Rainbow Springs State Park

The Rainbow River runs 5.7 miles through southwest Marion County, fed by 400 to 600 million gallons of crystalline water every day — enough to rank it the fourth-largest first-magnitude spring system in Florida. From 1930 to 1974 this was one of the state's most successful private tourist attractions, complete with submarine tours, a monorail gondola, and live mermaid shows. When I-75 diverted traffic and Disney World opened, the attraction closed. The state bought the property in 1990 and reopened it as Rainbow Springs State Park in 1995.

The submarine tours are gone, but the 1930s waterfalls remain, and the river is the same color it always was.

• Location: Dunnellon (Marion County), 20 miles southwest of Ocala
• Headsprings address: 19158 SW 81st Place Road, Dunnellon, FL 34432
• Tubing entrance: 10830 SW 180th Avenue Road, Dunnellon (separate, ~9 miles away)
• Hours: 8 a.m. – sunset, 365 days a year
• Vehicle entry: $5 per vehicle (up to 8 people)
• Tubing fee: $25 per person (tube + tram, ~2-mile float)
• Water temperature: 72°F year-round
• Magnitude: First-magnitude (~410M gallons/day, 4th-largest in Florida)
• River length: 5.7 miles to Withlacoochee River

The state park has two entrances roughly nine miles apart, with no direct connector road between them. Set your GPS to the right one:

• Headsprings Entrance (19158 SW 81st Place Rd) — Year-round. The main day-use area with the swim beach, 1930s waterfalls, gardens, kayak launch, gift shop, and ranger programs.
• Tubing Entrance (10830 SW 180th Ave Rd) — Memorial Day through Labor Day daily, weekends in shoulder months, closed October through March. The launch point for downriver tubing only.

Beginning April 29, 2026, day-use reservations are required at the Headsprings entrance. Book at reserve.floridastateparks.org.

• Orlando: 1 hour 30 minutes (I-75 north to Exit 341, SR-44 west)
• Tampa: 1 hour 15 minutes (I-75 north to Exit 341)
• Gainesville: 45 minutes (I-75 south to Exit 341)
• Jacksonville: 2 hours (I-75 south to Exit 341)

A separate campground entrance at 18185 SW 94th St., Dunnellon — same park, different address. Do not navigate to the headsprings address if you're camping.

Rainbow Springs is unusual among first-magnitude springs in that the flow emerges from dozens of vents rather than a single boil. The result is a wide, slow-moving headspring basin that fills the Rainbow River with crystal-clear 72°F water for its entire 5.7-mile run. The river ends at the Withlacoochee River confluence in downtown Dunnellon.

The headsprings area also contains three large man-made waterfalls built during the 1930s tourist era, set among ornamental gardens of azaleas, oaks, and magnolias. The 1960s zoo ruins still sit hidden in the gardens — a slightly eerie reminder of the park's earlier life as a roadside attraction.

The state park's tubing operation runs from a separate entrance and shuttles you about 2 miles upriver before dropping you off for a leisurely ~2-hour float back to the take-out. Tubes and tram are $25 per person, including a souvenir tube to keep. A second same-day float is $12.

For a longer experience, the KP Hole County Park (a Marion County facility, $10.75/person) is the launch point for a full 4.5- to 7.5-mile run with private outfitters providing shuttles. Allow 2–5 hours depending on water level and how often you stop.

Tubing season ends after Labor Day. Tube rentals stop weekends-only in shoulder months and the entrance closes entirely October through March.

• Swimming at the headsprings buoyed swim area — clear 72°F water, sandy shallow entry, lifeguarded in summer.
• Snorkeling inside the swim zone or from kayaks on the river. Visibility often exceeds 20 feet.
• Kayaking, canoeing, and SUP from the headsprings launch. In-park rentals from $19/hour. Paddle the full 5.7 miles to the Withlacoochee for a 3–4 hour day.
• The Waterfalls Garden — three large 1930s-era waterfalls fed by side springs, set in walking gardens with brick paths. Wear closed-toe shoes; paths are uneven.
• Wildlife viewing — river otters, softshell turtles, herons, ospreys, swallowtail kites, occasional manatees in cooler months.
• Hiking — 7 miles of unpaved trails through old phosphate pits and pine sandhill habitat.
• Birding on the Great Florida Birding Trail.

The Rainbow Springs Campground has roughly 60 sites with full hookups (water, electric, sewer) including 20/30/50-amp service. Tent and RV camping; max RV length 103 feet. Year-round operation with showers, laundry, dump station, and direct river access for registered campers. Check-in 3 p.m.; gate code provided day-of.

Reserve at reserve.floridastateparks.org or 800-326-3521.

• Rainbow River Canoe and Kayak — KP Hole float and shuttle, 12121 River View, Dunnellon.
• Dragonfly Watersports — kayak rentals at 20336 E. Pennsylvania Ave, Dunnellon.
• Rainbow River Kayak Adventures — kayak, SUP, and tube rentals with KP Hole shuttle.

• Stumpknockers on the River — casual Southern seafood on the Withlacoochee River, Dunnellon. Fried catfish and gator.
• The Blue Gator Tiki Bar & Restaurant — Dunnellon waterfront, casual Florida seafood, also offers airboat tours.
• Front Porch Restaurant — local Dunnellon diner for breakfast and lunch.
• Ocala (~20–35 minutes northeast) — wide range of national chains and local restaurants on downtown Ocala square.

• Choose the correct entrance before you leave. Headsprings and tubing entrances are ~9 miles apart with no connector. Set GPS to the right address.
• Make headsprings reservations starting April 29, 2026. All visitors, including annual-pass holders.
• Capacity caps close the headsprings on summer weekends. Arrive by 9 a.m. or visit weekdays.
• No disposable food containers on the river. Florida law for aquatic preserves — bring reusables only. Coolers OK if contents are reusable.
• No alcohol at the tubing entrance or on the river.
• Tubing season closes Labor Day weekend. October through March is paddle-and-swim season only.
• Waterfall garden paths are slippery and uneven. Closed-toe shoes recommended; don't climb on the structures.
• Water shoes for tubing. River bottom has rocks and shells in places.

Last verified: May 28, 2026. Verify entrance hours, reservation rules, and tubing-season dates at floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/rainbow-springs-state-park before visiting. Photos via Wikimedia Commons.