Koreshan State Historic Site

Koreshan State Park
Koreshan State Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
	The Planetary Court
Location	Lee County, Florida, United States
Nearest city	Estero, Florida
Coordinates	26°26.0′N 81°49.0′W / 26.4333°N 81.8167°W
Area	135 acres (0.55 km2)
Governing body	Florida Department of Environmental Protection

The Koreshan State Park is a state park in Estero, Florida located on U.S. Highway 41 at Corkscrew Road. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 4, 1976, under the designation of Koreshan Unity Settlement Historic District.

It contains areas of pine flatwoods habitat and the site of a religious colony, the Koreshan Unity, whose last members deeded the land to the state in 1961.^[1]

Flora

The Koreshans imported a wide range of plant species from across the world, including: an Araucaria bidwillii (false monkey puzzle) tree, which is indigenous to Queensland, Australia, and drops seed pods as large as a football; a number of sausage trees, which are native to Africa and a favored food of giraffes; eucalyptus, mango and other fruit bearing trees; an extraordinary amount of Japanese bamboo that originally hails from the Edison and Ford Winter Estates; and many flowering trees and plants of a wide variety.

Fauna

Among the wildlife of the park are gopher tortoises, bobcats, Park rangers, gray foxes, North American river otters and American alligators. Birds spotted include swallow-tailed kites, bald eagles, northern bobwhites and red-shouldered hawks.

Recreational activities

Activities include fishing, picnicking, and boating, as well as camping, canoeing, hiking, and wildlife viewing. Amenities include a campground, boat ramp, trails and a picnic area on the Estero River. Kayak rentals from Estero Bay Outfitters on the river are available within a relatively short distance outside the park. Koreshan State Park has 60 campsites, 4 of which are glamping sites.

Notable Changes

In October 2024, it was confirmed that the campground would be converted to a golf course. The Dr. Cyrus Teed Memorial Greens will be a nine-hole executive course. The construction of the golf course is set to begin March 16th, 2025. The construction is set to last till at least August 22nd, 2026

Special Events

Halloween 2024, spend a night in the haunted Planetary Court.

Koreshan Party Nights, come party like the Koreshans, dress in period correct clothing, experience firsthand what life was like as a member of the Koreshan Unity.