Estero RiverPark is now open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. This is a soft opening, and during this period the Estero Forever Foundation runs the park's activities and operations, according to Engage Estero's September 26, 2026 update. A pair of bald eagles has nested on the property since 2022. To protect them, the Village of Estero restricts construction from October 1 to May 15. As of today, October 10, the park is ten days into that window, and the window runs another seven months.
The park you can walk this season is mostly the park you will walk until spring. Council has approved a construction contract for the next round of trails, but the timing is set by the nest in the southwest corner of the property.
Finding the Way In
The park sits at the northeast corner of Corkscrew Road and U.S. 41. You can't drive in from either road. The Village lists the property at 20911 Highlands Avenue, and the entrance is off County Road and Highlands Avenue. Engage Estero gives this route:
- Turn east onto County Road, just north of Estero River Outfitters, where the fire station is.
- Follow County Road to the end.
- Turn right into the new parking lot on the north side of the river. A small sign marks the turn.
- Walk across the Estero River on the pedestrian bridge to reach the park.
The lot has 85 spaces, and a few of them are shaded. There are bike racks for anyone riding in.
What Phase 1 Built
The Village bought about 62.5 acres along the Estero River in January 2019 to protect the river and create a public park. Phase 1, finished earlier this year, covers less than 6 of those acres. It is a small footprint on a large property, so most of what you see from the bridge was left as it was.
Here is what's on the ground now:
- A new 10-foot-wide pedestrian bridge that replaced the old swing bridge over the Estero River
- An 8-foot, ADA-accessible, porous multi-use path on the south side
- Old Florida-style restrooms on the north side near the main parking lot
- Boardwalks and walking trails, with mulch on the trails instead of pavement to save money
- Decorative fencing along U.S. 41 and Corkscrew Road, and chain-link fencing on the east side, along the railroad
South of the river, 30 acres will stay a protected environmental area. Council rezoned that land from mixed-use to public park, so it can't be sold for commercial use later. The land has mature trees of several kinds, a wetland and an area where gopher tortoises live.
Inside that area is the Happehatchee Center, a 4.5-acre preserve along the river. Environmentalist Ellen Peterson used her home there as an eco-spiritual retreat and nature education center. She donated it to the Village for permanent preservation and public use. The Village dates the gift to December 2019 and counts it as part of the park. Engage Estero says the preserve has some very rare plants.
Why the Eagles Set the Pace
The eagles explain why the park opened in this shape. The Village's project page says construction is restricted during nesting season, October 1 to May 15, to protect the birds, which are federally protected. Engage Estero says a bald eagle management plan is in place for the nest in the southwest part of the property.
The paperwork for Phase 2 is moving. On September 9, 2026, the Village Council approved a contract with Honc Industries to build the Phase 2 paths for $244,075, plus a $24,000 contingency. Lee County's Tourist Development Council gave the Village a $163,100 grant for more trails south of the river. The Village's RiverPark page lists three pieces of Phase 2:
- Longer walking paths on both sides of the Estero River
- Fencing around the southern property line
- A path along the north side of Corkscrew Road
Engage Estero says these paths will let people walk through the area during nesting season. In other words, Phase 2 is built around the same eagle calendar that is slowing it down. The September council summary gives no completion date for the Phase 2 contract, and Engage Estero says only that the work is expected "soon."
The work with a set schedule is easy to miss. At the same September 9 meeting, Council approved an Invitation to Bid with Earth Balance for five years of non-native plant treatment at RiverPark, at $90,895 plus a $9,000 contingency. The first treatment happens within 45 days of the purchase order. After that, treatments come about every six months for two years, then once a year in years three through five. So over the coming months, the biggest change on the trails may be which plants are left along them, not new paths.
The Same River, From a Kayak
The park's sources don't mention a boat launch, so walkers stay on foot. The water is still close by. Estero River Outfitters, the landmark in the parking directions, rents kayaks, canoes and paddleboards from its dock on the river. It says it is open seven days a week and doesn't take rental reservations.
Its posted rental times fit inside a park day:
| Estero RiverPark | Estero River Outfitters rentals | |
|---|---|---|
| Days | Friday to Sunday | Seven days a week |
| Earliest start | 7 a.m. opening | 7 a.m. earliest launch |
| Cutoff | 6 p.m. close | 3 p.m. last launch, boats back by 5 p.m. |
If you bring your own boat, the outfitter lists 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for launching personal watercraft. It calls the river beginner level. From its dock to Estero Bay is 4.5 miles, passing Koreshan State Park and the Estero Bay Buffer Preserve, and you come back the same way. That makes the round trip about nine miles, and you need to start by 3 p.m. On a Saturday, that leaves time for a morning paddle and an afternoon walk across the bridge before the park closes at 6.
What the North Bank Is Being Lined Up For
The quiet south bank is protected. Plans for the land north of the river are still open. On August 10, 2026, the Village put out a public-private partnership solicitation. It is looking for a development partner to plan, finance, build and run a nearby 32-acre Village-owned site north of the river. Engage Estero describes the goal as a walkable riverfront district with homes and shops, connected to the coming Bonita Estero Rail Trail. The solicitation document calls its site plans preliminary and says the Village is open to other proposals. It describes the rail trail, known as BERT, as a proposed 11.4-mile route from Wiggins Pass Road to Estero Parkway.
Estero's part of BERT has moved through Council this year. On March 4, 2026, Council approved a purchase and sale agreement for the Village's segment, about 4.1 miles long and 130 feet wide, at a price of $19,792,209. A first amendment to that agreement was on Council's September 23 agenda.
None of this changes this weekend's walk. Ten days into nesting season, RiverPark is a 7-to-6 park on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. You reach it from a lot at the end of County Road and enter by a 10-foot bridge, and the paths on both banks will stay the same until the eagles' season ends on May 15.
If the walk across that bridge has you wondering which Estero streets sit closest to the river and the planned rail trail, Sara Sells SWFL can talk it through with you, in English or French, at whatever pace suits you.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
