If Florida wasn’t so muggy in the summer, I think I’d spend all my day trips at the fabulous parks with their bodies of water, hiking trails, towering greenery, unexpected wildlife, and sublime quiet and save the museums, galleries and restaurants for cooler months. But the parks are often my best experiences. And so it was with Rainbow Springs, even on a muggy, hot summer day.
The entrance is at the top of a hill, but you don’t immediately know that until you walk in and see the overlook to the river below. I knew this meant the trails would not be flat ground and, being a senior, would require some effort. If I’d been thinking at all, I’d have picked up a bottle of water before I headed out to see the waterfalls and hike the trails. But no; I got sidetracked by the gift shop (always have to check out the t-shirts and books) and the gorgeous views.
I had previously visited another park boasting Florida’s only rapids and they were a tad disappointing, so I didn’t hold out great hopes for spectacular waterfalls. I was pleasantly surprised. If I read correctly, the falls were manmade decades ago but who cares? They were wonderful. There was always a nearby bench where you could sit and take in the sound of the water and watch the birds flitting around. I must say, old as I am, I thought quite seriously about ignoring the “no wading or swimming” signs and dipping my feet in the water. Hell, if I’d thought I could get away with it, I might’ve gone for a swim.
Turns out, I especially needed a cool splash of water on my face after hiking along the nature trail. I swear I walked nearly to Canada until I finally decided the trail had no end in sight and it was time to call it quits. I then turned on my phone’s tracker and eventually discovered the trip out had been about 1.2 miles. What a smart thing for me to do on a hot, humid summer day with no water on hand but to hike for a total of almost 2 1/2 miles.
On the way out to the nature trail, I had passed a sign indicating there had once been a zoo. On the way back, I flopped down on a comfy-looking bench in the shade and caught my breath before exploring that zoo area. There wasn’t much to see so I decided to head back and find some cold water.
Even though I had taken a nice, long bench rest and had resorted to the use-anything-in-the-purse-that-will-pass-as-a-fan aid, the trail hike and the zoo exploration had turned my legs to rubber. The prospect of an uphill climb to finish the day wasn’t appealing. Fortunately, there were still beautiful things for me to stop and take in so it wasn’t as arduous as I’d imagined. That said, it was a great excuse to get an ice-cold bottled water and an ice cream sandwich at the snack shop.
And now that I was rested and cooled off, I glanced at that lovely aqua water and remembered Rainbow Springs also offered tubing down the river. Maybe I’d check that out. I pulled up the website and, while searching for the tubing excursions, happened onto a page that told me the river had all sorts of wildlife – including alligators. That settled it. No tubing for me. I just couldn’t quite see dangling my meaty little body into the river. I’d complete my cool down with the car’s air conditioning instead.
This is a lovely park and I recommend it. It’s really nice for single seniors but there were lots of families there as well – some swimming, some picknicking, and some sunbathing on the adjacent lawn. If you go, let me know how the tubing is.
- 19158 S.W. 81st Pl. Rd., Dunnellon, Florida
- 352-465-8555
- visitrainbowsprings.com
- Open 7 days a week from 8:00 AM to 6:45 PM
- $2 per person
- Wheelchair accessible except for the nature trail which might be manageable but difficult
Lisa Browder 
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