Join me in exploring this true Old Florida attraction
The crystal clear waters of this spring have been attracting visitors from far and wide for quite some time. Before the days of Disney World and all the huge theme parks currently scattered around the Sunshine State, freshwater springs like this were one of the main attractions in Florida.
Rainbow Springs is the 4th largest freshwater spring in the state and it's always packed with people enjoying the year-round 72 degree water.
While archaeological evidence suggests people have been visiting this spring for over 10,000 years it wasn't until the 1930s that it became a privately owned attraction. They had a small zoo on the grounds, a gondola-type ride and even a unique boat that allowed visitors to view the springs underwater.
images from Florida Memory Project
Alright, enough with the history lesson....let's get back to exploring the park! Rainbow Springs is now a state park but you can still find evidence of the once great attraction that thrived from the 1930s to the 1970s. As you make your way around the spring towards the trails this stunning waterfall is the first thing to catch your eye.
This is one of two man-made waterfalls in the park. As you can see from the sign above, they were built in 1937 as part of the original attraction. The next waterfall down the trail is much more dramatic, kind of made me feel like I was in Hawaii or something.
Continuing on the loop trail I eventually came back around to the spring area where a boardwalk leads you to an overlook of the spring from the other side.
Several small creeks converge under the boardwalk and the water is SO CLEAR it made this bluegill look like he was just floating there!
While a dip in the headsprings here is sure to cool you off on a hot and humid Summer Florida day, one of the best ways to cool off and the perfect way to conclude your visit to Rainbow Springs State Park is to spend a couple hours tubing down the crystal clear Rainbow River! Here you can see our show host enjoying the cool water with his son for the segment we shot for TV today.
I also jumped in the water from my kayak and shot some underwaters with my GoPro. Take a look at how clear it is...I was surprised to find some largemouth bass and other panfish that didn't seem to mind my presence in their environment too much.
all photos captured with Canon 80D/18-135mm
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Thanks for joining me on this adventure!
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Adventures in Florida #15: Wading for BIG Redfish in Tampa Bay
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