Rainbow River Head Spring

March 8 and 9, 2025                                                  Most Recent Posts:
Rainbow Springs Campground                                Luck at Rainbow Springs
Dunnellon, Florida                                                     Silver Springs Land Side

If you read my last post, you saw the pictures of the head spring from the water.  I was up there 5 mornings out of the first week.    This post is about a visit I made to the headsprings on the land side.

Unlike Silver Springs there is not a trail from the campground to the headsprings, you must drive over.  But admission is free if you stay at the campground and only $2 if you don’t. 

These first 3 pictures were taken on the path up to the entrance gate.

 

I’ve shown in previous pictures from the water that swimming is allowed both at the campground dock and here at the Rainbow River headspring in roped off areas.  There is also a tubing entrance near the campground used in spring and summer. No boating, fishing, tubing, scuba or snorkeling is allowed in the last section of the river up to and around the head spring.  You can tell when you’ve reached that area because there are no longer houses on the far shore and there is a sign right in the middle of the river.  But everything is allowed on the rest of the river.  In contrast, Silver Springs allows none of these other than no wake boating along its entire length   Not that the boaters obey.

It’s quite different and really lovely seeing it from above.

My camera rescuer was swimming right here and went under those ropes in the back to my kayak which was just beyond.

I’ve only been here during the winter so I’m not sure how many of the flowers and “gardens” have been maintained by the state but there are lovely azaleas.

Here is where you would come to rent boats at the headspring for a float/paddle down the river to K.P. Hole or all the way to the Withlacoochee if you like.  Or to put in your own boat if you are not staying at the campground and want to do the entire river.

There are some really attractive sections of walkway.

It’s early in the day so all the picnic spots and tables have not been taken yet.

Beginning in the 1930’s, Rainbow Springs was a privately owned theme park with a zoo, a rodeo and gardens until like other “attractions” in Florida it fell on hard time.  It finally closed in 1974.  Luckily it was purchased by the state in 1990 and not by condo developers.  I can imagine the hoopla during those 16 years.   

It is still quite lovely with the original waterfalls and some of the plants.  The zoo and rodeo are gone and there are now hiking trails on part of the property that is being restored to its natural sandhill habitat.   The park totals 1470 acres.

The water is pumped from the river for these scenic falls.  Falling water sounds beautiful even if it is staged.

The creation of this waterfall must have really been a huge project.   They are all quite natural looking. 

I can’t even imagine what this zoo looked like in the day.  The enclosures are lovely stone.  The sign said they were built for the bobcat, racoons, birds, goats and deer.   I’m glad they didn’t maintain that “attraction”.

After leaving the zoo I came to the trailhead for the part of the property being restored to natural sandhill habitat.

There are some really wonderful big spreading trees.

I was on my way back when a light rain began to fall.

You can see the raindrops on the pretty flowers.

I had decided to have lunch at the Rainbow Cafe hoping that it would be better than most of these sorts of venues.   It has a lovely location.  Why not?

I wasn’t the only one waiting out the rain although most folks had brought their own food or were having popcorn from the cafe.   I guess they already knew why not.  Next time that is what I’ll do. Why can’t they have great food to go along with their lovely setting?

I rectified the food problem on another day by making a second trip to Sweetie’s to have their famed (and rightfully so) cranberry almond chicken salad.  Once each week is not too much to go to Sweetie’s even if I did have to go alone this time.

I just love the old fashioned and mismatched dishes and silverware they have collected.  Pretty sure they must have an actual dish washer and not a machine for these pieces.

I took half of the sandwich home so I could have a slice of coconut custard pie.  Took half of that with me too.   Now I can have lunch from Sweeties another day.

This was the best of the pictures I took of this group of women lunching together in hats from the hat rack.  Sorry for the light streak.  I was piggy backing on the owner taking their picture and he had the best spot with no light interference. 

Anybody want to join me here for hats and lunch next year?

I may post one more from Rainbow Springs with pictures from my time on the water during my second week.  Kayaking is primarily what I did during both the weeks I spent here.  I’m running out of kayaking time as my Florida winter draws to a close.