With LLELA's River Launch Closed, Where Does Lewisville's Fall Outdoor Season Go?

If your fall routine in Lewisville means a kayak on the Elm Fork or a lap around Lake Avalon, where do you go this year? Several of the city's quieter outdoor spots are closed for construction at the same time. LLELA has closed the road east of the Cicada Pavilion, its river parking areas, and its existing kayak launch while crews build a new launch and parking areas. The City expects that project to take about three to four months once it starts. Construction to replace the Lake Avalon Park boardwalk and bridge also starts Monday, Oct. 5, with parts of the park closed for roughly 120 calendar days.

So the season moves to the main lake and the trails, and both run on a tighter schedule than they did in summer. A good fall in Lewisville now takes some planning: which ramp, which gate, which day, and which events need registration ahead of time.

What's Closed, What's Open, and Until When

Anglers still have a way to the river. LLELA's current guidance is to walk the Redbud Trail to reach the Trinity. Daily entry is $5 per vehicle and accepts Visa, MasterCard, or Discover only. LLELA does not take cash, tap to pay, or American Express. For trail conditions that change between posted updates, the LLELA Gatehouse is at 469.635.5483.

The Lake Is Lower Than Its Normal Line

The Beaver Pond closure fits the water level. On Oct. 4, 2026, provisional USGS readings put Lewisville Lake at 518.58 feet. The Army Corps of Engineers lists the lake's normal elevation as 522.0 feet. That puts the lake about three and a half feet below normal. The Corps' boat ramp directory notes that lake levels vary and that boaters need to watch for obstructions. At these levels, check the depth near shore before you put a hull in, especially at launches you haven't used since spring.

Where to Put In on the Main Lake

With the river-side launch closed, paddlers and boaters are left with the main-lake ramps. Here they are, roughly from closest to farthest from Old Town:

1. Lake Park, 600 Sandy Beach Road. Just east of Mill Street, this city-run park has two boat ramps and two courtesy docks. Day use is $10 per vehicle, and the toll booth takes debit or credit cards only. The City plans to replace Boat Ramp #2 and its courtesy dock, fix shoreline erosion, improve the parking lot, and replant the former swim beach area, with construction set to begin in late 2026. No exact start date has been published, so it's safer not to count on both ramps being open for every visit through the end of the year.
2. Tower Bay, 3000 N. Stemmons Freeway. Also known as East Copperas Branch Park, it's open around the clock year-round, with a boat ramp, courtesy dock, and more than 50 trailer spaces. Entry is $10 per vehicle, card only. Once Lake Park's gate starts closing earlier in November, Tower Bay is the city launch for an evening on the water.
3. Big Sandy Access, off Shady Shores Road. A free, two-lane Corps ramp in Shady Shores.
4. Westlake Park, 2000 Main St., Hickory Creek. One ramp with loading docks, open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. year-round, $5 per vehicle.
5. Doe Branch Park, end of Gammon Road, Little Elm. A free, one-lane Corps ramp.

The ramp at Hickory Creek Park is for campers only, so it isn't a day-use option. The Corps' online closure report was last updated in June 2025, so it can't confirm this fall's status for any of its ramps. Lewisville's parks department points boaters to the Corps at 469.645.9100 for information on other ramps and marinas around the lake. A quick call before you hitch the trailer can save a wasted drive.

If you don't own a boat, there are two rental options in different categories. DFW Surf at Little Elm Beach, 100 Bridgeview Drive, lists single kayaks and paddleboards at $25 an hour and two-person kayaks at $40 an hour. Its posted hours are noon to 8 p.m. on Fridays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends, and by reservation Monday through Thursday. Little Elm Beach parking is $10 per vehicle. The page lists Tuesday both as closed and as by reservation, so confirm with DFW Surf before planning a Tuesday outing. Closer to home, Eagle Point Marina at 1 Eagle Point Road rents motorboats such as pontoons rather than paddlecraft. Operators must be at least 21 with a valid driver's license, and taxes and fuel cost extra. Under an agreement signed in early 2026, SunTex will keep offering slip rentals at Eagle Point while phasing in a new marina over the next 11 years.

October's Trail Calendar Runs on Registration

The trails are where Lewisville's October programming is, and most of it requires signing up in advance.

• Saturday, Oct. 10, 7:30 to 11 a.m. LLELA's second-Saturday bird walk with an expert birder, for ages 10 and up. Registration is required. The program fee is $5 per person, on top of the $5 vehicle entry.
• Sunday, Oct. 18, 9 to 10:30 a.m. A family-friendly guided nature walk at Thrive Nature Park, 1950 S. Valley Parkway. Registration is required.
• Sunday, Oct. 25, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. LLELA's Hunter's Moon Night Hike on the Cottonwood Trail, $15 per person for ages 5 and up. Registration closes at 4 p.m. the day before.

The 4 p.m. cutoff matters on that last weekend. The night hike's registration closes on Saturday, Oct. 24, which is also when Old Town hosts its big Halloween evening. If you want to do both, sign up for the hike earlier in the week.

Two Saturdays Where the Trail and Old Town Line Up

Two October Saturdays work well for pairing an outdoor morning or evening with Old Town.

On Oct. 10, the LLELA bird walk ends at 11 a.m., and Second Saturdays runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wayne Ferguson Plaza, with local businesses, artisan vendors, food, shopping, and live music. Birders who leave LLELA at 11 still have a few hours of market time.

On Oct. 24, Little Monsters on Main runs from 6 to 9:30 p.m. in Old Town and Wayne Ferguson Plaza at 150 W. Church St. The free event includes trick-or-treating on Main Street, Graceland Ninjaz, Whataburger-sponsored haunted hayrides, and a screening of The Addams Family 2 on the Plaza. For a drink nearby, Buffalo Hirsch at 206 W. Main St. is a cocktail truckyard with two bar concepts, food trucks, and a patio. It opened in October 2025 and is now an established Old Town stop.

If you're coming off the water at Lake Park instead, Movie Pizza Company at 359 Lake Park Road, Suite 132, is close by. A Cross Timbers Gazette report from Aug. 15, 2026, describes movie-themed pizzas, a full-service bar, arcade games, pool tables, and a lunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

After Nov. 1, Lake Park Closes at 5 p.m.

Lake Park opens at 7 a.m. every day of the year. Its closing time moves from 9 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 1 and stays there through Feb. 28. That leaves less than four weeks of evening hours at the city's main lakefront park, during the same stretch when LLELA's launch and parts of Lake Avalon are closed. After that, evenings on the water mostly mean Tower Bay.

The road to Lake Park is changing, too. The Old Town Gateway on Mill Street will be a single column whose top spans Mill and Kealy streets, featuring a 3D pecan tree in honor of the city's heritage. The City says construction is expected in late 2026, after site preparation work. Lake Park's own plans have one more checkpoint this fall. The City held public meetings on its Lake Park improvements in August and plans to present design updates at a City Council workshop in November.

If you'll be using these parks often this season, the annual pass math is straightforward. A Lewisville resident pass costs $40 and covers Lake Park and Tower Bay. The resident senior pass, for ages 60 and up, is $25. The $65 non-resident pass covers Lake Park, Tower Bay, and LLELA. At $10 a visit, a resident pass pays for itself on the fourth trip to Lake Park or Tower Bay.

Planning your fall weekends around these closures, or thinking about what lake and trail access means for your next home? Sandy knows these parks and the neighborhoods around them, and she's happy to help you plan around what's open. Reach out to Sandy Mozur to talk it through. Let's Connect.