Rainbow River Reviews

With all the damage done by developers to what was once a paradise, the Rainbow River seems to have escaped some of the destruction. The water is clear and cold and the tubing is second to none.

We went a little late so we got rained on, or better poured on. Make sure you go early.
Its a huge river very cold 72f . We rented tubes, brought food and drinks and floated for 4 hrs.
really alot of fun.

well worth a visit, great way to cool off from the Florida summer heat, definately worth the $25 park admission, tube hire and transport back to the park after your river desent

I am a native Floridian and I have lived in this area for years and the Rainbow River is a truly unique, must-see kind of place. You have never seen water this clear. Absolutely stunning

We have been down the river before and planned this trip for 3 months. We were excited to go again.
3 families with teens drove long distance with our kids and tubes to enjoy a nice day. We arrived early, but were told the river was at capacity. ?
We were told to come back 2 hours later. When we went back, we decided to go to the KP hole for the shorter trip. The parking lot was roped off, so I asked an attendant what was happening. I was told that they ran out of tubes, so they were considered at full capacity. I told her we brought our own, as did MANY others. I was told that you could no longer bring your own tube and had to rent one.

Nowhere on the website does it mention this and having traveled a long way, it was extremely frustrating to be told we had to not only pay extra for the tubes, but that there were NO tunes to be had.
This is a blatant rip off of the general public and as a state park, it should not be allowed to govern the use of their tubes and how many people can float down a river. I prefer my own tube because of Covid and its more comfortable as a double tube with back rests.
We ended up losing an entire day, paying for gas, and not getting to go down the river. Someone needs to go back and re-evaluate. And, they need to post it on the website that you cannot bring your own tubes.
We were all very disappointed!

One of the best sup rivers I've ever been to. Way less crowded than crystal river. Clear water, absolutely gorgeous. Park at KP. They have clean toilets/ sink with soap. Go up and down river, or just go down and get a shuttle back. Eat at swampy's after.

Not far from Ocala and Inverness, this river is an attraction for swimmers, kayakers and boaters. However, it's a challenge. The state park is not friendly, you will have to hope you can get in when it first opens, and too bad after that. You can't wait there, they say law enforcement will ask you to leave. because of traffic concerns The other options is the K-P Hole and makes for a long day of getting bused over and a float of 4 hours. My recent tubing experience left me a little unnerved because I did come a little too close to alligator in the river towards the last 15 minutes of my float.

KP hole and Blue Run the way to go! Eating at Swamp's after is the way to end your day. Weekends are tougher to access the fun...

Love this park...only bad thing is they hired a shuttle/tube company to manage your float and they charge $15pp per trip, what a ripoff.

We moved here in Dec., 2017 and are so glad we did. The river is beautiful, fragile, crystal clear and cold! This entire area if full of rivers, bayous, and outdoor activities!

We rented a canoe for the rainvow springs...it was perfect weather and beautiful experience...we were thinking about tubing but the water was a little chilly(72°year round)so we opted for the canoe..which was an amazing ride! The only thing i would suggeat is bring cushions as our butts were soar after few hours so our only optiin was to use the life vest as cushions, which helped...we had a bag cooler with sub n snacks in tupperware only(no throw aways permitted) we also had drinks...no alcohol permitted as they use a wand. At the jp hole drop off to check ur water bottles or containers. That your carrying ..however we did have a thermos in cooler that they didnt check..just asked us to unzip cooler to make sure food in proper storage.. no throw aways...anyway it really was a great day..we rented our canoe thru rainbow river canoe and kayak who shuttled us over to kp hole and put us in the water for approx a 4-5 hr canoe trip back to there business..where they pull us out of the water.than got in our car..very convient, organized n easy...no hassles which added to our day! Highly recommend!

Super place, must visit if you fancy swim or kayaking on a river.

Few things to avoid though:
- place gets busy from midday so get right timing
- kayaking on river is brilliant experience, try hiring translucent kayak! You will see plenty of turtles and blue colour of river. Do not bother going further down the river though as it is full of private houses and busy. Hour kayak hour hire is enough to really enjoy the place.

A trip down the Rainbow River is glorious. The park is also an awesome place to enjoy. I lived near there for many years. I was so blessed to be able to go whenever I wanted! There are fun on the water shops nearby. Take a look at the houses on the River!

When a family group of 8. Brought our own float gear. Spend a lot of time and quarters inflating them. Only three pumps. Once in the water is was bliss. Calm cool and fun. What a great way to spend 5-6 hours with grandkids and family. I was worried about alligators but the water is too cool from them. Had a ball. Wish they had a floating restaurant that we could have visited,but we brought our own food. NO Alcohol allowed was great. Be sure to have transportation back to the limited parking at the starting place. Water is clear with lots of plants to tickle your toush

We really enjoyed our day kayaking on the Rainbow River. Put in at KP Hole paddled up to the head waters, then down to the ramp in Dunnellon

I have never seen a river so clear and beautifully blue. At some points we could clearly see 50 feet to the bottom. Very captivating water system.

This is a Beautiful place specially when the azaleas are blooming! Next time we will spend the day there!

Perfect place to kayak. Water is so clear. It’s 72 degrees year round. It’s a spring fed fresh water river. Lots of people kayak and tube down the river. It’s a must do. Beautiful.

we opted for the 4 hour float. too long for us. i thought it was going to be natural. it was like driving thru a neighborhood, really slow. arrange your own shuttle, the place next to swampy's restaurant was terrible. water was nice. ride was relaxing.

We came here to dive when we found out that manatee sightings would be scarce at our other proposed attraction site. We were 8 divers and one snorkeler, who was one diver's 12-year old daughter and who held the diver-down buoy at the surface as we swam. It's not a dive resort, so there's no equipment or tank fills. We brought everything we needed and had a staffer bring us upriver in the water taxi (prearranged the day before). From there, we jumped in and floated downstream, stopping along the way to explore caverns and watch fish and alligators. We saw at least one alligator gar, many softshell turtles and lots of grass. It's never more than 6 meters deep (20 feet) and it's usually shallower than that with a gentle current, making it easy to navigate and good for all levels of certified divers. Visibility is excellent at 30 meters (100 feet) and there was little or no boat traffic on the Monday morning when we stopped by.

Crystal clear water with plenty of pull off's to swim, snorkle, and enjoy the pristine waters this beautiful river has to offer. Wildlife is abundant (i.e. turtles, fish, swimming birds, etc..), sit back and relax for a beautiful trip down this crystal clear waterway.

Where do I Begin? The Rainbow River is the best of Dunnellon. My family has a love affair with this river. My parents bought a house nearby just to be by the river. My daughter loved the site so much she married at the state park.

First, there is Rainbow River State Park, which is at the head of the river. It is a beautiful park with walking trails, scenery, pavilions, and a spring that bubbles up a half million gallons of 72 degree water every day, all year long. Wonderful year round year swimming in a Florida wonderland. No tubes or floats are allowed, only noodles. You can rent a canoe or kayak and go downriver. Bring your goggles, snorkle and fins. The water is so clear here and all the way down the river.

The natural Florida is here. Herons, schools of fish, gar, lots of big white birds, river otters, big turtles, more birds.... And the occasional alligator. The river is a protected natural treasure of Florida. Alligators are removed to more isolated areas if they become a problem. We have rented kayaks and canoes at the state park and had a wonderful time. I believe the cost was $15 an hour.

We did something different this last time. We brought our own kayaks and went to KP Hole County Park. KP Hole rents tubes, kayaks, and canoes. It cost $5 to enter the park and then you can rent or launch your own. There are bathrooms, lockers and concessions. The place is great. CLEAN! We kayaked 5 miles to the park in Dunnellon. It took about 2 hours. We were at the he gate when the place opened at 8 am. Be early!

We were on the water at 8:20 and kayked upstream to the state park first. Go just past the sign to to the park and on the left is an inlet. Go through the opening to an inlet the size of a large ingound pool. We saw the sunken boat, schools of fish. They surround your kayak. We saw Gar fish over 3 feet long. Logs lined with turtles, big turtles.

Then, we went downstream. A half hour later and we were back at KP Hole and continued on past. We caught up with and passed about 50 people lazily floating down the river on tubes.The river has a current of one mph. We much rather kayak than tube the river. A two hour, wonder of a trip. We docked at Blue Run Park of Dunnellon. A great park. It has a four mile walking trail, a great boat launch, parking and restrooms. Many bring their own boats and kayak or canoe from here. FOR FREE! My husband had purchases a $7 return shuttle trip to KP Hole. Twenty minutes later he as back with our vehicle while I waited with the kayaks.

This is a great river. The REAL Florida at its finest.

This park is INCREDIBLE. However, I was pushing someone in a wheelchair and it is very hilly/uneven pavement. For anyone on foot that is in decent shape its perfect though!

This was a second year going to Rainbow River. Last year we did the 4 hour tubing and we felt like it was too long so this year we did the 2 hour tubing and it was too short. My group is in agreement when I say we wish they would make a 3 hour tubing. The water is clear you can see all the way to the bottom of the river. Can't wait till next year. Thanks to everyone that keeps the water and areas clean.

I have recently been viewing places to go to in Florida as I am moving out of the state in August, rainbow river was at the top of my list. Though I did not get a chance to canoe, the swimming area is very fun! Make sure to bring floaters and tubes as it is pretty deep and one easily gets tired of swimming. The picnic areas are great and there are many areas to explore.

Spent the day kayaking with the family- crystal clear water is spring fed so 72 degrees year round which feels great during Florida summers. Current is mild so we were able to kayak upstream from KP Hole and then back downstream with no problems. Saw lots of birds and fish.

The river is pristine and was very relaxing. The water felt warm compared to the air temperature. Not many places to get out and stretch.

Been here twice and the river has been great both times. Everyone has been super friendly on the water. Water taxi services are the best.

The rainbow river is relaxing, fun, and clean. You can literally see the bottom of the river from your tube. I was informed their are alligators on the bank, but luckily we didn't see any the day I was on the river.
If you float down the river a good distance, you can drop off at a restaurant for a quick meal and drink.

I came from jersey to visit this place and do something adventurous. This was 3 years ago I went. We were parked our cars and got our tickets. Then we waited for the bus to take us to the lake. There was no safety message given to us before putting our tubes on and going into the lake. So we got into the lake and it was all fun until my cousins tube started drifting to the side of the lake (where was scary because it seemed to have lots of spiders and stuff) and she hopped of so I went to go save her because she was drowning. There was no one there to help us out. THEN WE WERE STRUGGLING AND STARTED TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE AGAIN AND THEN THERE WAS A FREAKING CROCODILE TO WHERE THE TUBE WAS SHIFTING TOWARD AND WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO DIE. lucky we were screaming as loud as we can "help". and this couple (Not a part of the company) came and took us on the boat. When we reached back to the land we complained and they did not even care.

We visited Rainbow River to go snorkeling and diving. The water was amazing! It was clear and a constant 72 degrees. We saw lots of fish including bass, brim, and gar. It was fun to float lazily along with the current.

Visited rainbow river springs today for the 1st time and I am in love!! Is by far the most beautiful spring I have been in FL. Went tubbing down the river for 4 hours and it was a relaxed, wonderful experience. Totally recommended. You wont regret it!

I went onto the website last night to make a reservation and I found that I had to choose dates in order to send an email to RR Club. The site showed that there were a few days next week available. As I would try to request the dates, it would jump and weird dates would show up. Finally, I had it all in order and emailed the request.
This a.m. I received an email from Jadene stating that they could not not accommodate me because of the duration of stay. I thought that maybe my 3 night stay was not long enough. Turns out, she thought I wanted to stay 3 MONTHS.
I called her at the number listed, and she refused to take any responsibility for the website and referred to the fact that I must have "clicked" something wrong. She refused to pull up the site and look at it.
She then informed me that they had NOTHING AVAILABLE FOR THE MONTH.(How strange is that suddenly when in her email as follows (cut and paste):
"We offer two different types of accommodations. We are all booked up for the date you are inquiring about. You just do not have that long of a duration. However, you do have some days available. Please call me to look into at some date. The rate is $119.00 per night plus tax for both Cabins & Villas."

I asked her to go onto the site and look at what I was seeing because NOW THE COMPUTER WAS SHOWING 5 DAYS BOOKED, 26 AVAILABLE.! She refused again. Then she told me that they do not update the site everyday. I asked her "how do you know what you have available?"
She said "I have my own list. Have you stayed here before? If you have, then you know that you DON'T MAKE ANY RESERVATIONS OVER THE INTERNET!"
Again, I said "why does it say that you have 25 days available? Go on the internet with me and Look!" So at this time, she shifts and says "Why are you so angry? Why don't you just understand that we don't have any days. If any come available, we will call you."
She obviously lied when she says she has nothing available for the month as evidenced in her email. She is over talking me. AND THEN SHE HANGS UP ON ME
Who wouldn't be angry?.
Is this the way you treat customers????

I love thus beautiful river! I go visit it several times a week. The aquamarine color is breath taking. One if my favorite things is to kayak on it.

My wife and I finished our OW certification checkout dives here at the Rainbow River. Besides the fact that we felt our group was a little large (no fault of the dive itself though), the dive was great. The depths range from as little as 6-7 ft in places down to around 30 ft in others. Water is crystal clear, and there are a variety of plants and fish to be seen. We traveled up the river by boat and did the drift dive back to the park...and the good thing is, if you happen to run out of air prior to getting back, the depths and clarity are such that you can just float along and snorkel your way back. Very easy dive, and if you are new to diving and happen to be in FL, I would recommend giving it a try. We would like to come back at some point, just the two of us, and do the dive again....really, the large group situation while completing our training is the only negative thing I have to say about the experience. The folks chartering the trip for us were very nice though.

The Rainbow River is a 7 mile long crystal clear swimming pool full of nature and wildlife. That's the best way I can describe it. Largemouth bass, bluegill, sunfish, gar and freshwater mullet swim all around you as you snorkel in the crystal blue water. Turtles line the shores of the river. Take a lazy float on a tube down river from two locations. There is a 4 hour float from the KP Hole (County Park) or two hours from Rainbow Springs State Park. If you really want to see it all try Florida Glass Bottom Boat rentals. These boats are awesome! They hold 4 adults and 3 small kids. Incredible experience! If you are in the area I wouldn't miss this place!

Very nice and relaxing. You can scuba dive, snorkel, kayak and paddle board down this pristine spring fed waterway.

I took my 2 boys here and they had a blast. So much for them to do, hiking, beach, canoeing, etc. We stayed a few days and really got to relax.

This place if breathtaking. You can swim in the springs 365 the water is 72 degrees year round. The water is crystal clear and the setting is beautiful.

One of the best Clearwater springs in FL. Mostly through residential areas but the houses are beautiful and fun to look at. Don't take disposable water bottles or snacks with wrappers. These are prohibited. Fruit is not.

Great place to just sit and watch the people in kayaks and inter-tubes. The river is so peaceful and refreshing. There are some restaurants that over look the river as well.

For many people from other places, when they think of Florida, they think of beaches in areas like around Miami, Fort Lauderdale, the Tampa Bay area, the Florida Keys or maybe the sugary white sands of the panhandle.

All are great parts of the state to go, but up in the west central Florida area, where there are many places that water from the Florida aquifer makes its way to the surface, and from them form beautiful springs and rivers.

The waters that make up Rainbow Springs and the Rainbow River, which in turn flows into the Silver River, which flows into the Ocklawaha River, with the Ock emptying into the St. John's River. Eventually the north flowing St. John's River dumps into the Atlantic Ocean to the east of Jacksonville.

At the source of the springs, Florida has one of its award winning state parks. The river then flows down through several towns like Dunellon.

In the heat of the summer, it feels good to go down the Rainbow River, using either a float, kayak, canoe or stand up paddle board.

Some days, it is very busy, but not as busy as other springs in the state, so do not fear that you will be on your own. In fact, you might find that there are too many people for your liking.

You can bring your own gear or rent them from local operators in the area.

One word of warning---do not bring any of your own disposable water bottles with you, they are expressly forbidden and if the officers of the various law enforcement agencies that patrol the river and shoreline find you with disposable water bottles, cans, etc---it is gonna cost you a big fat ticket.

Alcohol is also prohibited and so is food that is kept in packaging that can be disposed and lead to fouling the waterway.

These rules are in effect to make sure that we don't "love the springs to death" by polluting them with cans, bottles and plastic waste.

Make sure before you run the river to check the Rainbow Springs State Park for specific information regarding what is allowed and what is not--no need to screw up a great day out on the river facing an expensive ticket or even being booked into jail.

It is surely worth paying a visit to this park. I do it regularly using one of my own kayaks.

Great place to visit! The admission fee is only $2.00/person. There is a swimming area, water falls, and numerous walking trails you can use that are included with the admission price. There is also a canoe/kayak rental facility on the property that looked like a great place!

Rainbow River has been and continues to be our favorite place. Given that we have family here, we are fortunate to visit every year. About three years ago we were disheartened to see the crowds of boats and people tubing in this majestic river; however, thankfully the Rainbow River Conservation members and the caring community have managed to voice their concerns which appears to have slowed some of this activity.

Props to the Garden Club and various volunteers for raising awareness, funds and volunteering in clean up.

The river stays 72 degrees year round. Rent a kayak, paddleboard or grab your snorkel and experience various species of wildlife and fish in this crystal clear aquatic preserve.

I love Rainbow springs, this is a great spot to swim and snorkle, you can rent kayaks, further down the river, which looks like good fun.

We took the water taxi up river from K.P Hole. On our way up we saw many birds, turtles, and alligator and other wildlife. The captain told us about the river and pointed out spots to be sure to stop at on our way down.

Our kids and some other family members tubed and/or snorkeled down while my wife and I snorkeled in the shallow spots and dove the rest of the way.

We saw an unbelievable amount of fish of a variety of species and sizes, many of them were much larger than I was expecting! I still haven't identified all we saw.The springs and boils were quite interesting, and all in all we felt that this was the best fresh water dive we've ever been on, though the Cenotes South of Cancun, Mexico would have to be a close second. We wouldn't hesitate to go again if we had the chance.

Clear cool water and beautiful scenery. Tips; bring rope if there are several of you that want to stay together, getting off the tube is a little difficult in the current at the end. Younger children will need help with on/off and no one at the tube rental helps you.

A ride on the Rainbow is a fun family event, but pick your times wisely- holiday weekends are super packed and summer weekends are fairly packed as well. Bring your own rafts, floats, tubes, canoes or kayaks- or you can rent them from several vendors along the river. This is a crystal clear river with the head springs located in a state park. Entering the river for tubing at the state park is prohibited due to safety reasons, but there is an entrance to the river south of the park. You will see a lot of nice houses along the river. Plan to take a dive mask or googles to see underwater - you might see some aquatic life native to Florida- careful of the snapping turtles! I have always rented art the end of the river run and taken the bus to the beginning of the run, but we have put in our own kayaks and paddled upstream - a good workout- then chilled out and floated back to our parking spot.
Not a lot of first class hotels in the immediate area, but Ocala is not far and you are close to I-75 as well.

I love this part of Florida and have been here many times- it is off the Disney/ Universal/ Legoland trail and is part of the old Florida before all of the big parks- in my opinion - this is the best way to see what Florida is really like!

Beautiful 72 degree water year round. Crystal clear water is great for snorkeling, swimming. Paddleboards and kayaks are for rent by the hour - not all places do this. We went boarding for our first time on this beautiful river and highly recommend it for beginners. The shop and snack bar are closed, so bring your own. The entrance is $2/pp CASH, so be prepared, as the lady at the booth is scary!!

Takes a while but very enjoyable float especially when your underwater scuba diving many fish and things to explore

Despite being 30 feet deep in some places, it feels like you could reach out and touch the bottom since the water is crystal clear. My husband and I took a 2 hour tubing trek via the state park. Living in FL, we all know that fresh water is a no go, due to the alligators that make their homes in the tall reeds. While the bottom of the river looks like it would be home to gators, the cool 72 degree water, year around, and the constant parade of people on the river make alligators a nonissue. This was so surprising to me and I was thrilled to find such a place, even with it being three hours north of where we live. We saw a fish or two and a turtle during our journey down the river. The houses on the river reminded me of something from a movie out of the 70's. Children play on the river and the residents like to sit outside and relax. A time long forgotten. It was so relaxing and something that everyone must try! We can't wait to go back.

Greatness!!! We went during the week and basically had the entire river to ourselves. Weather was beautiful, the water calm. We saw a small gator, lots of birds and turtles. Wonderful experience. We forgot our cameras in the car. Don’t do what we did.

We had a great time doing the 2 hour float down the Rainbow River. We went to the state park. At first it looked like the day was going to be bad as when we arrived they were turning away cars because the parking lot was full. We got lucky that spots opened up as we pulled to the gate. Only $5 to park and then $20 per-person to float the river! Don't worry about your keys as they will hold them for you while you're on the river. If you use the state park they won't allow you to bring coolers so if you would like to do that as part of your float use one of the other put in sites. The tram ride to the place where you get in was nice and not long at all. Once you get on the river remember that it's a natural spring feed river so the water is cold. Once you get in it's not bad at all but can be a shock at first. The river is crowded and there is boat traffic, we didn't expect the boats to be there but they weren't a problem for us. The hard thing to get past is the groups of people that tie all of their tubs together. We understand that people want to stay together with each other and while on the river it wasn't a big problem. The problem came when those large groups are trying to exit the river. If you don't untie the tubes before you get to the take out it causes a huge problem! Over all though it was a great day!

Crystal clear river! 4 hour tube ride was too long for us. Next time we will go on the 2 hour ride and try the Kayaks. With the Kayaks you have more freedom to discover areas you can’t get to with the tubes.

One day, we put in at KP Hole, paddled up to Rainbow Springs State Park. Next day, we rented tubes at KP Hole and floated down to Tuber’s Exit. Beautiful river and not too crowded. We saw tons of fish, birds, turtles, an alligator, and two river otters! Got caught in a massive storm on our 4 hour float down the river too. Memories to savor for a lifetime!

It is a beautiful river to tube down. The water is crystal clear so you can see all the fish turtles and river life below. It take about 4 hours from the tubers entrance at KPHole. The water is a refreshing 72 degrees year round which is wonderful in the heat of summer in Florida. Thousands come here every year to tube the river.

This is our fourth annual family trip to the river and once again it did not fail us. LOVE IT HERE! Our group was a group of 19 and we all had a great time. We are coming back next year.

Old Florida tourist attraction turned into a state park. Lovely grounds. Canoe and kayak rentals available. Nice walking park.

Two weeks ago you could get into the Tubing Entrance park for $2 and $11 for the tram ride if you had your own tube. We have 3 college age kids who are all working and saving money for school during the summer. We live near the Rainbow River, and our kids grew up swimming in the river and hanging out at the Rainbow River State arks. Last week they went to the Tubing Entrance and it was $2 to get in, but the price to use your own tube was the same as renting one...$20.00. My kids all had $13 dollars cash and their own tubes to enjoy the river. They had to leave because they could not afford to pay and we will not be able to enjoy the river that they grew up on because the price increased $9.00 with no warning. These are State Parks and should be available to all of the residents of Marion county. $22 dollars for a college kid working as a waitress for the summer to save for school is out of control!

The Rainbow River is a true gem in North Central Florida. Crystal clear water with fresh water springs along the way, abundant wildlife- fish, otters, alligators, birds. Great for snorkeling, swimming and kayaking. I've been up and down this river in kayaks and love the little islands and hidden channels. Great for outdoor enthusiasts, nature lovers and kayakers. Shallow & rocky areas along the river and a no wake zone the entire way. Very strict river rules & police patrols, so be warned. No disposables on this river!

It took about 4 hours. The river current is very gentle. A bus picks you up to take you back to the car.

The water was freezing but it felt good after a hot day!!! We didn’t get to stay at KP hole to long since it started to rain. Florida weather is unpredictable!

Being a person that's lived in VA all my life, the rainbow river is really beautiful. From the crystal clear water, birds, fish, vegetation, turtles, gators and the list goes on...wow! Wish it was in my back yard.

We rented kayaks from Rainbow River Canoe & Kayak. Their friendly staff dropped us off with our kayaks at KP hole with a map in hand. We took our sweet time kayaking up river to the spring head. Totally worth the trip as it's the most beautiful part of the river. Keep in mind you can't swim in the spring head except in the designated area. I only saw one sign posted that it was protected. If you don't want to spend the entire day on the river, you could easily make a trip out of KP hole to the spring head and back to KP hole but you'd have to catch the bus back to your car on one of the drop-offs. I didn't mind the entire float back down river, but it did get pretty long for a couple of folks. Go into it expecting a full 5-6 hrs. Would totally do it again!

This place is so beautiful it seems unreal - it's so pristine, so peaceful, and full of flora and fauna that doesn't seem like it should be in Florida. We love Rainbow River precisely because it's stretch from the beaches and takes you to fresh, completely transparent water. So, so gorgeous.

This is a great place to launch your canoe or kayaks. There are picnic tables and restroom facilities. They also have lockers for your belongings. The swim area is very small and not worth the 5 bucks to swim here. This park is more for the launching of tubes, kayaks, and canoes. If you want to swim in the clear cold waters go to the Rainbow River state park.

Wow.... you can see forever! crystal clear 72 degree water. I could have stayed in the water forever just floating along and looking.

We took a boat ride down this river and had a wonderful day. The river is clear and you can see the bottom and the fish swimming. There were many birds, turtles and one alligator. We always feel like we are enjoying some of the most beautiful areas of Florida when we come here.

this is a wonderful river to dive while going with the current. hire a dive boat to take you upriver and you will have a relaxing time going downriver. lots of fish,turtles, birds and an occasional small alligator. take lots of pictures and enjoy.

Here's a place that all your troubles are left behind. Tubing, snorkeling, or just plain swimming down the river, here's the place to be. Water is crystal clear at the springs 74 year around. Tubing is not allowed in head springs.

Rainbow river is a great river to spend a relaxing day floating down! The water is super clear and it's very clean.
They have signs saying no food or drinks on the river but there is no way to stay hours on the river without fresh water! I get that they don't water bottles and trash left in the river but Florida is HOT and you'll need to hydrate in order to stay safe.

We made a kajak tour on the crystal river. That was so great an such a great and smooth experience. We would do it again. That is like in paradise. I love to see and swin on the river.

The Rainbow River is a spectacular first magnitude spring fed river flowing for approximately 6 miles from the head springs to where it merges downstream with the Withlacochee river. The head springs, which produce about 500 million gallons of crystal clear water a day, are gorgeous. In order to access the headsprings you must enter Rainbow Springs State Park. No powerboats are allowed near the head springs area, however there is swimming available. Powerboats elsewhere on the river are compelled to cruise at idle...no wake. It is also very shallow in several areas so only shallow draft boats ( pontoon boats etc.) should consider it.

Tubing and kayaking are the main sports enjoyed on the river. There are several tubing concessions and a kayaking concession that people use to enjoy the river. These have drop-off and pick-up services. There is even a diving excursion that utilizes the river. The water temperature remains a constant 72 degrees year round.

The current going downstream is lovely but trying to go back up river can be very strenuous depending on your fitness level.

This was a great kayaking trip. Paddled downstream and used a local outfitter to shuttle us back. Wonderful clear water.

What began as an overcast, chilly December morning turned out to be a beautiful day enjoying the Rainbow River's 72 degree, crystal clear water. My Pacific NW, experienced kayaker son was impressed with the abundance of wild fowl and the litter-free, pristine waterway. After our two-hour self-guided kayak trip, we enjoyed a good seafood lunch at "Swampy's" in Dunnellon, right on the River, then were promptly picked up at the take-out point and delivered back to our car. We'll definitely kayak on the Rainbow River again -- good value for the money, too!

We canoed the Rainbow River for the first time & couldn't be more delighted with our adventure. The water clarity was like that in the Bahamas, but it was better because it was fresh water. The closer you get to the spring, the clearer the water. There are many places to swim, & the river is full of cormorants, turtles, & fish. We even saw an otter & two small alligators. We can't wait to float the Rainbow River again.

This was by far the most enjoyable and relaxing kayak trip we've ever taken. The river was crystal clear and flat calm. Effortless float in lovely surroundings... Can't wait to go again!

Such a beautiful, peaceful, & refreshing trip we get to take each summer! The 4 hour float is perfect round out a 12 hour day from Brandon that includes dinner on the way home. I never hear any students say, "I'm bored", when we are on this river! See you next summer!!

The Rainbow River is so relaxing on a quiet day during the week. If you are an outdoor person and enjoy being one with nature than this is the place for you. You can g to the Rainbow River State Park either for the day or rent a cabin for a couple of days and enjoy all the River and surrounding area offers. Beautiful,place to check out.

We loved paddling down the Rainbow River. The staff that loaded our kayaks and took us to the launch were wonderfully helpful and friendly. We were given a map of the journey and told about various landmarks along the way. I give the trip 4 stars because I wished that the landmarks had been indicated on the map. I forgot the sequence of landmarks and thus it was harder to track how far we had gone. But that was a trivial glitch in a lovely trip.

My brother and I decided to check out the Rainbow River for a dive. Wow! We have dove many of the springs in Florida, but this ranks as my favorite; crystal clear water, abundant wildlife, no litter (honestly, none!) and an ever-changing view.

After paying the $5 entry fee to KP Hole Park, we boarded the Rainbow River Water Taxi who shuttled us up river for a $10 fare, after dropping us off we had an 80-minute drift dive back. This was WELL worth the $15. I'm definitely going to dive here again.

The river was cloudy, probably because there were a mass amount of people on the river at the same time. We couldn't find any "shore areas" to stop to eat and just swim. There were however, very beautiful homes along the river. Even though there is a rule about no disposable containers allowed on the river, we saw quite a bit of trash. Disappointed....

We had a great experience floating the river with rainbow river canoes rentals. I have passed by here several times and finally made it the destination. Glad we did. be sure and float or rent a pontoon boat. You will be glad you did.

Went yesterday on our friends pontoon and enjoyed seeing so much wildlife. The water is so clear you can see the bottom and fish everywhere. Will definitely go back and tube the area!

One of the most beautiful places I've ever been to. You feel like you're in a rain forest. The water is stunning and there is so much wildlife. I would have to say this is my favorite place in Florida.

This is a true Florida experience. Float the river in a canoe, kayak ,or tube. Stop along the way to snorkel and see the underwater fresh water universe. A relaxing fun adventure. There is also a lot of wildlife along the way.

It was ok. We actually did the tubing to begin which was lovely. We decided to drive down the street to the swimming area and was kinda disappointed. We were expecting more of a natural wooded environment. It was basically a swimming hole/pool that was overcrowded. While we were expecting a natural environmental beauty we got a tourist crush with people jumping into a pool like area. The water is extremely deep so come prepared with flotation. Honestly if you are coming for the tubing…. 👍🏼. If you are coming for the swimming and park… 👎🏼 look at one of the other parks. We likely won’t come back

Went there to do some tubin but unfortunately we were out of season. Met a very helpfull lady at the kiosk who pointed us in the right direction to hire some river craft. Really nice lady. Ended up With a double cayak and had some fun. We thought the river ran too slow for the tubes. Would have taken us 4 hours on a tube and we would have been frazzled beyond belief. Took us 1.5 hours and it was enough.

I wanted so much to love this tubing trip. Tubing has always been a favorite summer activity for me. But when we went, it was just before a storm. I heard they closed it down after our tram. Anyway, the storm made the water feel freezing. There was lightening and thunder all around. We kept getting blown into the trees and grasses on the bank. It was a miserable 2.5 hours and we swore never to do it again. I'm sure this was entirely because of the stormy conditions. The houses you see on the float are actually so cool to look at. Lots of birds as well. The staff at the office and tram were great. We only took a Go Pro and a dry bag for keys. I would recommend if you go earlier in the day and be mindful of weather.

We tubed down this river with our children ages 1-13, it was relaxing and calm water and the water is beautiful!

The Rainbow is a beautiful spring-fed river. I am completely amazed at the clarity of the water- You can enjoy it by kayak, paddleboard,a tube float, or just swimming. The water is fairly warm (72-74). What is most amazing to me is that you can see the bottom so clearly. To help preserve this beauty, there are VERY strict guidelines for what you can bring onto the river. No disposalble containers are allowed to prevent trashing up the place - all food and drink must be in re-usable containers. Because of this, there are no piles of trash laying around. How Great!! I wish other places would adopt this policy. A truly beautiful, peaceful and tranquil place that has an energy all its own!

The water was amazing. The park / water was clean. Loved the time together. The only draw back was the drunken pontoon boat parties. Would definitely do it again!

My sister mother and I enjoyed a relaxing two hour tube ride here. We are all suited and booted with life jackets and loaded onto a safari like truck to get to the top of the river which was an experience itself. We then get into our tubes and have a relaxing time floating down the river. Great fun!

We kayaked and snorkled the Rainbow River. It is absolutely gorgeous river!! Crystal clear water. Saw turtles, birds and fish. Busy during Christmas break, but still fun :)

Beautiful place. Even on a crowded Saturday there is plenty of room to spread out a blanket and a picnic and space to swim. Funny thing is there are signs for a zoo yet when you walk back there it looks like it hasn't been there in years. Took young kids back there and had to make it a game of thinking of what type of animal would have been in a cage in that spot. Funny.....

Mondays are good days to visit Rainbow River. We arrived before 10 a.m. and easily found a place to park. It was a long wait before the tram departed (11:20) heading to the launch site. From drop off point it's an easy walk to launch carrying our tubes. Along the paved path, we caught sight of a good sized tortoise in the grass. At launch location, some people were waiting...maybe thinking the 72 degree water would warm up. After initial contact with the water, it was delightful. The tubes are nearly impossible to maneuver; a few of us spent a great deal of the time struggling to free ourselves from mangrove/hammocks type shoreline. Most others easily stayed in the stream of the current, drifting idling downstream. Another few of us flipped tubes over attempting to get into the flow. It is another sort of challenge to regain proper tube position. It is an easy trip, there were very young children in the group, even though posted rules say no one under the age of 3 allowed there were rule breakers. At the end of the journey, two very kind and helpful fellow adventurers extended their helping hands. Had they not been there, we may still be struggling our way out of aquatic flora. If we go back, we will either rent a kayak or bring a paddle for the tube.

This is one of the most beautiful rivers I have been on, With waters coming directly from the springs along the bottom of the river you cannot ask for much more clarity.

This is the KP Hole. We went to go swimming and it is $5 a person. Come to find out it is only $2 a person in the actual state park area (which has a way nicer place to swim).

We visited Rainbow Springs State Park at the head springs of the river. An excellent place to swim or rent a canoe or kayak or take a hike on some beautiful trails and view several waterfalls.

Great place to go tubing down the river. Do not bring zip lock bags, water bottles or pre packaged food....it's not allowed on the river. Either is alcohol. They have a device that scans beverages for vapors. You can bring reusable bottles and tupper ware to bring food and drinks. You can bring a cooler....there is no place to pull off for a picinic so snack on the river. There is also no place to stop for food or drink on the river until the very end when you exit the river to be picked up. But the resturant is on the opposite side of the river. It's a 4 hour float. They have a paved parking lot and it is not full on weekdays. They have bathrooms and storage lockers. Check out K.P hole for better reviews and rules for the river. Bring sunscreen!!!! They also have a pump to blow up floats but see size regulations. There floats are nice. $20 for parking, float and ride back to car.

There was an aggressive alligator please call before you go to check if it's been reopened. If you get to go you will have a blast! I was about to take a group of kids family and friends for a nice day float. The water is a little chilly, but you acclimate rather quickly. We like to bring rope with us to tether a few tines together! Read the park rules about water containers and such before you go...dont forget sunscreen and have a blast!

Rainbow River area has so much to offer. We were on the river on a Friday and then returned again on a Monday when it’s less busy. Crystal clear water, refreshing and cool. Unfortunately, we ran out of sunscreen when we went tubing on Monday. We went biking on the Dunnellon Trail on Saturday and eat at swampy’s for lunch. On Sunday we visited Cannon Farms.

Clear waters. Not too many people. Great weather in early October. Saw people on kayaks and pontoons. Various birds, fish, turtles, & other creatures.

There were 3 in our vehicle. The cashier was walking down the line of cars taking cash or cards a few at a time to handle the influx of cars. My card was ran for 4 people/$100 instead of 3 people/$75. I immediately went back to the cashier with the receipt to show she over charged $25. While crediting the $25, another $75 was charged, in essence, charging us another $75. I realized this once all three transactions showed in my bank account. I have called and email with no response. I have disputed the extra $75 charged with my bank and awaiting the response from Rainbow River Tubing.

An absolute MUST DO if you are in the area. A 4 hour, sleepy, bobbing, peaceful tube down the incredible Rainbow River. Beautiful homes along the way. We will definitely do it again.

Ok we Loved it but.....before you go get a refillable drinking container ,No disposable items can be taken on lake ......there tubes are great but not practical you need a raft so you can get on and off to swim and snorkel,there is very little information and needed signage about tram stops and they use the a neighbor across the lake gazebo picture as a landmark to show you where toget off of lake ....rest rooms where dated and dirty and out of toilet paper they are using household size rolls,so we know how long those last with a couple hundred visitors a day lol,but a natural beautiful place

Went kayaking down the Rainbow River with my family...long trip but was absolutely beautiful! Took about 3 hours. Hard to find places to stop off to swim a little but was really a nice trip. Have to everything to eat or drink in something that can't be thrown away...a thermos for drinking and Tupperware for snacks or food...no wrappers allowed! We passed many people tubing, water flow is not too fast and they looked a little bored...kayaking was great! 2 adults and 4 teenagers on 3 sit-on kayaks. Would highly recommend!

Take today and hit the Rainbow River you'll love it bring the family bring friends rent some tubes bring your own tubes bring a kayak you'll have a blast

Was only there for a day, and found it relaxing and visually spectacular in some areas. Would totally visit here again!

We rented kayaks, for a day on the rainbow river. River is beautiful and clear. Tons of wildlife to see, actually got to see otters! Also got to see cormorants swimming after fish which is really cool in such clear water.

We passed lots of tubers that looked to be having a great time too.

Great place to go tubing on a lazy day. The water is crystal clear and you will see turtles and fish! You can rent tubes from the State Park and they will provide a shuttle where you can tune down the river for $20 per person.

Simply amazing!!! I am almost hesitant to write a review because this place was just magnificent and I don't want it to get crowded! Perfect example of what outdoor natural Florida should be. We plan to return again. We have traveled all over and as a family are big into outdoor activities. We also have several natural springs near out home however it doesn't compare. Insanely clear water, perfect temperature for swimming. Kayaking was PERFECT. We hopped out several times to snorkle and swim. We saw a variety of river critters including a bald eagle. We plan to return in a few months!!

My husband and I went kayaking 4 miles downstream the Rainbow River starting from KP Hole. I have never seen such clear water my entire life! Could see plants growing and fish swimming. The water was anywhere from 2 feet to 22 feet deep. Beautiful scenery between trees and wildlife. We went on a Tuesday. Was not busy. Had the whole river to ourselves. Highly recommend checking out this river.

We were getting our dive certification and did checkout dives in Rainbow River. It was an excellent experience. The spots with depth are shallow enough to not feel uncomfortable while figuring out your gear.

Myself and teenage niece and nephew rented tubes at the Rainbow Springs State Park, enjoying a 2-hour lazy river tube ride down the Rainbow River. The water's about 72* year-round and crystal clear. It was very refreshing on a hot summer day. Scenery was beautiful, we saw plenty of birds and waterfowl, even a river otter.

We have a home on a waterfront community along the Rainbow River in north central Florida. The reason we purchased was all due to the river itself. It is a five mile long, crystal clear, spring-fed wonderland of fish and turtles and birds by the hundreds. It offers opportunities for great kayaking, snorkeling and scuba if you are so inclined. Although locals bemoan the fact " it ain't what it used to be", the river is still one of the state's hidden gems. I cannot imagine anyone not being impressed after a single visit!

First time on the river and we had a great experience!.. We went kayaking and couldn’t have been more happy with our tour guide Sam. Very informative on the wild/marine life in the area. We went down Indian Creek which was awesome and strongly recommend it! We will be back!

I've been here four or five times, it's a four hour lazy river drift, make sure you bring rope to tie your tubes together. They also won't allow you to bring anything disposable on the river. You can put them in tupperware and coolers.

Simply the BEST river for tubing, Get there early and make sure that you take NOTHING disposable on the river.

We floated down the river on tubes for 1.5 hours. Very relaxing and crystal clear water. We saw turtles, alligators (which were lazing on the bank) and several otters. Overall a very nice trip, although I have to honestly say that I like tubing on the Ichetucknee River even better.

This is a very nice park. It has the cleanest water to swim and drink in at the same time. The price for entrance is well worth the trip for a day at the park.

We live in a state that is fast paced, over developed, and very diverse. From the water falls to the Butterfly garden, to the crystal blue Refreshing Spring. The Raibow River should be on everyone's bucket list. I am so lucky to be able to live close enough to visit as often as I do. Even if I didn't live as close, I would. It really is Floridas shiniest blue jewel. But don't tell anyone. It's a great secret.

Came here from NY to check the Rainbow River out cause we heard it was a great place to train
In winter months to get ready for races in summer up North. It is a beautiful river and area! Many rivers to paddle and lots of trails for walking and biking! Liked it so much we bought a house here for winter months..

lovely place to visit in Florida enjoying fun activities from swimming to kayaking gift shop and snack bars

Best river to tube on or bring your kayak!!! The water is cold at 72 degrees year round so be sure to pick hot days!

If you have never been, schedule a trip. The rainbow river is a gem! It is great for kayaking, paddle boarding or tubing. You can rent any of those things in the area!

This intersection into the rainbow river is beautiful, nature, river kayaking, boating & swimming are things we tried. Walking & cycling the trail that stretches 100km is awesome, very flat & tarmac surfaced, it could be done by people of all ages. Be open eyed for birds, snakes & gaiters on the way.

We ended up renting kayaks and it was such a relaxing trip. We saw many birds, fish and turtles. We could see to the bottom at over 30 foot depth.

Beautiful river with the crystal clear spring water. Saw lots of turtles, various bird life, and even some otters. It was enjoyable 3 -4 hours on a bright sunny day.

Couldn't ask for a better way to spend the beginning of this Sunday. Staff are amazingly friendly and polite. Water is just perfect and clear to the point that you see the bottom of the rivers floor. Two thumbs up 👍🏼👍🏼

WARNING>>> No plastic on the river. If you bring any to the river, you bring it home with you. This river is protected and we need to keep it pristine. 72 degrees year round and fish can be seen very easily. Turtles and gators sunning, otters playing. Awesome place for bird watchers too.BEWARE of the gators they DO BITE>> DO NOT FEED>>> OR THE GATORS will be killed, because if you feed them, they now see people as a food source. And will need to be killed.

the river was really really fun. It was clean and the water was very refreshing. We used RAINBOWRIVERKAYAK.com they drove us there and picked us up for a small fee. Will do it again!!

My wife and I did a kayak trip on the Rainbow River while we were our trip to Florida. It was a 4 1/2 mile trip down River. The water is crystal clear and there is so much to see. There are many places that you can stop and swim a long the way.The water temp is 72 degrees so it was a little chilly at first but not bad after your in. We seen .any kinds of birds, river otters, tons of turtle's and fish. We were to that there are gators there as well but unfortunately we did not see any. The trip was around 5 hours but then again we also stopped a lot and played around. They said parts of the river are as deep as 75 feet and its crazy because its so clear you can see straight to the bottom, and it looks like you an touch it. Never seen anything like that before.

Beautiful setting, especially the springs area (blue/green water + riverbank setting). Took the kids here for lunch (we brought food with us and had a hike / lunch on the trail). They have a few small waterfalls. Saw a small group of teens swimming, but weather was rather chilly the day we visited. Stopped en route from Crystal River back to Atlanta for a break from the driving. Thought about kayaking / canoeing as well, but passed due to chillier weather and unfamiliarity with local tour companies.

We are St. Pete locals and wanted an afternoon away from the beaches. It was about a 2hr drive from St. Pete and totally worth it! River was beautiful.. There are rope swings all along the side for floaters to enjoy. We will go back during a week day to try and avoid the crowd. Good for all ages

I traveled with a dive group to dive in Rainbow river. This was a great day out. Toilets were clean and the picnic area was free of trash and noticed that you can grill your own food. There was plenty to do with kayaking, paddleboarding and river tubing. Overall a pleasant experience.

Arrive early as parking is a premium!!

Little crowded but the water was nice.
Not a good place for unsure swimmers. The water is over 6 feet deep off the stairs. No lifeguard on duty.

Had a great time going down the river. The water is crystal clear and calm.It took us 4 hours to complete it but we stopped along the way to swim

Went for the tubing on the Friday school ended in Florida and the week after school field trips ended too. It was a GOOD DAY to go! It wasn't too crowded, so the 2-hour tube ride down the river was a great way to spend a 90-degree day! We arrived after the first wave of people (around 11am), paid for our entry & tube ($2+20 per person), and waited for the tram to take us to the river. The Rainbow River is fed by the spring, so it's crystal clear and refreshing. All the visitors were happy to be there and we all were friendly traveling lazily down the river.
Be prepared to see kayakers, paddleboarders, small crafts, or other floating vessels along the way. They all know to go around us, so no need to panic or try to paddle away from them. We heard there can be turtles, fish and otters along the way, but we dind't see any on our visit. We saw a very small gator on the shoreline, but they keep to themselves. As long as you hold onto the tube, you can go as many times as you want. There are State Park rules you have to follow - be sure to read them! No pets (service animals OK), nothing that will produce garbage (reusable containers only), no flipflops in the water, no coolers on the river, etc. Just visit the website so you're prepared. Gota keep the State parks CLEAN! A great time, highly recommend!!

This past weekend, we tubed down the river from KP hole to the take out point. It was about a 3 and 1/2 hour trip. The water is clear and we saw numerous birds and fish.

We rented tubes from Rainbow River Kayak Adventures who dropped us off and picked us up. In addition to paying for the rental, you also have to pay $10 per person to KP Hole. It was a good experience.

If you tube from the state park, they drop you off at a different place and you exit the river near their rental center. It's a shorter trip. We took this trip a few years ago.

We spent a week at a house near KP Hole and every day we went on the river to tube or kayak. It was the most fun my family has had in a long time, even better than going to the beach! You have 2 trail options, the 2-hour trail or the 4-hour trail depending on your swimming ability and how long your snacks will last. We bring our own tunes so that we only have to pay the $12 for park entry and shuttle ride back. It's $20 a person if you have to rent tubes...but it's definitely worth the money. Last river exit is at swampy's bar and grill and that's where the shuttle picks up.

I wrote another review about the park, but the river is the star attraction. Snorkeling along with the clear water and grass gently waving underneath - this is what I imagine flying feels like.

Put in at KP hole and kayaked down to mouth of river- wonderful-well worth it! The trip upriver is harder paddling than back but is only a mile. You can get out at the State Park and walk trails then.

We did the drift dive here with American Pro Scuba out of Crystal river. It was a great first dive for us after we completed our certification. You get to practice with a boat dive and you can't get lost in the river as the natural boundaries and current guide you along the way.

We recently went tubing down the Rainbow River. A few things should be noted: (1) no coolers, food or beverages [except water] are allowed - you could probably smuggle alcohol in using a thermos, tho (2) it’s $22/person, regardless if you bring your own tubes or not. I went a few years ago and coolers were allowed, it no alcohol. Now, there are no coolers or alcohol for tubers. I can live without alcohol. But tubing for 2-4 hours without food or drink is a little rough.

Aside from the no food or drink situation, Dunellon is redneck central. People were joking cigarettes on the river and there was a ton of boat traffic. That combined with the many, many houses on the river kind of detracts from what could be a naturally beautiful area. The water is crystal clear and a cool 72 degrees. And there is some wildlife on the river, too.

All-in-all, next time I think we’ll drive a little further to ichetucknee.

This place beats Ginny Springs any day of the week. Great family place. No alcohol allowed. Rainbow river is crystal clear the entire way and really beautiful. You pay $5 for parking and $15 per person for tubing, regardless of if you bring your own tube. Make sure to bring a rope for tethering as it is not provided. They will drive you to the K.P. Hole and then you tube for 2 miles. There are some beautiful water front houses to look at along the way along with phenomenal nature views. Very impressed with the river and the organization of this park. Will definitely go back.

So much wild life to see...take your camera. We saw young people fishing. They have some great fish, and plenty of them. We also saw swimmers.

We had a blast floating this lovely river in the "off season" as it was our first time on the river. It was super clean and totally beautiful and super peaceful.

great way to spend the day with friends!! we took the 2 hour float out of the park, not at blue hole, it was just the right amount of time on the river. there were 6 of us, we brought our own floats, even though the park has tubes included in with the price of the float, we also brought some longer bungees to secure all of our floats together to form a raft. recommend going during the week it is a little less busy on the river than the weekends.

The spring fed rivers in Florida are all beautiful and the Rainbow River is no exception. There is a lot of bird life and the water is clear and clean. We took to opportunity to do a drift dive down the river and hired a boat to take us up river and then made an easy dive down. Hadn't considered scuba on the rivers in the past and was very pleasantly surprised and highly recommend.

We fell in love with Rainbow River! The water was beautiful and the tubbing down the river was awesome! Cold water but super clear! Lots of people due to the long weekend, but everybody was super nice and friendly. The views of the homes on the river and the wild on the left were super relaxing! Everybody in our group really enjoyed it.

Took a two-hour float down this gorgeous river. So relaxing! You get to watch nature at it's best on one side, and beautiful river homes on the other. Would love to do it all over again.

We drove from Crystal River to the KP Hole on Rainbow River near Dunnellon FL. We have our own kayaks and it cost $5.00 each to launch our kayaks, parking was free. We paddled and drifted for about 6.5 miles (about two and a half hours). It was a beautiful, easy kayak trip. We saw the usual birds and turtles and were surprised to see a little gator in some floating water plants. There were five vehicles in our group, so, one of the cars was left down at the place where we came out of the river. Both the go in ramp and the come out ramp were wonderful.
Very eco friendly. Not permitted are any food or drink in disposable containers.

KP HOLE and the RAINBOW RIVER is an a great little Florida experience that's hard to surpass. It's a four hour float down a lazy stream of super clear water with a sand bottom that allows you to see all the fish and grasses as you lazily pass over. Swimsuits and sunscreen are all you'll need. Wear a hat and bring water in a REUSABLE bottle. The excursion ends at SWAMPY's TEKI HUT where you can drop off the tubes, get some food and catch the shuttle back to KP HOLE to p/u your car. Cost is $20.00 which includes tube & shuttle service to your car. There are police that patrol for safety. (No alcohol allowed).

I've done this trip twice once 5 years ago (saw no alligators) and this last time in June ....And we did see alligators...One small 3 ft or so and harmless (so said the police officer) Climate change ? Regardless, it was a fun day and I'd do it again!

Florida is not only beaches but it's these back water streams (there are many) that meander through Old Florida and on down to the Gulf of Mexico. So much to see and do besides going to the beach. Get out there and make it a great day!

We tubed the river, from the state park, but you can also kayak, boat, canoe or SUP! Beautiful and peaceful!

While I loved tubing down Rainbow Springs, the fees seem rediculously high. My family of five had our own tubes, but paid $103 to float for a couple of hours. Give me a break!

The Rainbow River is beautiful and cold. First plunge is hard but once in it is so refreshing. So many activities available. Kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, and just floating. There is also a really nice paved bike trail that is mostly shaded.
There is also fishing available.

Floating along the Rainbow River, whether tubing, kayaking or canoeing, is a wonderful experience. There is plenty of nature all around you - from great hammocks to beautiful birds. Watching the turtles sun themselves is very relaxing. Also, it is an unusual place in Florida in that you do not see many gators ( maybe 1 or 2 small) because of the water temperature.

Stayed at nearby Happy Acres Ranch for two days and went tubing on Rainbow River for 2 hours. One of the most fun things we did while in Florida. So relaxing to just float down the crystal clear river and watch all the different birds and fish! If you don't want to spend 4 hours and more on the river go to the State Park Tubing place like we did, they offer the 2 hour version! Highly recommended!

We kayaked the river, swam and watched some of the most incredible wildlife we have ever seen. We watched eagles and birds we can't wait to identify.

there was 15 of us age from 10 to 45we had lot of fun. can't wait to go back. just make sure you bring lots of food and drinks

Many people come to the river at KP Hole county park from all over the U.S.and many countries in Europe. I am one of the lucky ones who live here and because of that I go there a few times each week. For many people it's a once in a lifetime trip.There is a Rainbow Water Taxi which will take you up the river so you may snorkel or do scuba drift dive back to KP Hole. The owner Brett is very friendly and helpful. The water is very clear spring water with a 1.2 knot current. There's a lot of wildlife to see. You may also float down the river 3.3 miles it takes about 4 hours. If you're coming on the weekend plan to arrive before 10am as the parking lot gets full.Everywhere I go in the world I always take time to tell people about this great place.

Very soothing experience when the weather is nice. We took a pontoon boat lazily down or up the river, both Rainbow and Withlacoochee River. Lots of birds and turtles to see. On that particular day, no alligators. The boat leaves from Angler's Resort. We took the Singing River Tours run by Capt. Jon Semmes 352-804-1573. He is quite knowledgeable about nature and will be talking to you about the eco-system around the place. He is also a good singer so he'll sing few songs on the return from the boat ride.

Do not miss the opportunity to experience this gorgeous clear River!!! So much diversity and so much to learn from her!

First time visiting the springs and had a wonderful time. We went tubing the first day and kayaking the next. Have to say tree jumping into the water was the highlight of our time here. Loved it.

We went tubing at Rainbow River, and it was an unforgettable experience. The cost was $24 plus tax per person, which included a float (intertube), a shuttle to the drop-off point, and a return shuttle back to the parking lot — very convenient and well-organized.

There is so much to see along the way. If you're lucky, like I was on a previous visit, you might even spot otters. The river is full of life — from a variety of birds to the peaceful, crystal-clear water that lets you see straight to the bottom. All you have to do is sit back, relax, and float about 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream.

It’s honestly hard to put the beauty of this trip into words. It’s the perfect mid-vacation activity — peaceful, scenic, and a great way to recharge.

Important tip for first-timers: The tubing entrance is not located at the main entrance to Rainbow Springs State Park. Instead, it’s a separate entrance on SW 180th Avenue Road, about 1.4 miles south of the campground entrance. Make sure to navigate directly to the tubing facility to avoid confusion — it’s where you’ll check in, sign your waiver, and catch the shuttle to the launch point.

Bonus: Your tubing admission also includes free access to Rainbow Springs State Park afterward — a great way to extend your day and explore more of the area.

Highly recommend this experience to anyone looking to slow down and soak in Florida’s natural beauty.

My teenage grandson and I did the tubing here, it was amazing and very relaxing. Highly recommend it!

Awesome trip floating the rainbow river. Reasonable cost. Beautiful scenery! Short drive from Crystal River. Great family activity.

My two brothers by another mothers in-laws and I paddled for 2 1/2 hours down stream and encountered two small crocodiles, many, many bird species and turtles and 5 otters. We went on a weekday and there were a lot of others on the river as well. All very respectful of the beauty and wildlife, even the teens.

The Rainbow River is spring fed and therefore quite clear and obviously popular with those who enjoy tubing, canoeing and boating. There are quite a few houses along its' banks but also many areas that are more natural and lined with native flora such as large old cypress trees with their iconic "knees" sprouting all around their bases. And though we did see some fish and bird life wildlife wasn't that plentiful probably due to the many people using the river for recreation on a beautiful Sunday.
We tubed the river with the help of Acuatic Wilderness Adventures putting in at KP Hole park and ending our tube float at AWA's location where we had left our vehicle. Though some might find it a bit too long of a float (3.5 to 4 hours) I personally thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Went here on Fathers Day and wasn’t too crowded. It’s so beautiful! Crystal clear water and so much wildlife! It’s $2 to enter the park (has a lot of parking space available) and then walking past the swimming area you’ll find kayak, paddle-board and canoe rentals at 16-22 per hour. We did the paddle boards for an hour and it was perfect. There can be a wait depending how many people are in your group, so keep that in mind. You can go down the river passing some houses on one side and greenery on the other. There’s grass area for picnic and is nice to bring a cooler and umbrella (some people had small grills as well.) The swimming area is roped off to about 80ft long and 50ft wide. We didn’t have a big issue getting in and having room. Perfect temperature to work up a sweat on paddle-board and cool with a dip.

We stayed at the Rainbow river state park, witch is also the launch site for river tubing, if you are a registered camper you can take your car to the pickup parking lot and bike back to the campground (it takes 15 min), just be sure to BRING YOUR YELLOW camping permit (parking is free for campers) The river is amazing and there's lots to see! Birds, fish, turtles and Yes! Snakes and Gators! Word of advice --- wear a shirt or USE SUNSCREEN! Even if it's overcast, we got scorched the second day, because we thought we didn't need it on a cloudy day :) and we took the 4 hour run mid day.

Tried to get in at KP Hole - but it was packed by 10:30 am. Went to the headwaters at RR State Park and paddled to the bridge in Dunnellon. Just Awesome - lots of tubers, but that didn't reduce the impact of the trip at all... Go if you can!!!

My 70 year old, energetic sister-in-law suggested a 4 hour tubing trip down rainbow river. You will see turtles, fish and a variety of birds. The water is clear and cool. Take a hat, sunscreen, water, snack in Tupperware type container, water shoes, long rope to hook tubes together. We had a small water proof bag that we hooked to the tube. There are lockers you can use to secure items.Unfortunately, my sister-in-law, suffered from overheating and we didn't have a phone. Thank goodness a kayaker came by and towed her in the last mile. She had water, but was wearing a long sleeved shirt. Not one parol was seen the entire 4 plus hours. We had no idea how bad she was until we got to the ramp. She is ok, but I wouldn't recommend anything more than a 2hr trip. 3 HR would be nice but not an option.

So much to do, tubing, boating, swimming, etc. River is 72 degr. year round. Boat rentals available.

We set out with two teenage girls and had a blast! The water was perfect temperature and the floating was fun. Weekdays are the best time to attend and less crowded. The water is so clear the entire float.

Great river to paddle. Very wide, watch out for the tubers. The river is clear as bath water and just st as warm.

Nice springs for tubing but the swimming area tends to get crowded and is pretty deep for kids. If you have young ones or weak swimmers make sure they go out with a floatation device like a noodle. It’s pretty deep. And if you snorkel not much to see in the swimming allowed area. That swimming area needs to be larger. However the surrounding area is great and your allowed to grill!!

The tubing was very relaxing until my friend got hurt on a rope swing. Just to tell everyone: DO NOT ROPE SWING ON THE YELLOW PLASTIC ROPE TIED TO A TREE IN THE LEFT OF THE RIVER. It's not at the beginning, it's when you are tubing. The rope caught around my friends leg and cut her open & she had to get 10 stitches day of. Emergency ambulance people told us this happens once a year! Overall though the water is clear for the most part and breathtaking. Relaxing tube ride. The staff could be nicer for they were extremely rude until my friend got hurt.

My girlfriends and I decided to meet for the weekend here and ride the river. It is great for tubing, kayaking, paddleboarding or snorkeling. The water is clear and beautiful and not too cold in July. My suggestions are 1) wear sunscreen 2)bring rope or straps if you want to keep your group together 3) bring a drink in a non-throwaway container or even better a floating cooler. My advice to the tubing company is to have someone at the end guarding the ramp so that kids aren't blocking the area and they can give people a hand getting out. There is a strong current and my friend went under and almost got pulled downstream.

Awesome natural spring for tubing, boating, fishing and hanging out with family. We travel to many of floridas springs and this place is a piece of heaven. Boats can enjoy this hot spot as well as tubers and kayaks. Lots of swimming areas with crystal clear waters.

We brought our own kayaks, launched them at KP Hole. Paddled them up river ( which was not difficult) to the head springs. Keep in mind you cannot beach or get out of your kayaks at the state park. Then we headed back down the river. There is a place that is shallow on the left side as you head back that you can stop and get out. As we headed back one member of our party got back out at KP Hole but the rest of us continued on down the river another hour or so to Swampys. Just past it on the left under the bridge is a public launch for kayaks and tubes.
The river is beautiful with clear water and lots of wild life. We saw lots of fish, birds and even otters. Alligators are also around, however, we did not see any. There are a lot of people on the river with you, tubers, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, partyboats and small boats. But as boats go, they can't move fast, and there are not as many as the tubers and such, so we really didn't have any issues with them. All in all we really enjoyed our day.

Lots of nice easy to walk trails. Beautiful clear water. Great for paddling. Beautiful natural landscape and wildlife. Friendly staff. Nice swimming area. Gift shop. Outdoor seating for a nice picnic. Very clean place. Wish I brought peanuts for the squirrels.

This river is beautiful and the law enforcement makes sure it stays that way. Ther was an officer at the start making sure there were no disposable bottles going on the river and a law enforcement boat collecting any that might have found their way in (great job guys!) Truly beautiful with the clean crystal water, the beautiful houses and wildlife. Tons of turtles and birds and we even saw otters close to the loading dock. There is a current and it is deep in most places so make sure you have something to float on. Current is easy to maneuver in a kayak. There is shade, but still bring sunblock. Not too many gators and lots of people on the weekends.

The river is clear and clean. There are birds, fish, turtles, and I spotted an otter. Fishing is prohibited because the wildlife are very fragile. There is a current however Paddling against the current is easy.

Also, it's only good FOR ONE FLOAT AND TRAM RIDE? Y'all are thieves. This is a state park. No wonder there was no wait on a Saturday morning at 11am. We turned right around and will be removing this from our annual trip itinerary. What a disappointment. Y'all suck.

Cool water you can enter for $5 at private entrance or $2 at State park. Water is beautiful and transparent. You can bring your own tubes. Float approx. 2 hours...

This was my first lazy river experience ever and I was not prepared. I hope you find this helpful for your group, to make your trip easier then mine. Sunscreen, sunglasses and extra towels are very important. Before you rent your tube, go to Walmart or somewhere to purchase thin rope, an extra float boat, and paddles (this is optional but I purchased that stuff at the tube rental place, it was expensive but much needed if your a planner like me) 1. Thin Rope - to tie all your flotations together(staying together is very important), 2. Extra float - To put personal belongings, cameras, binoculars, cell phones, towels, paddles, sun block etc. they have an air pump at the renal place if you ask, they might blow up your float for free, if not its 50 cents for 1-2 mins of air at a station. 3. Paddles - we often used them to stay in the middle of the river, if we drifted to the sides, we were able to quickly push off the trees or docks. Watch out for bees nests and tons of flys on the sides. We had a blast, we saw one gator in the swampy area to our right, about half way down the river, if you leave it alone,they'll leave you alone (hopefully.) I freaked that we were in the same water, but I kept it together and moved on. We heard they remove any gators over 6ft from the river. I hear the wild life that can pop up are: alligators, river otters and snakes. My personal outlook on it is to have fun and just enjoy spending time with your friends in nature. I'm glad I didn't let them scare me away from a truly memorable experience.

When I arrived at the Rainbow River in Dunnellon I realized that this was by far the most beautiful site in the state. There is so much to see (beautiful birds, huge schools of fish just underneath your feet, crystal clear water). The water is drinking quality & you can see through to the bottom no matter how deep it is! Absolutely stunning views on a gently flowing river.

We've made it a point to come back to the Rainbow River at least twice per year as a retreat from the busy Miami life.

Wow - this river is beautiful. Crystal blue water makes it a great place for tubing, swimming, kayaking - you name it.

We did the two hour float which was great! Personally I would do the four hour float but my boyfriend couldn't handle the cold water so we only did two. I absolutely loved it and will be back!

Stunning, crystal-clear, pristine, absolute must for anybody visiting Florida. And we thought Ichatucknee was good!

What a great way to spend a day. The river is just beautiful and so very peaceful. Go tubing or kayaking or boating. It just can't be beat.

What a beautiful place this is! The river is created from underground springs that spill out 400M gallons of water a day! And at a constant temp of 72 degrees. We belong to a triathlon club so we went up for a 3.5 mile swim. But most people bring their rafts and floaties and drift down.

The water is crystal clear. And there is plenty of wildlife to be seen (and no, we did not see any gators).

And when you are done, grab a bite to eat at Swampy's Grill.

This is definitely a must do again!!

One of the best rivers I have ever visited, clean, sweet smelling and full of wild life. Great place to kayak, snorkel and bird watch.

Mom Ed and I just strutted around town ate locally love the big mural downtown the crumbly place and laurel and hardy Nice

Awesome floating..I wish we would have done the 4 hour float..2 hours went so quick.. also I would bring a floating cooler for water.. and camera.. no pics

I feel like a lot of people here are reviewing the K.P. Hole, which is a park located on the Rainbow River where you can rent tubes, etc. from. To clarify, the Rainbow River itself runs into the Withlacoochee River not too far after the take out place for tubes, maybe another 30 minute float in kayak or whatever you're using. The Rainbow River itself is completely clear, and really a must-see (or do) in Florida. I grew up around the corner from the river and I have never gotten tired of it. There are many access points to the river, including the KP Hole where you can rent a tube (although I'd recommend buying one at Walmart for ~$4 and using that, as I've always done), or Rainbow River State Park, where you pay only $2 to get in, with a swimming area, or look at the waterfalls there.

The river does have a current of course, so even if you get out of your tube to swim, you will keep proceeding down the river. Bring a mask, get in the water and see the turtles/fish/plant life.

Tips: Certain times of the year will have huge wasp nests--without exaggeration, they are often the size of a baseball, but I have seen some as big as a glove. If you are paddle boarding specifically, you can easily get close to the edge, not be looking and run into one with your face--just watch your surroundings, or stay in the middle.

Also, if you start your float and it looks like rain already, it will probably storm while you're out there. This is why you want to start by 9AM, especially in the summer. I was out with friends that thought I was being dramatic as dark clouds were forming while we were on the water. As soon as we got to the take out spot and in the truck, it all broke loose and lightning was popping everywhere. They were convinced--you do not want to be on the river when it starts lightning. Florida storms are intense, but Dunnellon has some serious lightning in theirs--close, bright and loud. And you don't want to ride that out on the river.

A beautiful place to walk and take in the unspoilt scenery along the river. Some excellent wildlife to be seen especially for any keen ornathologist. Well worth a visit!

Very clear, beautiful river. Put in at KP hole went left 1 mile to head water of the spring, then down to the park take out at the Hy bridge.only problem is very few places to get out to ewim or eat.

Our family snorkeled and went scuba diving with American Pro Dive Ctr here. The water temperature is cool but not uncomfortable. KP Hole is clean with conveniences, not far from Orlando.
A fun, memorable day was had for all of us.

This is a natural spring fed river that holds a constant 73 degrees all year long. There are some homes and parks dotted along the river and it's popular in the summer to float from KP Hole County Park about 2-4 hours to a couple of exit points. You can take canoes or paddle boards, tubes, bass boats or pontoon. It's a perfect way to spend some time on the water in old Fl.

Pristine river. Gentle current. We paddled 1.5 miles to the head spring, walked around the Rainbow State Park, saw 2 waterfalls, then traveled to the pick up point, about 4 miles. Wide, sunny river with homes all along the right side with a natural shore line on the left. Peaceful and quiet in this midweek November day.

We did the Rainbow River scuba dive tour and it was amazing! The water was so clear and visibility was great. The water temp was around 72 degrees and very nice. Lots of beautiful fish and other critters to see. We had a great experience and highly recommend this place.

There is a fair amount to say about this place. First, the grounds are beautiful for casual walking. A nice mix of man-crafted waterfalls and gardens and wild space. Second, there is the swimming in the headwaters of the Rainbow River. Ths is pretty cool as you swim and can snorkel and see the water coming out of the earth, but honestly, the swim area is just that..for swimming. There is not much to snorkel and the ground is bare of vegetation. We spent most of the time diving down to touch the fissures and taking pictures of the turtles and fish outside of the swimming area. The gift shop is pretty lame but the availability of getting a lunch is cool. Most of the people there are clearly retired and volunteers which proved either nice or abrupt.
Some tips: make sure your dog is on a leash and be prepared to have no longer than a 7 foot leash. There are many locals who walk their dogs here and they have strict policies. Also, do not bring the dog if you intend to swim as they are not allowed on the docks.
The walkways are paved and easy, just a warning that there are some minor hills for those with mobility issues or strollers.

A group of women went and it was so much fun! Beautiful water so clear. Most of us rented tubes there. But I took my own and blew it up there. Cost $1.00. Some of us went on 4 hour trip some on 2 hour trip. Water is very cold since it is stream fed, but you get used to it fast! It had something for all of us!!

My Niece and I took our Yak's to the Rainbow River It Is Beautiful.
We put in at the KP Hole and headed up River to the park then headed down to the bridge. Wildlife is all around so many fish, manatee ,birds saw a raccoon washing it's face, also saw a gator that just laid in the sun and watched as we went by.
This is a perfect day trip for anyone
I give the river a 10 out of 10
Beautiful Spring Fed Blue Water.
❤️😎

This river is crystal clear. My first visit I did a dive and it was wonderful swimming in such crystal clear water. You defiantly need a wet suit if your going to be in the water for a while. The second time I visited I stayed at the camp site and paddleboard up and down the river. So beautiful you can see thru to the bottom. Saw a lot of turtles and birds.

Loved that we were one of the few groups on the river. The water is so beautiful here. This is a little slice of Florida Magic.

I love this River we went kayaking down the river we stopped at restaurant we ate we swimming we saw the wild life I will go back the people that rent the kayak are really nice people you also can go tubing down the river

I used the boat ramp in Dunnelon by the city hall and was really impressed . Clean, and easy to both launch and retrieve your boat. The dock is nice and in good shape . Yes it is only one ramp so could be busy at times . The ramp sits in the middle of Rainbow River and the Witchlooche river so you have your choice which way to go . I headed up the Rainbow River toward the KP hole, passed Anglers Resort and Swampy's restaurant. Both have provisions to yie your boat up and have good food .
As I headed up to the head springs I enjoyed the peace of being in the middle of nature , right among God's beauty. Seen many fish , turtles, birds, and even some gators along the way . The water is beautful , crystal clear in many areas you can actually watch the fish swim on by . Met many people kayaking, all enjoying the day , sounds , and beautiful sights of God's creations . Yes the river is noted for tubing , but it was early when I went so I did not see any tubers . I seen a sherif on his boat ai I stopped to talk to him , great guy , and it was nice to see him out there. Rainbow River is a beautful place to visit , you can rent a boat , go kayaking, go tubing , or launch your own boat. I highly recommend a the Rainbow River as a place to unwind , distress, and enjoy nature in its natural habitat. For sure don't forget to stop at one of the great restaurants along the way and get something to eat !

Had a blast at Rainbow River! Beautiful scenery and crystal clear water.

Can't wait until the next vacation!

We came to visit our friend and we're a little hesitant doing the kayaking. But we had a blast and the entire family had a great time!!

Kids want to know when we can do it again.......

Ask for Steve and you'll be thanking us.

What a secluded, peaceful place. We had a two bedroom cabin facing the "wilds" of Florida. Birds singing. Everyone had dogs and were very careful to not create noise. We loved it. Staff was minimal, they had specific times and days they could deliver clean household laundry. We needed more dishes for a party and they brought us what we needed. It is a place to enjoy the simple things.

When I feel bad about how I treat people in my professyeeon, when I dump on 'em and take their money anyway, I come here, I get a kayak, I put my big booty in it, I put a big snotty smile on my face, my guilt washes away....Rainbow River, great kayaking for a growing gal!

Love all the natural springs Florida has to offer. Came down from Massachusetts to get away from the pandemic and get some fresh air. My brother and I rented kayaks to explore this area. All I can say is wow! We did a full 7.6 MI starting from KP hole launch area and took a left to go to the State Park and went back to drop off a kayaks from where we rented them. The water was beautiful and the abundance of birds you see is great. So lots of turtles and took details into smaller outlets throughout the river. If this doesn't distress you then I don't know what will. Will post lots of pictures so you can see what I saw if you ever in the central Florida area north of Orlando you must try this out.When I was down here besides going to the spring I also went to juniper springs and Crystal River to check out three sisters springs with all the manatees. Hope this review helps.

We kayak here often. Early morning is best to see all the critters!! Otters, all kinds of birds including eagles, turtles, fish-. Awesome river,-water you can see to the bottom. Highly recommend.

My family visited the Rainbow River while eating at Swampy's. The Rainbow River is beautiful, calm, and quiet. The kayakers are really quiet as they paddle up the river. The anhinga birds are neat to watch as they sit in the trees drying their wings.

Let me start off by saying 'What beautiful area! ' The ride out to rainbow river was very beautiful and you didn't want to hurry and miss all the horse farms and open land! We went to the two hour tubing which is in a different atea of the park and it's before the main park...you have to take the sign indicating camping go left at that sign and go past the camping on the right and it's just past the camping area. The gps doesn't tell ya that and the main park doesn't give u great directions on the flyer! So I think you'll have less frustration if you go!! When you get to the park for the two hour tubing leave all your stuff in the car unless u have waterproof bag..the tube is included with the price I it was 12.00..they have two lines no one tells ya one for cash and one for credit cards. You wait for the tram it takes u to river. Careful getting into water sit on the ramp to get in unless young at hear just jump on an float!!! It was busy during memorial day weekend but very beautiful with lots of birds! Two hour was great because its very hot, sunny and some shady areas! And when your alittle older your neck can get a creck in it if more than 2 hours lol!! You won't be disappointed..the people were all friendly and happy! PS bring h20 and snacks!! 😎

The crystal waters of the Rainbow River are some of the most beautiful I have witnessed. We frequent this place each year when the weather is hot and the water is still cool from the wonderful springs bubbling up from the springs.

Recently purchased an inflatable two person kayak and wanted to try it out. We rented a kayak for my wife and daughter. My son and I used the inflatable, great time. The river itself was super calm and very easy to navigate with a three year old toddler. Saw lots of birds and fish (fairly clear waterway). We put in at Rainbow kayak rentals and paddles upstream for roughly an hour an a half. The river is full of people fishing, floats on inner tubes, kayaks and paddles boards. Once you get up to the north bridge you will see a restaurant (we didn't stop, but looked like a good time). They had live music playing which made it nice to hang out for a bit on the water. Will for sure head back here and spend more time on the water. Did not see a single gator.

Kayaked the Rainbow on an overcast and semi rainy day in November. This was such a beautiful place! We're now considering a move to this area. The water is so clear with abundant wildlife and such serene beauty!

We kayak from the state park!! We saw so many different birds even a eagle!! Lots of turtles !! The people at the park were great!!

Was just there. The water is 72' all year. It felt warm because the days have gotten cooler. You can raft or kayak from here plus they do have a boat ramp. You can journey from the KP hole to the Withlacoochee River with several pull outs along the way. The wild life, water and fowl are in abundance. Including the gator. By boat you could go north and arrive at the Rainbow River State Park.

It was easy to do from the State Park. The launch is right at the campground. Takes about 2-3 hours to get down the river. Absolutely beautiful clear water the whole way You can exit at the tube center or go all the way to the end where there is a bar restaurant to enjoy.

Once you have paddled or floated this most beautiful River in Florida you will keep coming back. If you are brave rent or bring your own tube and lazily float down the river , best to rent cause you will need a shuttle to get back to launching point. This River is protected so no cans, bottles bring a Nalgene with your water or ice tea. River temp is always in the 70,s since this is fed from the Florida aquifer.

Lovely day on the river. It was a weekend so it was very busy but everyone was respectful of nature and one another. A must do on a hot summer day!!

My mum was visiting me for the weekend from Colorado and she's not much of a beach-goer so as I was asking around for things to do, tubing at Rainbow River kept getting mentioned. I was skeptical at first because I have done my fair share of lazy rivers and river rafting. Could this really be that great? What makes it so special?

Well, I can tell you that the accessibility made it a dream day. I had previously read that K.P Hole parking lot fills up quickly so it was better to go to the state park tubing entrance (a simple google search will give you the address) from there you can rent the tubes and even get entrance to the highfalls once you are done with your excursion.

$15 per tube and $5 per car (+$2 for the attendant to keep our keys while we rafted) is the entire cost we had for the whole day. What happens is that you park and sunscreen up. Only take your shoes and anything that is waterproof with you. From there you will pay your entry for the tubing and a shuttle drives you upstream where you begin your float. The instructions are very clear where you are to disembark so as to not have any confusion. Once you enter the river, you have 2 hrs of people watching and real estate observing. My mum and I dreamed about living on the quiet river and having such a crystalline beauty in our backyard.

We went in July and it was certainly still rather chilly 73 degrees, but refreshing as the sun was pounding down. Last float departs at 3:30 so be sure to park and be prepared before then!

We did the 4 hour float today got so burnt. Our tube popped and this sweet woman i believe her name was Bj?? Well she saved our trip and let us bo4ow one of their tubes!!! Everyone was so kind. Deff bring a cooler and a paddle even if youre floating cause when youre burnt which you will be, youll want out asap!! Best day weve had in a long time!

This is a beautiful river that is a constant 72 degrees. We will return in warmer weather so we can take our family on the 2 or 4 mile inner tube floating trip down the river.

River is a popular place on the weekend. There are hundreds of tuber/kayakers/boaters, but since it's spring fed there is a swift current and the water is unpolluted and crystal clear. There are many types of fish and several minor springs in the upper part of the river close to the park. Saw a few manatees, turtles ducks and even an otter catching a fish. First otter I've ever seen in the wild. I didn't realize Florida had otters. Now I know. Very beautiful place to spend a day just drifting down or anchoring your boat and taking a nice swim.

A drift dive down the river. American Pro Dive was our tour leader. Captain Mike told us the history, the landmarks to navigate by while underwater and what to check out. The water is super clean and clear.

We tubed here with a group of friends. The river water was pristine. You could see right to the bottom. There was tall flowing grass on the bottom so I made sure I stayed on my tube! I don't like to touch the grass! We were relaxed the whole time on the river. We had to paddle with our hands at times to get away from a boat or a tree. It was a nice float with lots of people around you. The river was very nice and I would tube there again! A beautiful area wit nice houses to view.

We stopped here on our way to Manatee Springs. We arrived around 11am and had our packed lunch at K.P. Hole Park. We had called a few days before to arrange for the water taxi to meet us at noon and take us up the river so we could snorkel back 90 minutes. During weekdays you need to schedule the water taxi. The advantage of a weekday is that the river is much less busy. The visibility was incredible (and apparently always is) at about 150-200 feet. Water temperature was 72 degrees (apparently year-round) so we wore our 3mm wetsuits. The water taxi has a dive buoy if you want. We brought our own as well as our own snorkel equipment. The snorkeling was extremely good, and we avid SCUBA divers in SE Florida. This was very different, as this is all freshwater, but seeing many large mouth bass, panfish, alligator gar, turtles going about their daily business was neat. The current was nice and brisk so effort was very minimal. We will definitely do this again if traveling through the area.

It’s a rainy but still we decided to try it.. it’s so much fun and it’s a gorgeous place! The rental was perfect and we got a discount since we got 2 boats. It’s completely worth it, we saw otters, turtles, birds and fish! We loved it!

“”AWESOME “”Water is so so clear Highly recommend Kayaking Canoeing 🛶 Boats Scuba Diving “AWESOME “

Relaxing and fun tubing trip down Rainbow River. We entered at the KP Hole County Park. We brought our own tubes, but they have some to rent. We went with a group of 20, including my 3 and 7 year old and we did the 4 hour trip. 4 hours was a bit long, but the 2 hour trip would have gone by so fast. Some of our group got out of the tubes to swim around. The water is beautiful. Clear and cool. We brought coolers with snacks and water, which all must be in non-disposable containers. Got out at the end of the trip and the shuttle was there to take us back to our cars. The town of Dunnellon is a great little town. This was a very fun trip!

easy float, very pleasant. Otters, fish, turtles, pretty homes, plenty of swim sections with outstanding springs.

We rented a kayak for a couple hour ride. The way down the river was awesome and oh so quiet. We spotted lots of different birds, ducks with her babies, turtles, beavers, and a few other kayakers. Then we turned around to come back upriver. That's when the work began. It wasn't nearly as much fun, and seeing a gator sunning himself was intimidating, but we are glad we did it. We had a great time. The prices are reasonable too. Our only mistake was thinking that this park gave you rides back up the river rather than you rowing yourself. Oh well, we complained but still had fun!

Always 72° and crystal clear. Swimming, kayaking, tubing. Rental equipment available in town. Local restaurants are good and plentiful. Antique shops too.

We were a group of eight (8) and all senior citizens and good friends - some enthusiastic, a few reticent - but all agreed that it was a great experience on a beautiful summer day but . . .

1. They ought to station an employee at the entry point to the river - mildly chaotic with many people trying to enter the water at the same time.
2. The exit point definitely needs an assistant(s) in busy times as the current creates an eddy that spun folks around and exiting the tube and the river while dealing with the current caused one member of our party to drift past the exit point and only a man with strong swimming ability was able to catch him and help him back to the exit point.
3. Tubers should be told at the outset that the distance from the river to the tram pickup point at the end of the float is lengthy (probably 1/4-1/2 mile) and arduous for older folks and anyone with a physical disability.
4. Signs could be improved - tram stop after the float had no sign or directions back to the park entrance and parking lot.

This is a great way to spend a day on the Rainbow River enjoying tubing, boating, picnics, kayaking, The scenery and wildlife is amazing from seeing wild birds, eagles, otters, and a pristine clear river that feeds rom a head spring. There are boat, tube, and kayak rentals that Are reasonably priced and readily available. The picnic areas are very clean and river accessable

As old Florida natives we think Rainbow River is the most beautiful river in Florida, and we have paddled many from the panhandle to the Keys. This is our favorite river to kayak, we rent houses and camp at the Florida State park every single year, but we go after Labor day up to the mid of June, after that it's pretty busy.

The river is almost 6 miles, with the main spring head to KP hole being the clearest and busiest part of the river. Tubing is popular in the summer months, whole groups float down the river, we have done that a few times, it is a great family event. I would suggest starting early as you can since we can get some wicked thunderstorms in the summer, usually hit after 2PM and there is no place to take cover if it is lightning really bad.

The Rainbow river runs into the Withlacoochee river which is also great for kayaking and less crowded. Wildlife is spectacular, lots of turtles, shorebirds, fish, otters, gators, they get bigger as you go further from the spring head.

My recent trip to Rainbow River was honestly a big letdown. There were quite a few issues that really took away from the experience. For starters, the state removed the iconic “jumping tree” that’s in all the classic photos, which felt like they were stripping away some of the natural charm that used to make the place special.

Then there’s the crowd—if you go in June or July, expect serious overcrowding. It gets so packed that trying to float down the river feels more stressful than relaxing, especially if you’ve got kids with you. To make matters worse, there have been reports of people provoking alligators, which has led to some aggressive behavior and a pretty unsafe vibe overall.

One thing I definitely wasn’t prepared for was the wasp problem. A lot of the low-hanging trees along the river have massive wasp nests, and kayakers sometimes crash into them without realizing it. People end up getting stung multiple times, which can be really dangerous—not exactly the peaceful nature escape you’d hope for.

The scenery itself doesn’t really match the idyllic pictures online either. And when it comes to food options nearby, it’s mostly fast food, with nothing that really stands out. One of the only choices—a KFC—has had some gross sanitation issues, which doesn’t inspire much confidence. The whole area just feels like it’s lacking investment and care. The local HOA seems a bit overbearing too, which doesn’t help the overall vibe.

With the wasps, the crowds, the gators, the underwhelming food, and a general lack of upkeep, Rainbow River just didn’t deliver. One star from me

My daughter and I paddled the Rainbow River last week. While I understand that many of the people visiting there are tubers and divers, they have a no respect for people in boats whether they be motorized or non-motorized. On a couple occasions they had 10 to 15 rafts tied together making it nearly impossible to get around them. They were jumping off and swimming across with no dive flags like making it very dangerous. At one point we paddled over top of two divers who didn’t have a dive flag because it was with their friends standing on the side of the river. If we had been a motorized boat those boys would’ve been in serious trouble. Since part of it is a state park it might be helpful to have some authorities patrolling to ensure the safety and minimize the chance for disasters. We will definitely be back to paddle again during a season went tubing is not as popular.

Can not have any bottle water go racial profiled by the officer at check in. I would not recommend anyone go there they just try to make money. Have to have everything packaged in hard cups seems more toward people drinking acholic beverages. People who work there are real rude. And will also be contacting the bbb about this place.

My husband and I came for tubing and it was very relaxing! The water is cold and clear. The staff was very friendly! Came wait to make the two hour trip back!!

Loved it! The highlight of our manatee trip. Went with Capt. Mike of American Dive Pro. Crystal clear waters. Constant 72 degees. Snorkeling the whole way.

If you have never been to the Rainbow River, you are missing out. This is a spring fed river that has a Large amount of water entering it every day! Not sure what the rate is, but it is in the Millions of Gallons a day. Temp of the river is 72 to 74 degrees F. all year around and water is as clear as tap water.

All kinds of fish and wildlife enjoy the river too, including Gators and Snakes! If you want to be on the river know the rules. No alcohol is allowed on the river. No disposable items are allowed on the river! So if you take chips, put them in a tupperware type of container. Same goes for any other types of snacks. Failure to abide by these rules could cost you a bundle if you happen to be observed by authorities that patrol the river.

If you are operating a boat on the river you should know that the entire river is a No Wake Zone! Just enjoy a nice slow trip up or down the river.

If you want to tube down the river there are quite a few options. You can enjoy a couple of hours tubing by going to the State Park tubing area or for a longer tubing experience try KP Hole or one of the other tubing operators in the area. But remember, some of the tubing rides take around 4 hours to complete. It may sound good on a hot Florida day, but after a couple of hours you might have had enough! Think about being 72 degree water for 4 hours! It can be pretty cold!

Whatever you do enjoy the river and have fun!

Came here on a Sunday with friends. We had read before that you should try to arrive early because it gets packed. Glad we did! We got there around 8:45 and the parking lot was almost full! It’s $22 for tube rental/shuttle service. They drop you off at the entrance to the river and then you end your float back at the parking lot. We got out of the tubes and floated a little bit in the river to cool off. Overall a great time.
Tip:they will hold your keys at the register area for you to pick up after you get back.

We choose the two hour float. We went to the tubing area just past the campground (the website was confusing and we went to the wrong part of the park first- had to go a few more miles). Once you pay to enter the park, it's an additional $15 per person to rent a tube. You will then get driven up a few miles to where you start your adventure. It's perfect- they drop you off and you float back down to your car. Keep in mind you need to have any food or drink in reusable containers (we used bike bottles for our water and Tupperware for snacks). Don't take the original bottles for your water, sports drink, etc. no bags of ships or snacks in their wrappers either. Also, we brought rope to tie our tubes together. We tied our water bottles to the tube and floated them down with us too.
Great time, will defnitely go again and likely do the four hour float!

Always a great time when down on the river! Typically good to grab a beer and food at the river side restaurant and then go hang out with everyone on the water.

Please be aware that you are literally taking your life in your own hands if you do the Rainbow River Tubing trip.

I took my 13 year old son and his friend tubing. It was relaxing at first, but then a storm with lightning rolled in. I read the waiver and agreed to the terms, but just wanted to point some things out for others to be aware of because I certainly was not.

1. When we first started to hear thunder, we were trying to go as fast as we could to the exit, but we had no idea how much further we had to go because there are no distance signs along the way.
2. There are no docks managed by the park along the way for people to get out of the water. Not just to avoid a lightning strike, but to situate themselves back on the tube, catch their breath, etc. We tried to get out of the water on the west side of the river when the lightning started. A VERY NASTY, HATEFUL lady told us to get off her property or she'd call the police. I asked her if she wanted us to die and she said "I don't give a F**K if you die just get off my property". I've never encountered such a horrible person in all 50 years of my life. I would love if others could avoid such an experience by having some docks along the east side of the river for safety.
3. There are absolutely NO park rangers patrolling the river while people are tubing to assist anyone having issues. I would be happy to pay extract per ticket for more safety precautions.
4. It was pouring down rain when we came to the exit of the river. I had a very hard time seeing the exit sign and the people in orange. Would recommend a brighter (not brown, maybe red or orange) and larger sign to guide people to the exit. And so they could see how much further they had to get out of the water.

I have to say that I was really nervous about the lightning and the possibility of us dying.

I would never do this trip again and I would not recommend anyone doing this trip until there are better safety precautions by the park.

Whether canoeing, kayaking, swimming, or tubing this is a gorgeous piece of Florida history and a great way to spend the day. Beautiful area to enjoy a meal, whether by sitting in a riverside eatery or having a picnic you provided. Keep in mind that the river is spring fed so the water is cold but very clear. Very refreshing on a hot summer day!

We did a drift dive down the river. The water is 72 degrees all the time. The water is crystal clear with very neat plant life, fish, and turtles to see. You can dive down to the outlet of the spring and feel the power of the water coming in.

It costs $15.00 a person with or without a tube and you only get to ride it once....that's just not right. Had a nice float but again what a rip off!

My out of state visitors enjoyed the 2 hour raft trip down river. Was a good amount of time, any longer would been too much,especially with younger children. Recommend bringing a tether or rope to tie rafts together, it is hard to hold onto each child's raft by hand. Don't forget to go to left side of river at the fallen tree and Tiki hut. Almost impossible to go against current to get back to ramp. Bring life jacket for any young children, water I'd deep and even a good swimmer can panic when you can't reach bottom.

I have very bad experience with tubing in rainbow spring . Me and my wife , my daughter, start together and 3 mnt we separate bcs the water flow and wind, my wife get stuck and she so scare because She doesn’t know how to swim, I try to give advice to her but she so scare and panic, I am off from the tub and try to get her and push her to closest place she can off fr the water , and in the some body house. This couldn’t be happened if the management give more info , because they just think everybody can swim and will have fun. But there is deep river , even the life jacket not necessary . So, I am so worry with my daughter because she by herself and she doesn’t know how to swin either. I call the Customer service, the lady on the phone just keep asking and repeating the same questions, I told her I have the emergency situations , She just waste my time , I have to solve the peoblem by my self.
Bad management , not proffesional , young kids worker with the cheap pay.
Terrible , never and never go again.
Gennie spring is much much better!!!

Super Clear water, we saw plenty of fish and Turtles. Absolutely beautiful. We rented individual tubes from River Kayak Adventures & they dropped us off at KP hole and picked us up at Blue Run park. It is a 3.5 hour one way ride once u r in the water. Recommend a hat and a swim shirt/rash guard to avoid sunburn. Also swim goggles and water shoes. Water is about 72 so chilly. Even in October, it was upper 80's so water felt very nice unless u r fully submerged in it for over an hour...then u may start to feel cold. Recommend bringing a rope to connect the tubes and keep the family group together. Really awesome peaceful experience! I will say the water is deep in the middle of the river and its a wide river, so if u fall out of the tube, and dont have great upper body strength, it's a process to get the linked tubes to a non-grassy or grassy shallow spot to get back on board. (This is why water shoes r key to wear.) Reboarding was easy for a couple of us but frustrating for a couple of us. We also brought a mesh bag and hooked it to a tube to keep our non-disposable water bottle and swim goggles etc for the trip. It worked out fine. My son really enjoyed diving to try to view the fish up close. (There were 3 snorkelers behind us having a ball doing the same thing while floating down the river). Also it seems that there is a different route/length offered by the park during the "season." October is out of "season" so that is why we rented from River Kayak Adventures. Our trip was a full 3.5 hours. There were kayaks, paddleboards, pontoon boats and tubers all on the water with us. No sign of alligators, i think the water is too cold for them. I highly recommend this trip.

The water so clear you could see the bottom highly recommend a boat ride or tube rental. We rented a pontoon boat for trip up Rainbow River

We went kayaking on the Rainbow River in mid-week, mid-October. The weather was perfect and we had the river almost to ourselves. The river was easy to navigate, the current carrying us effortlessly downstream from KP Hole to our rental site (Rainbow River Canoe & Kayak), about 4.5 miles which took us a little over 2 hours at a leisurely speed. This was my first time kayaking and even I found it an easy, relaxing trip.

This is a must see in Florida! Clear water, great wildlife, nice local people and shops. Paddle or tube this river and enjoy what natural Florida is all about. Ok, there are some houses along the way, just imagine one of them belongs to you!

We "chartered" a dive here in February with Birds Underwater out of Crystal River< Florida. This is a lovely "drift: dive. We saw some Alligator Gar fish, panfish, turtles and Bass. Visibility was outstanding. Depth ranged from 8-24 feet. We used a pontoon boat to take us up the river about a mile and we swam back to the park. It was stress free diving. This is a diving experience that I would highly recommend.

We visited rainbow River because red tide ruined our beach trip. So we wound up looking for things to do further away from the beach and dead fish. Our hotel Hotel Zamora recommended we go to rainbow River and I’m so glad he did. This was a highlight of the trip.

We rented kayaks and paddled along the water. It was stunning! The water was cool and refreshing and we saw lots of birds and fish. The water was so clear you could see the bottom even in 20 feet of water! We saw alligator ghar and lots of turtles and so many other bits of wildlife! The mangroves and sea grass were really cool to paddle around. I highly recommend going!

You can also float the River at another portion, we hope to do that next trip! It’s like a beautiful lazy River!

We went tubing and it was $15 a person for two hours. They take you to the river and you pick up the tubes there and drop it off at the end. The water was beautiful and clear. We did get to see a baby gator off to the side with some turtles. 2 hours is perfect...I think the 4 hour one would be a bit to much, but to each their own. If you want something to do I definitely recommend this. We found a rope in the river and used it to tie the tubes together so that worked out in our benefit.

We had a great, 3 hour rafting float down the Rainbow River. We took along our snorkel gear and were able to see some colorful fish below our tubes. We rented our tubes for $25 at KP Hole, which I highly recommend. This included a shuttle ride back to our car after the leisurely float. Bring plenty of sunscreen and something to drink in a non-disposable container.

The Rainbow River has to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth! Lots of water activities, and right around the corner from an excellent guided horseback trail riding outfitter at Orange Blossom Trail Rides dot com

I adore the Rainbow. The water is always crystal clear. It’s a great place for swimming, paddling (kayak, canoe, SUP), and is family friendly! The last three times I’ve kayaked down it, I’ve seen otters! There’s lots of wildlife, but can be unite crowded on weekends in the summer. There are limitations on what you can bring: no disposable water bottles or plastic (basically no trash). I love using a ramp up stream in the morning and pulling over at Swampy’s for lunch. HIGHLY recommend if you’re in the area.

Been camping and canoeing here many times. WILL go again. Originally a commercial park, now run by State of Fl. Do not miss KP Hole while your are here.

This is a "MUST DO". This is a yearly trip for our family. Cool and relaxing, drifting down the Rainbow River. The water is crystal clear. Lots of fun for everyone.

love this place been 3 times, the water is crystal clear, a bit cold, brrrr. but amazing place to go and just float down the river or do a drift dive.

Great place to see the wildlife, marine, fowl and human.......not too wonderful for fishing because the water is SOOOOO clear. LOL

If you love the tranquility of seeing turtles birds and fish in a pristine spring-fed river then you will love this place. Go during the week when schools are in session and the river will be yours to explore by canoe, kayak, or small Jon boat. Strict adherence to laws forbidding trash on the river has kept it clean and clear. It's a water-lover's paradise.

This river is so Florida, beautiful, mostly clear water. It is a great spot to canoe, kayak, or just take a nice swim. Please go and enjoy!

This place is awsome my family and I have been going here for a long time we love it always do the longer tube float cause we love the nice relaxing water ..we have also stayed in the cabins for the weekend very nice cozy and there was a rec room and pool i would recomened this place to anyone who loves tubing and swimming..

Clear Clear Water!!! Must see! I recommend to all ages! Clear Clear Water!!! By land or by water. I recommend!

We came across this experience by accident looking to shop in the several wonderful shops in Dunnellon. The view was so terrific that we rented kayaks and paddled upriver to a beautiful park and floated lazily downriver to where we rented the crafts. Along the way we saw a wide variety of life in and along the river keeping our camera snapping the whole way. This is a great time to experience this river with the summer swimming crowds gone and the occasional folks fishing along the banks who wave as you pass.

So refreshing for the 1 1/2 tubing. This is our 2nd time back tubing the river and it was wonderful.

We had a blast. We got connecting tubes and brought snorkels and fins. It was beautifully clear water. We brought a toddler and wish I would have brought a floatie even though she is a strong swimmer. The water is cool, but refreshing on a hot day.

We have been staying at Rainbow River Lodging for many years. The vacation home has been owned and operated by Dorothy and Ray Shelton for decades and they have very high reviews. The home is large enough for small reunions and it comes with kayaks, pontoon boat, two bonfire pits, two boat docks, and a great rope swing. The river is Crystal Clear and over 250.000 tubers, divers and snorkelers gently float by every year. Dinosaur Boman are found everywhere. Wildlife is abundant. This place is very unique with 5 stories and lots to do for everyone right on the river. Unfortunately it books out early ever year so you really have to plan way in advance. Read all the reviews on VRVO # 212073
Or call them at 352 274 8467
Tour the river and float down it and you will never forget it.

Fun, gets crowded at times. Great opportunity to see nature at its finest.lots of tubers and swimmers, no disposable items allowed.

We brought our own kayaks, used a shuttle service to drop us off at KP Hole, then kayaked upriver to the mouth and back down to where we had parked. This was around 6 miles, which we did very leisurely over 3 hours or so, stopping to take photos.

The river has houses along one shore and is natural on the other. In any case, the river is very well preserved, and going in March included beautiful weather, no mosquitos, and no people tubing - very scenic and highly recommended.

Beautiful Natural spring fed river to tube ride 5 miles down river with a 1 mile an hour current, very little paddling needed, passing through wooded and natural vegitation areas - only a limited number of houses along the way. Shuttles and tubes are available or rental or you can use your own car and tubes or rafts. A real nature experience floating down a 4-5 foot deep, clear water river, 72 degrees all year. Kayaks and pontoons are also allowed.

We rented kayak & paddleboard from a place downstream and were bused up to the Rainbow River Park. After we paid the $5 per person entry fee (cash gets you in quicker), we bought goggles for underwater viewing at a reasonable price. Park Rangers are quite serious about alcohol at the park. A gal in front of us was busted, having beer in an insulated cooler, basically escorted out of the park. Nice wide river for tubing, kayaking, or paddleboarding. The gift at the end or our particular journey was stopping at Swampy's restaurant in Dunnellon, also the drop off point for our water tot rentals. Just have to watch for boaters... ...and gators in the grasses...

Great place to just relax and enjoy a gentle ride. Plenty of nature- birds, otters, turtles, and clear water. Several options open- 2 hours, 4 hours, tubes, kayaks, or pontoon boats are available. There were a few areas that rope swings were available for the more adventurous.

We had a very relaxing day tubing on the river. The water was very clear and chilly but felt good due to the hot sun. We decided to tube for 2 hours and glad we did. Anything over that would have been uncomfortable and boring. There were no manatees since they all went into the gulf to seek warmer water, so there wasn't much to see. We did see birds, very small fish and one otter. We will go back again in the winter months but never again in the summer months. This trip is all about the time of year to reap the real benefits. The Manatees!

We did the two hour (not the 4 hour) tubing. It costs $5 per car to enter the state park, plus $15 per person to go tubing regardless if you bring your own tubes or not. The last "launch" is at 3:30. There is a truck that takes you there. We left about 2pm. The two hours goes by really fast. It's beautiful and so relaxing. We went with a group of seven and we tied all our tubes together so we wouldn't get separated.
Be careful not to miss the ramp at the end. Several of us struggled to get back on the ramp and with the current pushing you away. Fortunately we were all tied together so we made it back up okay. It was a little scary at that point but also pretty funny.
The only disappointing part was that we didn't have a shuttle to take us back. I don't know if it was because it was about 4:30 when we got back or what. We walked the distance to the shelter where others were waiting. Eventually we gave up waiting on the shuttle and walked the rest of the distance back. It was probably a half mile, carrying all our stuff. There was no clear warning about this. No signs at the shelter either. We didn't have any phones to call anyone either. I don't know how other people do. Maybe the original driver said it verbally but if he did most of us missed it.
I would say this is not a trip for younger or older people or anyone that can't walk long distances. It's a great experience.

This was my first time to Rainbow River and I have lived an hour and a half away my whole life. I went Scuba diving and kayaking in the same day and they were both great! I saw other people swimming, snorkeling, paddle boarding, and tubing as well. The river is so clear you can see 25 feet down to the bottom! There's also lots of wildlife to see such as birds, turtles, and fish! I will definitely be back!

My son and I had a fantastic time kayaking down the Rainbow River. We were even able to stop at a loval restaurant and eat before finishing our trek down the river.

We went the Thursday before Labor Day expecting a big vacation crowd ..... but to our surprise there was a total of 4 people out on the river before us. So we virtually had the river to ourselves. It was a beautiful day and the water was crystal clear and frigid. We packed a lunch and some drinks and ate and drank as we floated. This is definitely something to put on your bucket list.

We found a good review of Rainbow River Canoe & Kayak on the web. Called and spoke to MGR. Keri, who was so informative , kind and friendly. We arrived in person the following day to find the same helpfulness and greeting in person. The facility, changing bathrooms and kayaks and life preservers were so clean and inviting! We had s wonderful trip putting in at KP hole, paddling up river through the Springheads to the Rainbow Springs State park and then back down River to their place where we had parked our car. Would be a definite recommendation from our family to use this company specifically!

Paddled out from Swampy's all the way to the head-end springs and back. Best bet is to head out early from Swampy's. We lunched in our kayak at the springs, stopping along the way to swim and explore. Trip back downstream was great and the food good at Swampy's after the paddling.

This river is especially pristine. The temp is perfect year round because of natural springs. Tube or kayak and immerse in nature. Then go to the head springs and swim, dive, snorkel! Our family loves this spot so close to Tampa yet far enough to get out of the city.

Very pretty, nice place for kayaking, picnic etc, family fun! Nice little restaurant on the river.......Plenty of parking off 484 or at State parks Tip.. buy a park pass for Florida parks

Great for tubing, kayaking and paddleboarding. The boat traffic travels at non-planing, no wake speeds. It is a great time for a group and/or family. Everyone on the river was pleasant.

If carlsberg did crystal clear rivers , this would be it.
We came here with american pro diving and had a boat and the river to ourselves !!!!

What a great way to spend and afternoon, lazing on a boat and snorkeling until you can't snorkel anymore.

I am looking forward to going back to explore some more.

On the way to South Florida we stopped on Sunday at rainbow river. The park is clean. The Spring is beautiful and startlingly cold. We were coming through on Sunday and expected a crowd but were not prepared for the size of this 1. There must have been 1500 people in and around the Spring. I love all the Springs in Florida this 1 happens to be very crowded as most are on the weekends. Worth the 30 minute detour off the inner state to break up a road trip.

Beautifull spot for kayaking and swimming. There are gators around, but they seem to go out of their way to avoid people. Still stay in the designated areas. You can spend the entire day here.

The water is clear and cool. We started at the state park and used the shuttle service to the drop in point. We did the two hour floating trip (6 of us). There were lots of birds and turtles along the way. Leisure float down the river was amazing. Great view of all the homes along the river. This is a definite "do it" on your trip to this area.

We took two tandem kayaks out with our 10/12 y/o boys. We had a blast. We paddled the the river head by the state park and nearly floated our way back to KP. Beautiful and so serene.