Rainbow Springs State Park

Sometimes some of the best trips are the ones that do not go as planned. On the weekend of March 25-27 Andrew and I made the drive down to Florida to spend some time with family. While we were there I was itching to spend some time in the outdoors. Florida is beautiful and I wanted to get out and explore. Originally the plan was to spend Saturday at Silver Springs State Park kayaking and paddle boarding but they had booked up fast. Instead we did some other things with family on Saturday and hoped to get a reservation on Sunday. Saturday night after dinner we went to make our reservations for Sunday and they were booked that day for the rentals as well. I was determined that we would get to go out and explore and have fun, so luckily I had done research on other areas that we could visit. Our next option was Rainbow Springs State Park, and after visiting I am very glad I had it on my list as well, because it was such a gorgeous spot.

On that Sunday we got to the park early because we had read online that people get turned away once the park reaches capacity. We later came to find out that there is not a limit per person to get in, that reaching capacity just meant that there were no more parking spots in the park. I am still glad that we got there early because we had first dibs on paddle boards and kayaks (later that day they quickly booked up). We spent a little over two hours on the water. I opted for a paddle board, while Andrew and his mom did a tandem kayak, and Landon did a single kayak. For the 4 of us it only cost a little over $50 for the rentals which is a great price, and $2 per adult for park admission. The water was crystal clear and came off super blue. You could look down and see fish, turtles and everything at the bottom of the spring. I was on the lookout for manatees, but sadly we did not see any. We did see some scuba divers out and it was really cool to see them under the water.

After our paddleboarding and kayaking, I was ready to jump into the water and go for a swim. We grabbed swimsuits and some snorkeling gear from the visitor's center, and then Andrew and I decided to go swim. Being able to see everything underwater was incredibly cool. It was an experience that is hard to describe and one that is even better when you experience it with your own eyes.

The trails around the park are just as incredible and I recommend taking a stroll along them. They are not difficult at all and are suitable for wheelchairs and/or strollers. There are a few waterfalls along the paths to check out, and lookout points that give you a great view of the spring.

Other springs worthy of visiting: Wekiwa Springs State Park, Silver Springs State Park, Ponce De Leon Springs State Park, Three Sisters Springs State Park, Manatee Springs State Park, and Ichetucknee Springs State Park (etc., etc.).