Cedar Key isn't huge and so there aren't too many places to "beach" but this is the only one I…read morespotted. I found easy parking (no shade) that was close enough that I could plug my Sprinter van into one of the chargers for some free electricity to power up the house battery. I managed to get here early enough to have one of the "first come, first served" pavilions that had a working power outlet. Sitting here for a couple of hours with my laptop while watching the people coming and going and with the beach right over there, it was perfection. There's even a public restroom and they have BBQ grills. This is a wonderful spot. Enjoy and don't forget to support local vendors and restaurants. Prickly Palm is great for coffee! [Review 372 of 2025 - 2022 in Florida - 23934 overall]

Little shark park's ...a ....great place to park. And enjoy a small, clean, netted beach as I saw…read moreso many happy families doing. There's bathrooms and pavilions, places to enjoy a picnic or barbeque. It's within walking distance of all things fun Cedar Key. Enjoyable. Fun.

From Tampa, it took an hour and 30 minutes to get to the river. We first wanted to take a swim in…read morethe swimming area so we went there first before it got really crazy. The area is a bit small and there isn't really a lot of sun spots for you to chill at. It is cool to experience once but I think if you tube, you still will be able to get a swim in because parts of the river are pretty deep. After the swim area, we headed to the tubing section. It is a 15 minute drive from the main park entrance. The fee was 54 for two people that had an annual pass. Highly recommend bringing a small cooler with snacks and drinks and an extra tube for it. It took us about 2 hours to float back to our car and the river is very calm and relaxing. I've floated a river in San Antonio but wasn't as nice as Rainbow springs. Very clean and the water is sooo clear. Overall, really enjoyed our day visit to this state park!

I almost lost my life at Rainbow River, and I feel like I need to share this for anyone considering…read moretubing there. I came expecting a peaceful, relaxing experience because that's what you see in the pictures and reviews. Instead, I ended up in one of the scariest moments of my life. I fell out of my tube and got stuck in deep mud. My water shoe was literally sucked into the mud, and I couldn't push myself up from the bottom. I couldn't get back on my tube because my legs were stuck, and I had already gone underwater and was coughing. What made it even worse was that my daughter, who cannot swim, had drifted away and I couldn't see her. I truly thought I might drown and that something could happen to my daughter. I was panicking, crying, and shaking. By the grace of God, I saw the only boat nearby and flagged them down. They went back and picked up me and my daughter too. I will never forget the people who helped us. I truly believe they prevented a tragedy that day. Another important thing to mention is that this happened toward the evening on a weekday, and there were almost no people left on the river. We were some of the last people out there. I got incredibly lucky that there happened to be a boat nearby because otherwise, I don't know what would have happened to me or my daughter. What upsets me the most is that there was no real safety briefing or warning about the risks. We were given tubes and sent off. No one explained the currents, deep areas, muddy bottoms, or what to do in an emergency. No one recommended life jackets to us, even though not everyone in our group could swim. Please understand that there are no lifeguards. Depending on the time of day, you may find yourself with very few people around to help in an emergency. If I hadn't been able to flag down that boat, this story could have ended very differently. I later learned that other people have had similar frightening experiences here, and I understand why. Please, if you decide to go: * Wear a life jacket, especially if you are not a strong swimmer. * Do not assume the water is shallow because it's a spring. * Do not bring children or adults who cannot swim without extra precautions. * Understand that there are no lifeguards and you are responsible for your own safety. This experience was so traumatic for me that I still have flashbacks and cannot imagine ever returning. A beautiful place can still be dangerous, and I wish I had known that before I went. Please stay safe.

This park is clean and well-staffed. Most of the time, the concession is serving an assortment of…read morekid-loving snacks. There is enough room for everyone, The water is warm (lmao). It's great for birthdays, anniversary, whatever party you want to have. I think you can reserve a table or two, Have fun!!!

My wife and I, along with a few others, booked our campsites online. The cost was $30 per night,…read morebut there are discounts for senior citizens and those with disabilities. Our campsite had running water and electric hookups, but the space was relatively small, accommodating two decent-sized tents, a trailer, and a vehicle. We weren't sure about overflow parking, but they didn't mind when I parked my truck near an unmarked site. There was a dump station on the other side for RVs. The bathhouse was centrally located and clean, stocked with hand soap and toilet paper, although it lacked shampoo in the showers. We observed a variety of wildlife, including deer, otters, turtles, a snake, and squirrels. A raccoon, which I affectionately named "Gangster," rummaged through our belongings at night, even opening a cooler without a latch - amusing yet slightly concerning. A nice walking path leads to the boat dock, and there's a boat ramp for kayaks and canoes, but remember it's a walking path, not accessible by vehicle. The spring itself was spacious and not overly crowded, much better than Ginnie Springs, though there was a noticeable amount of algae on the surface. The store nearby offered snacks, food, and ice cream at reasonable prices, which the kids loved. We saw many dog owners, and it seemed dogs were prohibited only in or near the spring, although some were swimming near the boat ramp. Overall, it's a pleasant campsite, but there are a few drawbacks: numerous ticks and horseflies were present, and the area is very dark at night. There are no trash cans at the sites, so you'll need to bring your own container and take your trash to the dumpster. Lastly, the check-in process was slow due to limited staff.

Florida scrub is becoming a rare sight these days. There is very little scrub this size left in the…read morestate. We saw scrub jays, gopher tortoises, a bald eagle and deer during our visit. Wow! It looked as though there was some restoration going on but the scrub was beautiful!

Coming from Fl 24, there is a signage on the side leading to this hidden park which to be honest…read morefeels like a privately owned park because no one is there. What is interesting is that it is a Florida scrub reserve meaning the ecosystem is different as it is arid and landscape is completely different than other parks around Florida. Plants are mostly oaks and shrubs as may be due to low nutrients of the sandy soil and usually dry. Since we are the only ones around, we felt a bit afraid to go past the corner of the trail. This place is deserted but at least there is a bathroom that is generally clean and accessible.

Hart springs is a beautiful park that has a glorious swimming area, a tall jump into the deeper…read morearea of the spring. The park offers many tables and walk ways to truly explore the property and get a great look at this little arm of the Suwanee River. Come out and experience old Florida

One of our favorite springs to visit. Fun for all ages. All staff are nice and helpful.read more

First time here. One of the smaller St Parks we've been to, but very nice.! They have wonder…read morewhere the music is 5 cabins we stayed in #4. We've stayed in several St.Park cabins. this is probably the nicest! 2bd,sleeps 6 max. Great huge wrap around screened porch-w/ fans,lots, much seating! Back area extra picnic table, barbq grill, clothesline. SO QUIET! Primitive camping only in pk. Beautiful Springs for swimming, all w/in walking from cabin, or pkg lot. Fishing area nearby. Concession open Mem wknd thru summer. Not far away is Manatee Spgs., Nice, bigger St Pk. We have stayed there! Full campgrd there, no cabins-a few restaurants around to go to if desired.

I came across this park by chance. It's smaller compared to other well-known springs, but the water…read morewas beautifully clear. Alcohol is not allowed, and neither are diving, dogs, fishing, bicycles, or smoking. Parking costs $6 per vehicle. It was a quiet, peaceful spring where you can really enjoy nature.

What a gorgeous park for people to visit!…read more A former quarry, this is now a tierd garden of beautiful flora and fauna. The fountain at the bottom is truly the centerpiece. At Christmas they did a gorgeous job of lighting up in holiday lights. And if you're like me, You go looking for painted rocks ala the Kindness rocks project.

This was a fun walk around a garden that must have seen better days - or today was a dry day. We…read morehad fun, it was an old quarry where the owner envisioned and created a cool upper and lower path around and filled with some water, waterfalls, koi fish, swans, ducks, turtles, and oodles of plants: some unique some local- and even a Japanese stile garden with Tori gate et all. Today we didn't see the center fountain many admired, and sadly the water levels must have been low as the cascades were thin (at best). Nonetheless- we had a good time walking about and spotting an old bonsai tree, some Japanese-style bridges, and even a slithering water snake! How exciting!! In all it was a fun stop that broke our long drive from Tallahassee to Fort Lauderdale, so we had a good time. Entrance fee was a bit steep at $ 12 (for what was offered imho) and there is a veteran/military discounted admission ($6)but make sure you have your DD214 or Retired ID to show or else you will Not qualify. Enjoy!

Though it was closed when i came by, the outside and lands are beautiful. I cant wait to come back…read moreand visit.

The state park is a great little gem on Cedar Key. We…read moreenjoyed checking out the history of Cedar Key in the building with the various displays showing the native American history and how prosperous it became when the railroad was built for the logging community. The trails to the water were great as it wasn't a far walk to get see tons of itry bitty crabs scurrying around. So cute! No one was in the building when we visited but a ranger was sitting on the porch of the building across from it. He was sitting there prohibiting people from going into it as it was being rehabbed- I think windows were being replaced. Looking forward to going back to check it all out.

Awesome for what it is. Devil's Millhopper makes for a lovely, quick walk and neat views from…read morewithin a huge sinkhole. The park features a maintained trail and great boardwalk steps into the sinkhole. It also has excellent informational signs throughout the park. The trail wasn't very long, so if you're looking for longer treks I do not recommend Devil's Millhopper. Although I wouldn't classify it as a "must see", it's great for what it is. It's a state park, so expect to pay a few bucks for parking.

Such beautiful grounds hiding within Gainesville! We had a wonderful time taking advantage of the…read moretrails and stairs to the bottom of the sinkhole! It's a great spot for those who - Want a nice, but non strenuous walk (about a mile around in circle. The stairs are a bit more but there are stops between levels) Wonderful shading with a sweet bird filled environment. Non busy area out of the hustle of life

Took multi generation family "to the beach" during a visit to Florida in April. Fort Island Trail…read moreBeach seemed like a good start for us and we enjoyed our visit. Arrived around 11 on a weekday and had a choice of parking spaces. Beach was recently smoothed, keeping in mind the area had suffered during a hurricane 6 months earlier, we found facilities were adequate. Row of porta-potties were available. Boat launch and fishing piers were still closed but we wanted beach that day. There are two rock breakwaters at the far edges of beach and several people were climbing and exploring while tide was out. Rocks were covered towards high tide. Line of markers indicated outer edge of swim area. No lifeguards (we knew that in advance) Plenty of room to set up towels, chairs and toys and room to next group. Kids were originally disappointed no crashing waves (they're use to Atlantic Ocean) but quickly decided the Gulf was better as they weren't getting knocked over. We brought our lunch: be aware, lots of birds trying (and some succeeding) to steal food.

I liked the Area , not all was accessible do to repairs from last years hurricane but all in all is…read morewas nice until the alarm let us know the weather was turning and pretty fast it did ,I also enjoyed the drive there and back . Bring Mosquito repellent !!!