Rainbow Springs State Park!

Another week, another adventure in Florida! Natalie and I are headed to one of the most beautiful spots in Florida – Rainbow Springs State Park, just a short hour drive away from our last spot at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. Another spot along the Gulf, this park is known for its gorgeous waters, wildlife, and so many activities for adventurers from all over.

With the holiday coming up, we decided to keep our stay short and go on a weekday. Weekdays are the best to avoid some of the weekend crowd, but we still have plenty of time to get all our favorite activities in! Rainbow Springs tubing is a fan favorite, and a favorite of ours as well. Right now, it is only open on the weekends, but that just means we have something to look forward to when we come back! Luckily, our personal favorite; kayaking and canoeing is open all week long from the Park’s main entrance.

Usually, Natalie and I like to man our own ships, but we opted for a canoe this time to really experience the adventure together! The best part about paddling the river is the crystal-clear waters that allow for amazing views of the wildlife that lies beneath the surface. Something we were looking forward to at Rainbow Springs was being able to swim in the headsprings. We have been following @rainbowspringsadventures on Instagram and seeing their posts of clear water and visitors having a blast, so we knew we had to take some time to just float and enjoy the water, surrounded by beautiful scenery and the friendliest people.

Rainbow Springs has so much to offer, and after we dried off for a bit (which never takes long under the warm Florida sun) we got our gear ready for a hike on the nature trail. If you think the headsprings are a sight to see, just wait! The trails consist of shady gardens laced with azaleas, oaks, and magnolias. The walkways pass by three man-made waterfalls and a native plant garden. A nature trail winds back behind the gardens through the natural oak hammock and sandhill communities. This trail offers both river and phosphate pit overlook and is approximately 2.5 miles long from the Visitors’ Center. What more could you need out of a summer nature walk?

The picturesque scenery and the countless activities at Rainbow Springs set it apart and made it one of our favorite stops on the road trip so far! We will be returning as soon as we can!

Thanks for joining us on our adventure, see you next time!