Before this year, if you wanted to get onto the Estero River inside the Village of Estero, you had two options: the state park on Corkscrew Road or the outfitter on Tamiami Trail. In 2026 a third option opened, a Village-owned park at the end of Highlands Avenue. The two older options also changed. Koreshan State Park replaced its boat ramp and lost its campground bathhouse to a fire in the same year. The outfitter is now starting its night-paddle season next to a public park whose own kayak launch is still listed as coming soon.
So this October, the river is open in pieces. You can walk RiverPark, but you can't put a boat in there yet. You can launch at Koreshan, but you can't camp there. You can rent a kayak on US-41, but a moonlight paddle has to be booked by the month. Knowing which piece does what is how you get a good morning out of it.
The newest door is at the end of Highlands Avenue
Estero RiverPark covers about 62.5 acres along the river at 20911 Highlands Avenue. The Village bought the land in January 2019. In its September 2026 council recap, the Village stated the purpose in one line:
"The land was purchased to protect the Estero River and create a public park along the Estero River."
According to the same recap, Phase 1 was finished earlier this year. It includes an entrance off County Road and Highlands Avenue, parking, a restroom building, a pedestrian bridge over the river, boardwalks and trails.
The Village pages don't cover what the walk is actually like. The best description so far is from the SWFL Weekly Updates newsletter on September 24. It reports the park open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. You park at the end of Highlands Road, cross the new bridge past Ellen's River House, and follow an easy trail past a heritage oak near US-41. The trail also has a view toward wetlands where a pair of bald eagles has nested since 2022. The loop took about 20 minutes to walk from end to end. The mulch path stayed dry after recent rain and was firm enough for a jogging stroller, though the mosquitoes were out. Those weekend-only hours come from that newsletter, not from an official Village schedule. Check with the Village before planning a weekday visit.
How long the land took explains why the park feels so new. By the mid-2010s, the property had approval for 530 housing units and 300,000 square feet of commercial space. The Village paid $24.5 million for it and rezoned about 35 acres as permanent open space to protect the floodway. A Girl Scout campsite was set up here in the 1940s, and the Girl Scout House still stands.
What RiverPark still can't do, and what has a date on it
The parts that would let RiverPark replace the other two access points are the parts still in progress:
- Phase 2 trails. On September 9, council approved a $244,075 contract with Honc Industries, plus a $24,000 contingency, to build Phase 2 paths. A $163,100 Lee County Tourist Development Council grant covers trails on the land south of the river. The contract sheet calls for work to start within three weeks of notice to proceed and finish within 11 weeks. Those windows run from the notice to proceed, so the finish date depends on when that notice is issued.
- A longer footprint. The Village's project page says Phase 2 adds paths on both sides of the river, a fence along the southern boundary and a path along the north side of Corkscrew Road.
- The kayak launch and historic buildings. Volunteers from the Estero Forever Foundation, which has managed the Happehatchee Center for the Village since November 2024, told the newsletter writer they plan to open the historic buildings and an on-site kayak launch "soon." The Village has not confirmed an opening date.
- Invasive plant work. Council approved a five-year, $90,895 contract with Earth Balance to treat non-native plants. The first treatment is due within 45 days of the purchase order, and treatments repeat about every six months for the first two years.
- The north acreage. Plans for the roughly 32 acres north of the river are still under community discussion.
Until that launch opens, RiverPark is a place to walk, not a place to start a paddle.
For now, boats go in on US-41
That's why the outfitter matters so much this fall. Estero River Outfitters is at 20991 Tamiami Trail, a short drive from the RiverPark entrance. Its rental page says it is open seven days a week. Rentals go out from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and must be back by 5 p.m. If you bring your own kayak or paddleboard, launching is free during business hours, listed as 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The listed two-hour rates:
| Craft | Listed rate |
|---|---|
| Single kayak or canoe | $22.50 for two hours |
| Tandem kayak | $45 for two hours |
| Stand-up paddleboard | $35 for two hours |
| Hobie kayak | $85 for two hours, $95 for three, $125 all day |
October also starts the outfitter's moonlight season. Its guided night paddle runs monthly from October through April and covers about four miles. The kayak, paddle, life vest, guides and glow sticks are included. The page doesn't list 2026 dates or a price, so you'll need to ask the shop directly.
Koreshan rebuilt its ramp and lost its bathhouse in the same year
The state park at 3800 Corkscrew Road is open 8 a.m. to sunset, every day of the year. Entry is $5 per vehicle. Launching a boat costs another $4. The park welcomes visitors who bring their own canoe or kayak but doesn't rent them, which is another reason the outfitter on US-41 is the default for anyone without a boat.
The launch itself is new. According to a Florida Department of Environmental Protection management plan for the park, the old concrete boat ramp was replaced, an on-grade paddlecraft launch was added, and a dock with universally accessible features now allows independent launch and recovery. The plan lists that work as done as of 2026. Parking and the entrance road at the ramp are still pending. The crushed-shell lot erodes and can't be striped, and the plan limits the fix to a pervious surface instead of paving.
The campground is the other half of the story. The state park page still says the campgrounds have been temporarily closed since October 31, 2025. The DEP plan says the closure is for a funded project that reshapes the sites with timber borders and a crushed gravel base and upgrades the utilities. During that work, in 2026, the roughly 45-year-old bathhouse burned down in an electrical fire. The plan calls for one larger replacement on the old footprint. No reopening date is posted.
Here is how the three access points compare on a fall weekend:
| Estero RiverPark | Estero River Outfitters | Koreshan State Park | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | 20911 Highlands Ave. | 20991 Tamiami Trail | 3800 Corkscrew Rd. |
| Hours | Fri–Sun, 7 a.m.–6 p.m., per Sept. 24 newsletter | Daily; rentals out 7 a.m.–3 p.m. | 8 a.m. to sunset, daily |
| Launch a boat? | Not yet; launch expected "soon" | Yes; free with your own craft during business hours | Yes; $4 plus $5 entry |
| Rent a boat? | No | Yes | No |
| Still unfinished | Phase 2 trails, launch, historic buildings | Moonlight paddle dates not posted | Campground, bathhouse, ramp parking |
Mound Key is reached from Koreshan
Launching at Koreshan gets you closer to the river's biggest destination. Mound Key Archaeological State Park can only be reached by boat, and visitors usually launch from Koreshan or Lovers Key State Park. The island has no facilities and no entrance fee, and it's open sunrise to sunset. There are no docks, but kayaks, canoes and smaller boats can land at its two small landings. One more thing still in progress: the state says the ranger station phone line has been down since July 13, 2026, and asks visitors to call 239-707-1709 to reach a ranger.
Dated events on the river this fall
Most of what's changing on the river has no date attached. These items do:
- October 17, 24 and 31, 10 a.m.: Friends of Koreshan guided historic walking tours at Koreshan State Park.
- Monthly, October through April: Estero River Outfitters' moonlight guided paddle. Call the shop for this month's date.
- Fridays through Sundays: RiverPark trail hours as reported in late September, until the Village posts an official schedule or the kayak launch opens.
- December 12, 4 p.m.: a members-only Solstice Concert with the Three Oaks Academy Children's Choir in Koreshan's Art Hall.
The Phase 2 contract runs 11 weeks from notice to proceed, so the date the Village issues that notice sets the finish date for the trails south of the river.
If you own on or near the Estero River, the new park, the rebuilt Koreshan ramp and the trail work still to come all affect what life is like close to the water. Chadwick Knight tracks these Estero projects as closely as we track home sales. Request your free home valuation or market consultation, and we'll show you how river access factors into what homes nearby are worth today.
