A pair of bald eagles has nested on the Village of Estero's riverfront property at Corkscrew Road and U.S. 41 since 2022. According to EsteroToday, the nest is in the southwestern part of the land, and a bald eagle management plan is in place. The Village's Estero RiverPark page restricts construction from October 1 to May 15 to protect the birds. That window covers nearly all of Southwest Florida's comfortable walking months.
The window also explains the next round of trail work. The Phase 2 paths now underway are meant to keep people walking through the property while the eagles nest. That puts two birds at the center of how this park grows.
A Purchase Made Before the Eagles Arrived
In January 2019, the Village bought the 62.5-acre site for $24.5 million. The Village describes that as about three times its annual revenue at the time. The land had already been approved for 530 housing units and 300,000 square feet of commercial space. After the purchase, the Village amended its Comprehensive Plan to designate about 35 acres as open space and permanent natural preserve.
The property runs from the northeast corner of Corkscrew Road and U.S. 41 north to Judith Lane and east to the Seminole Gulf Railway. In December 2019, the historic Happehatchee Center was donated to the Village to become part of the park. Environmentalist Ellen Peterson founded the center. She spent decades speaking at county hearings for Southwest Florida waterways, including Fisheating Creek and the Imperial River, and the Village has posted her biography on the RiverPark page. Florida Gulf Coast University keeps an online archive of her work. The Estero Forever Foundation has managed Happehatchee Center for the Village since November 26, 2024.
The eagles moved in three years after the purchase. The Village bought the land to protect the river and has since built its trail plans around the nest.
What the Second Phase Is For
Phase 1 covered less than six acres of the property. Phase 2 adds paths on the south side of the Estero River, a fence around the property south of the river, and a path along the north side of Corkscrew Road. EsteroToday states the purpose plainly:
"These paths will allow people to walk through the area during the eagle's nesting season."
Phase 2 also adds a lot of trail. An August 2026 capital projects update in Estero Life said the new paths will almost double the park's trail network. It expected construction to start in fall 2026 and finish by spring 2027.
At its September 9, 2026 meeting, Village Council approved a $244,075 contract with Honc Industries to build the Phase 2 paths, with a $24,000 contingency. Lee County awarded the Village a $163,100 Tourist Development Council grant for more trails on the property south of the river. The south bank is the side with the nest. Building paths there is how the Village plans to keep visitors on designated routes during nesting season.
The same meeting approved a five-year contract with Earth Balance to treat non-native plants across RiverPark, for $90,895 plus a $9,000 contingency. The first treatment is due 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.
What Is Already Open
Phase 1 was finished earlier this year. Its entrance is off County Road and Highlands Avenue. It includes:
- A new 10-foot-wide pedestrian bridge over the Estero River, replacing the old swing bridge
- An 8-foot, ADA-accessible, porous multi-use path on the south side of the bridge
- Old Florida-style restrooms near the main parking lot on the north side
- An 85-space parking lot, an entrance drive and bike racks
- Decorative fencing along U.S. 41 and Corkscrew Road, with chain-link fencing on the railroad side
The Village chose mulch over pavement for the Phase 1 walking paths to save money. The bridge is the main crossing between the parking lot and the rest of the park, and the rest of the visit starts there.
Planning a Visit This Fall
RiverPark is in a soft opening, and the Estero Forever Foundation is leading its activities and operations for now. The park is open only Friday, Saturday and Sunday and is closed Monday through Thursday. Hours change with the clocks: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. during daylight saving time, and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. during standard time. Clocks fall back on Sunday, November 1. The Village's construction notice still keeps that weekend at 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., so the later 6 p.m. closing starts the following Friday, November 6.
Construction can also close the park on a Friday. The Village scheduled Phase II closures for Friday, October 23, and Friday, October 30, and kept it open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Saturdays and Sundays of both weekends. Check for more Friday closures while Phase 2 continues.
EsteroToday gives these directions to the parking lot:
- Turn east onto County Road, just north of Estero River Outfitters, where the fire station is.
- Follow County Road to the end and turn right into the parking lot. A small sign marks the turn, and a few spaces have shade.
- Walk south across the pedestrian bridge to reach the park.
The park's address is 20911 Highlands Avenue.
November 7 Puts Native Plants on Both Sides of the Gate
The park's first scheduled event of the season fits its early work. Earth Balance's contract covers removing invasive plants, and the November 7 native plant giveaway and sale gives native plants away to residents. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the park.
- 9:30 a.m.: Early entry for people who preregistered for a free plant.
- 10:30 a.m.: Sara Burke leads a walk and talk on 20 easy-to-grow wildflowers.
- All morning: The Coccoloba Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society holds a native plant sale.
- While supplies last: The Florida Wildflower Foundation gives away a few hundred plants, including tropical sage, muhly grass and fiddlewood.
To preregister for a free one-gallon plant, use the Florida Wildflower Foundation's event page. The Coccoloba and Naples chapters of the Florida Native Plant Society are presenting the event with the Florida Wildflower Foundation and the Village.
November 7 is a Saturday, so the park is open anyway. Across U.S. 41, the Friends of Koreshan list a guided historic tour of Koreshan State Park at 10 a.m. the same day. On Friday, November 13, at 10 a.m., they host a "History of Koreshan Music" program in the park's Art Hall. Koreshan State Park opens daily from 8 a.m. to sunset.
The Longer Plan for the River
Two parks on the same river, one on each side of U.S. 41, is the idea behind the Village's longer-range planning. Council accepted the Eco-Historic Planning Study on June 17, 2026. It covers about 1,000 acres, including the Estero River, the U.S. 41 corridor, Koreshan State Park and the Village's riverfront land, and was funded by a $450,000 CDBG-DR grant.
The final study lists a conceptual Estero River Park as a short-term priority. Its ideas include nature play, riverfront boardwalks and overlooks, river access and environmental education. The study marks the rendering as conceptual and subject to site constraints and Council approval. It recommends studying river access points such as launches and overlooks, and later adding kayak trails and educational signage. It also says to prioritize Bonita Estero Rail Trail connections to the Village Center, the river and Koreshan State Park. The study's timelines run in planning stages from under a year to 20 years. They are not construction dates.
Nearby Village land is on a different track. On August 10, 2026, the Village issued a public-private partnership solicitation for a partner to master plan, finance, build and operate a Village-owned 32-acre site north of the river. EsteroToday describes the plan as a walkable mixed-use residential and retail riverfront district connected to the rail trail. The Village plans buildings for the north side and preserve for the south side, where the eagles nest and where the Phase 2 paths are expected by spring 2027.
The Lickley Group follows how Estero's public riverfront projects, from the RiverPark trails to the 32-acre site north of the river, affect the homes and communities around them. If you would like a discreet look at how these plans affect a property you own or are considering near the Estero River, Request a Confidential Market Consultation.
