R.D. Keene Park: 52 Acres of Soccer Fields, Playgrounds, and a Public Boat Ramp on the Butler Chain
Windermere's flagship community park — and one of only two public ways onto the Butler Chain of Lakes
R.D. Keene Park is a 52-acre Orange County park located at 10900 Chase Road in Windermere, FL, adjacent to the Keene's Pointe community. The park sits on Lake Isleworth (formerly Lake Palmer) and offers a public boat ramp providing access to the Butler Chain of Lakes — one of only two public access points to this 11-lake system. Park amenities include two rentable soccer fields ($35/hour), a large covered children's playground, picnic areas, restrooms, and parking for up to 49 vehicles with trailers. The boat ramp charges $5/day for motorized watercraft and is free for non-motorized; annual passes are $150. Park hours are sunrise to sunset, seven days a week.
If you've moved to Windermere or are seriously thinking about it, here's the park you need to know about. Fifty-two acres on the Butler Chain, two soccer fields, a covered playground, and the boat ramp that gets you onto one of the most exclusive inland lake systems in Florida — for five bucks. Locals call it "Keene" without the "R.D." Once you see what's actually here, you'll get why.
The Basics: Where, When, and How Much
R.D. Keene Park sits at 10900 Chase Road in Windermere, 34786 — adjacent to the Keene's Pointe gated community (yes, same Keene). The address reads Windermere, but you're really in unincorporated Orange County, and Orange County Parks runs it.
Park hours are sunrise to sunset, seven days a week — effectively 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. in summer and 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in winter. There's no admission fee just to use the park itself, which is the part most newcomers don't realize. Fees only kick in when you launch a motorized boat.
The Boat Ramp Is the Big Deal
Let's be real about what makes R.D. Keene Park matter beyond Windermere's borders: the boat ramp. The launch puts you onto Lake Isleworth (officially renamed from Lake Palmer some years back, which is why old-timers and older blog posts still say "Lake Palmer"). From there, you have full navigable access to all 11 interconnected lakes of the Butler Chain of Lakes.
Here's the kicker: this is one of only two public access points to the entire Butler Chain. The other is Fernwood Park on Lake Butler downtown. If you don't own waterfront and don't have friends in Isleworth or Keene's Pointe, R.D. Keene is how you get on these lakes.
Boat Ramp Fees and Parking
- Motorized watercraft (vehicles with trailers): $5 per day, exact change or check at the ramp
- Non-motorized (kayaks, paddleboards, canoes): Free
- Vehicles only, no watercraft: Free
- Annual boat ramp pass: $150, purchased at the Tibet-Butler Preserve office (Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat 8 a.m.–noon)
Parking accommodates up to 49 vehicles with trailers. When the lot fills, the gate closes and reopens after 2 p.m. — and they don't allow "drop and go." Translation: on summer weekends, get there early or plan an afternoon launch. Anglers and watersports families learn this the hard way exactly once.
For Families: The Playground and Soccer Fields
Even if you never own a boat, R.D. Keene earns its keep on the family side. The covered children's playground is the unsung hero — Florida sun is not kind to bare metal slides at 2 p.m. in July, and the shade structure here means kids can actually play during peak hours. There's a rubberized safety mat underneath, public restrooms with cold-water fountains, and shaded picnic tables.
The two soccer fields run on a hybrid model: rentable at $35 per hour through Orange County Parks (call 407-254-1940 to book; they want 30 days' notice), but open to the public when no league has them reserved. Local youth leagues use them heavily on weekends in season, so weekday afternoons are your best window for pickup play or open practice.
A Quick Note on the Name
R. Dolph Keene was a Winter Garden citrus baron who started as a laborer in Dr. Phillips' groves in 1907 and built his own packing operation by the 1930s. The Keene's Pointe community next door carries his name, and the park does too — a reminder that Windermere's modern luxury identity sits on top of a serious citrus past.
Living Near R.D. Keene Park
The Pros
- Direct walking, biking, or short-drive access to a 52-acre park with real amenities
- Public Butler Chain access without owning lakefront — a genuine financial lever
- Adjacent to Keene's Pointe, which means the surrounding road network is well-maintained and patrolled
- Quiet on weekday mornings; family-friendly atmosphere on weekends
The Cons
- Saturday traffic on Chase Road during peak boating season is real, especially before 10 a.m.
- The park lot can hit capacity by mid-morning on holiday weekends; the close-and-reopen-at-2-p.m. policy means showing up at 11 a.m. is a coin flip
- No swimming beach — this isn't a "lakefront beach park," it's a launch-and-play park
- Limited shade outside the playground area; the soccer fields are full sun
Our Take
Buyers who want boat-on-the-Butler-Chain lifestyle without paying for waterfront should explicitly factor R.D. Keene Park into their search radius. The neighborhoods around the park — Keene's Pointe being the obvious one, plus several smaller subdivisions south of Conroy-Windermere Road — gain real lifestyle value here that won't show up in a Zillow search but absolutely shows up in your weekends.
How It Fits with the Other Windermere Parks
R.D. Keene is part of a three-park Windermere parks ecosystem residents use in rotation. Fernwood covers downtown Butler Chain access on Lake Butler. Tibet-Butler Preserve on CR 535 is the nature-trail play. R.D. Keene is the soccer-and-launch park. All three sit within ten minutes of each other — part of why Windermere quietly outperforms its neighbors on parks-per-resident.
If you're more about life on the water itself, our guides to bass fishing the Butler Chain and watersports on the Butler Chain get into lake-by-lake details once your boat is wet.
What the Locals Know
Three things experienced R.D. Keene users will tell you that the official park page won't:
One: The annual $150 boat ramp pass is the move if you'll launch more than 30 times a year. The fact that you have to drive over to Tibet-Butler Preserve during weekday business hours to buy it is mildly annoying, but it pays for itself fast for serious anglers.
Two: Disney fireworks are visible from the lake at night during park-open seasons. Sunset launches with kids in the boat — pack a picnic, drift, watch the show east — is a Windermere insider move that costs essentially nothing.
Three: The "Mind your Wake" rule on the Butler Chain isn't a suggestion. The lakes are tight, shorelines have heavy dock infrastructure, and residents (some very famous) notice. Slow down near shore.
For full park rules, current fees, and event scheduling, visit the official R.D. Keene Park page on the Orange County Parks and Recreation website.
Curious about the Windermere neighborhoods closest to R.D. Keene Park, or about the broader Windermere sports and recreation scene? Browse our Windermere homes for sale or contact us for personalized relocation advice from people who actually launch out of this ramp.
