Rainbow Springs State Park

The area has been sculpted by both enterprising developers and the loving hands of local volunteers in the contemporary era, and the allure of the delightfully tranquil park remains. When swimmers take their first dip in Rainbow Springs’ sapphire-blue waters, they become characters in a story that dates back over 10,000 years, when humanity first visited this location.

Ornamental gardens, built waterfalls, and sloping hills are apparent traces of the springs’ more recent history, when the land housed a mining operation and a privately owned tourist attraction.

It’s a time-honored tradition to walk through lush, mossy hammocks and then chill off in the springs.

OUR SERVICES

ACTIVITIES

Swimming

Swimming in the headsprings’ cool, clear waters is a rejuvenating experience. The water depth in this natural swimming area ranges from 10 to 18 feet, and the water temperature averages 72 degrees year round.

All inflatables, including rafts, tubes, and balls, are not permitted at the park for safety reasons. Swimmers can keep themselves safe by using noodles or life preservers.

In some spots, the water is more than ten feet deep. Please be prepared to constantly oversee your children and non-swimmers. Swimmers enter the pool at their own risk because there is no lifeguard on duty.

ACTIVITIES

Snorkeling

Snorkeling the Rainbow River’s headsprings is a popular activity, although it is only permitted in the buoyed swimming area. However, once outside of the headsprings, it is permitted from the campground or from boats. Please be advised that all snorkelers are required by state legislation to wear dive flags.

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ACTIVITIES

Hiking Trails

Rainbow Springs State Park provides opportunities for leisurely strolls through shady gardens dotted with azaleas, oaks, and magnolias. Three man-made waterfalls and a natural plant garden are visible from the walkways. Back behind the gardens, a nature route winds through natural oak hammock and sandhill habitats. This walk is roughly 2.5 miles long from the Visitors’ Center and features both river and phosphate pit overlooks.

Picnicking

Visitors can use picnic tables, pavilions, and grills on a first come, first served basis.

Geocaching

Geocaching is an outdoor game that involves the use of handheld global positioning systems (GPS) devices. It’s essentially a low-cost, interactive, high-tech treasure hunt that’s an excellent method to study geography.

ACTIVITIES

Canoeing & Kayaking

Rent a canoe or a kayak and venture out onto the magnificent waters of one of the top recreational water sports destinations in Florida.

Visitors may launch privately owned canoes and kayaks from the headsprings launch point; but should be prepared to port their vessel 1,800 feet from the parking area to the launch place, due to no vehicle access to the river within the park.

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"Very quiet and peaceful place. Spent time at the park to unwind after work and found it to be a great stop. Hiking the dunes is a great experience, but with moderately deep sand it can be strenuous so plan accordingly.

Next to no waves the day I was there, just a beautiful sunset fading behind the calm waters of Lake Michigan. Definitely worth the trip!"

Austin Moore

"What a wonderful place to spend the day, all facilities to make it an easy at the beach time. Bring your umbrella or tent, bring your food and that's pretty much it, you're set.

Bring a good pair of shoes to hike up the dunes, or simple walk along the shores. Get some piece in the quiet up there.”

Miguel Rojas

"Excellent campground and park. Loved the huge dog beach. The trails we hiked were mainly sand, scenic, but tough. This would be 5 stars except at night you can hear road noise from I94 traffic.

We camped in August and the cicadas did a decent job of drowning out the road noise.”