re trying to offer a lot of local products in our general store.”
Camp Fimfo is currently building about 150 cabins, which are expected to be completed by the beginning of next year.
Though it is now open, the work on Camp Fimfo continues. In addition to the construction on the cabins, Copeland said the park is working to clear brush away to allow for better access to the river. He said the park will construct walkways near the river and designate space for tent camping.
Copeland said the park is also planning to stock a pond on the premises with bass and catfish for fishing, as well as build a laser tag arena, a 3,000-square-foot events pavilion, and if the camp is able to grow, a four-story ropes course.
Copeland said “Fimfo” has a hidden meaning behind it. He said only guests who stay at the park can solve the riddle, which he hinted is related to the outdoor activities the park offers.
“There’s some little clues around the park,” Copeland said. “It incorporates being outside. And as they’re here for a certain amount of days, we kind of fill them in about the meaning.”
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A water park is one of many outdoor features at Camp Fimfo off Lake Shore Drive in Waco. Northgate Resorts opened its second Texas location of the upscale family resort on July 15.
Camp Fimfo’s store is open to the public. The resort features outdoor activities for all ages.
Squirrely’s Tavern at Camp Fimfo is open to non-campers.
Camp Fimfo general manager Craig Copeland says that “Our main goal is to have activities planned where families are together, rather than plugged into an iPad all day.”
Camp Fimfo off Lake Shore Drive has about 150 parking spaces for RVs and is currently building about 150 cabins, which are expected to be completed by the beginning of next year.
Camp Fimfo is currently building about 150 cabins, which are expected to be completed by the beginning of next year.
Miniature golf is one of the many recreational amenities at Camp Fimfo.
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