The spring you swim in
Rainbow Springs, in Dunnellon about 35 minutes west of Ocala, is Florida's fourth-largest spring — pumping some 400 million gallons a day at a constant 72 degrees — and unlike Silver Springs, this one is built for getting in: a designated swimming area averaging 10 to 18 feet deep at the headspring. The complete guide here sets the frame: open 8 a.m. to sunset year-round, and on busy weekends the park closes when it hits capacity — arrive early.
The river below
The Rainbow River runs 5.7 miles of gentle current south from hundreds of spring vents — paddled with an eye out for otters and alligators, tubed in a run the how-to film here walks through step by step (bring your own tube or rent the park's more durable ones). Know the river's house rule before you launch: no alcohol and no single-use food or drink containers — reusable bottles only. One family's guide shows the easiest way to do the river with kids, and a budget pair shares three favorite ways to enjoy it — one of them completely free.
The park around it
The site-by-site tour here adds the land side: canoeing, swimming, the park's history and the full campground. A kayak film notes the park's man-made waterfalls on the paddle up to the headspring — a quirk from Rainbow's years as a private attraction, now folded into one of Florida's prettiest state parks.
Sources: the nine videos on this page — complete park and river guides, tubing how-tos, a tips list, and family and RV visits — summarized from their entries in our catalog.
Watch: Rainbow Springs State Park Day Trip, guided
3 videos · summaries from the actual guidesMore Orlando essentials
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