Rainbow Springs State Park: A Day Trip to the Head Springs
đź“ŤRainbow Springs State Park | 19158 S.W. 81st Place Road, Dunnellon FL 34432
đź’° $5 per vehicle (2-8 people) | $4 per single occupant vehicle | $2 for pedestrian/bike entry
The history of Rainbow Springs dates back centuries when humans first visited. Ornamental gardens, constructed waterfalls, and sloping hills are reminders of the springs’ more recent past, when the land was home to a mining operation and a privately owned tourist attraction. Now, visitors can enjoy the Florida state-run park and its 72-degree clear turquoise waters year-round.
Here are my recommended tips and tricks for visiting the head springs at Rainbow Springs. Tubing and camping entrances are separate. Learn more here.
GO EARLY. Just do it. I know you want to hit that snooze button but arrive at open or risk being turned away, especially in summer or on a weekend. Once full, the park is subject to availability after initial capacity with no guarantee of entry. We got there at 9:30am on a Saturday in July (they open at 8am) and were told there were only 19 spots left after us. It took us 35 minutes to get in after waiting in line.
BRING A POOL NOODLE! If you want to swim in the main head spring, the water is 6+ feet deep. It gets crowded and is not a very large area. You will definitely want a noodle to float to the outskirts and keep yourself up if you’re not built like Larry Bird. If you forget a noodle, they sell them at the gift shop for $3.
WATER SPORT ACTIVITIES: Bring ID & phone if you want to rent a paddleboard or kayak. We left all our stuff thinking we wouldn’t want to bring it on the paddleboard and then had to go back because you need to leave an ID for collateral + fill out a waiver electronically. I’d recommend e-payment so you don’t have to bring a CC with you too. They have bins for storage while you’re on the water. 10/10 recommend paddle boarding. $19/hour — no min or max.
FOOD: While the concession food was surprisingly decent quality and not terribly priced, it was gourmet cafeteria food with subpar service at best (it’s a state park; I wasn’t expecting much). Just bring your own food or eat beforehand. They have plenty of grill stations, picnic space and local restaurants around. The only thing they do not allow is alcohol (though no one ever checked my bags…) but they sell beers and other beer-based drinks for $6 (16 oz.) at the dining concessions. However, you must drink them under the dining pavilion as alcohol is not allowed elsewhere in the park.
NATURE TRAILS: Visit the hiking trails and waterfalls! While I did not explore too far since we were mainly there for water activities, there were stunning waterfalls nearby, boardwalks, and phosphate pits unique to the park.
