Two ramps, 57 trailers, and a straight run out.
Rosen Park is the most fully equipped public launch in Cape Coral. Two ramps, parking that does not run out on a Saturday, and saltwater all the way to the Gulf.
Buying near a ramp? Check the address itself on the canal map before you assume the water works for your boat.
| Address | 2414 SE 15th Terrace, Cape Coral, FL 33990 |
|---|---|
| Water | Saltwater. The city describes it as a “large saltwater boat launch facility” with access to the Gulf via the Caloosahatchee River. |
| Ramps | Two, each 30 ft wide × 60 ft long |
| Trailer parking | 57 boat trailer spots |
| Car parking | 31 vehicle spaces |
| Wet slips | 19, for vessels up to 40 ft |
| To open water | Approximately 11.2 statute miles from the Sanibel Causeway Bridge |
| Launch fee | $15 a day to park a trailer. Annual decal $75 + tax, two-year $150 + tax |
| Parking zone | 1959, for the Passport Parking app |
| Also on site | Restrooms, showers, washer and dryer, pump-out station, boardwalk, three picnic shelters |
Every figure above is quoted from a City of Cape Coral page, checked 20 August 2026. Where the city publishes nothing (opening hours, for one), this page says nothing rather than guessing. Fees and facilities change; the city’s page is the authority, and it is linked at the bottom.
What you can launch here
Short answer: anything you can tow. This is a ramp on open water, not a canal lot, and that changes the question completely.
Nothing is over you. Rosen Park sits on Chantry Canal, a short spur straight onto the Caloosahatchee, and not one of the 157 crossings we map sits on Chantry Canal. You leave the ramp and you are on the river.
Air draft decides things at an address, not at a ramp. If the boat lives on your own dock, every fixed crossing between your canal and the river is in play, and the lowest of them is your ceiling for as long as you own the house. They start at 5.5 ft. We publish the clearance for all 157 canal crossings we map, filterable by your air draft, and the canal map settles it for one specific address.
Getting out
The city puts Rosen Park at approximately 11.2 statute miles from the Sanibel Causeway Bridge, and describes the access as saltwater to the Gulf by way of the Caloosahatchee River. That is the number the city publishes and the only distance figure on this page.
What it means if you are buying nearby
A public ramp inside the neighbourhood changes what a house is worth to a boat owner, and it changes it in both directions.
In your favour: you can own a boat here without owning a dock or a lift to keep it on. That is a large amount of money not spent, and it opens up the dry lots a few streets back from the water (which are cheaper than the canal-front houses and, for a trailer boater, no less useful).
Against: ramp traffic is real. Trailers, early mornings, and a weekend queue are part of the address. Some buyers want to be two streets away from that rather than on the approach road, and it is worth driving the route on a Saturday before you decide which you are.
The thing we would check either way is the water itself. Gulf access in Cape Coral is not one thing: some canals reach open water with nothing over them, others are bridged and cap your air draft for good. That is settled per address on the canal map, not in the listing copy, and never by the phrase “Gulf access” on its own. Our guide to freshwater versus Gulf access covers why the distinction costs people money.
If you don't already own a dock, ask what adding one would take, including the seawall it and a lift would need. Our seawalls, docks and lifts guide covers permits, likely cost and who is responsible for repairs.
The other three city ramps
Rosen Park Boat Ramp is one of four public ramps the city runs. Here is how the other three compare; the full table with all four side by side is on the boat ramps page.
| Horton Park | Saltwater, Caloosahatchee. Two lanes, 31 trailer spaces, flush restrooms. 10.9 miles to the Causeway. Zone 1958 |
|---|---|
| Burnt Store | Saltwater, but into Matlacha Pass rather than the river. Two lanes, 19 trailer spaces, flush restrooms. No published mileage. Zone 1961 |
| BMX (Strausser) | Freshwater and landlocked. Two lanes, 15 trailer spaces, a composting toilet. No route to the Gulf at all. Zone 1960 |
Paying, permits and the practical bits
Trailer parking is what the $15 pays for, through the Passport app, Passport’s mobile site, or by phone on (239) 424-9459. You can also buy in person at the Parks & Recreation counter in City Hall.
The annual and two-year decals are Cape Coral residents and Cape Coral-based businesses only. If you are buying here and plan to launch regularly, that decal is one of the small practical arguments for a Cape Coral address over an address just outside the city line.
The 19 wet slips are handled by Marine Services on (239) 574-0809, not by the parking app.
Contact Information
capecoral.gov › Rosen Park
(239) 574-0809, Marine Services, for wet slip rentals
2414 SE 15th Terrace
Cape Coral, FL 33990
Sources for everything on this page:
City of Cape Coral: Rosen Park
City of Cape Coral: Boat Ramps / Parking
