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!

Our tubing trip down the river was pretty, but it was quite boring. It took us two hours to float…read morefrom the entrance to exit, and it was extremely slow. We kept getting stuck in trees and bushes. The fun part was getting to swim in the clear water and passing off our tubes to a floating friend to hold onto. We also saw an otter. The lady at the rental station was very generous and let us borrow multiple pairs of goggles and masks. There were a bunch of motorboats passing by and blasting their music. They disturbed us with their waves and noise. It was around $27 per person in addition to $5 for one vehicle, and we paid all the fees upon entrance to the parking lot. They take you on a safari-like tram to get to the tubing entrance. I strongly recommend water shoes because my friends were suffering while barefoot on the hot ground. The walk was unexpectedly long and painful for my barefoot friends. They don't have showers or any sort of water spout/hose, so it was kind of gross to not be able to rinse the river gunk off then drive hours back to a major city. They have restrooms, but they were already closed when we walked from the river exit back to the tube station, even though the actual park wasn't closed yet, and there were still employees there. This was very inconvenient, and I wish they had at least told us in advance because we didn't have a place to change. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the restrooms to stay open while the park is open. Also, they have you sign a waiver that says you must wear a lifejacket at all times. They didn't even offer us one, so I was baffled why they made us sign a waiver that said that. Can't they get into legal trouble if they don't actually provide lifejackets? I was troubled by the fact that we had to sign something that wasn't in the slightest bit enforced.

This place is 10/10 amazing! There are so many options along the river and I'm so glad we chose the…read moreright one. From the second we parked, we were welcomed and ready to go! Derrick took the time to tell our kiddos about "oh shoot" the alligator and explain the directions to the coolest waterfront swing along the path. They also took the time to make sure our littles had the perfect size life vests and loaded us into the comfy shuttle van. At KP hole we were unloaded and given time to pay the park entrance and receive our wristbands, then loaded into our kayak at the bottom of the boat ramp. We paddled upriver to visit the headwater then paddled back down to where we parked at RRCK. A few things I wish I had known: be sure to pack plenty of snack in reusable containers, it seems easy to dock and get concessions at the headwater park or Swampy's, but it is not. Also, be sure to bring a rope to tie off while you explore the streams or deeper areas. Overall, it's a perfect day in old Florida! We loved seeing otters, alligators and turtles...and being welcomed by Derrick who loaded up our kayak and asked about our paddle. Nothing better than all the adventures, with none of the clean up or pack up!

My family took a Kayaking tour down the river. Our guide Darian was kind, knowledgeable and…read morefriendly. He also shared some personal experiences with us. The water, wildlife and atmosphere was vibrant and awesome! We also went swimming and snorkeling in the swimming area. Tip: bring water noodles as it is too deep to stand.

Staff was very friendly and informative. Caves were easy to find and an awesome experience!read more

This is an older, very small campground with an incredible amount of charm. Management is extremely…read morepleasant, accommodating, and welcoming. If you're arriving after dark, be cautious--the entrance sign is not lit. I was driving a 40-foot motorhome towing a 30-foot trailer and mistakenly took the first turn instead of the second. The signage isn't illuminated, so headlights are helpful to confirm you're in the right place. I highly recommend arriving before dark. The campground is very quiet and feels like stepping back into "old Florida." It sits right on the river, where we saw otters playing and fish jumping--literally jumping two feet out of the water. Very cool. We stayed in Site 20, a pull-in site with excellent river views and located right next to the boat ramp. There's a small store on-site that sells firewood, fire rings at the sites, and it's perfect for a relaxing evening. The permanent residents were extremely friendly and helpful. Kayaks are available to rent for river trips (we didn't do that this time). They don't sell bait, but there's a great bait and tackle shop less than a quarter mile across the street with wonderful people--perfect for fishing off the dock. No problems at all, the dogs loved it, and my wife really enjoyed how relaxing it was. We'd happily stay again.

Saw over 40 manatees in February! Unbelievable experience. The staff from the front desk to the…read moredeck hands were helpful and kind. We even saw a gator in one of the coves! Bring a wet suit if you're sensitive to cold. 72 degrees sounds a lot warmer than it is. 10/10

Shauna was very helpful and accommodating. Everyone was nice and helpful. I thought it was very…read moreaffordable for the experience. This is actually our second time there and I want to support family owned businesses and some supplies here. Nice little boutique and just very friendly and helpful. Definitely would recommend it a lot of fun things in the gift shop. Hope hope you'll check it out and if you're lucky, you'll see a lot of manatees, but you can always call ahead!

We had a fantastic three-hour kayaking adventure with Paddles Outdoor Rentals. My friend and I…read moredecided to skip the guided tour and paddle out on our own. Our goal was simple: get a good workout in and enjoy being on the water. Manatees, if we saw them, would just be a bonus. Well... let's just say the bonuses showed up. The staff was super friendly, incredibly patient, and genuinely helpful. Their recommendations about where to paddle made all the difference and set us up for a great route. We got our workout, soaked in the beauty of the water, and had some wonderful manatee encounters along the way. Peaceful, magical, and just the right amount of adventure. Great people, smooth process, and a memorable day on the water.

Fun outdoor activity with great potential for getting a full day of exercise in. We had a blast!…read more One improvement to Paddles Outdoor that I would recommend is to attach some form of short rope to each paddle so that renters could tie up their kayaks while taking a dip at the springs. The springs were PACKED with people and we found it kind of lame not being to swim together because one person had to make sure the kayaks didn't float away.

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff, easy entry point for a day on the river. Great time…read morekayaking with the manatees!

MANATEES ARE MAGICAL! We saw well over 30+ manatees on our late January kayaking outing. We rented…read morea 2-seater top kayak (comes w paddles and life vests). And from the staff to the dock hands, to the quality of the vessel and cleanliness of the shop: 10/10. A guide handed us a laminated map (nice touch) and told us where to head for manatee sightings. And even pointed us to a cove that homes a lot of turtles and alligators. We saw it all! They have volunteers overseeing the 3 sisters springs, to help monitor the safety of the manatees (and scold ignorant people lol). Great time! If you're unsure, let me assure you.. just book.

Easy to find, very peaceful and secluded. Almost all the other amenities were closed (water park,…read morebeach, food) and the mermaid show wasn't for 2 more hours so we left after our kayak trip.

The price is right but there could be more to do. We went in the middle of storms. We got about an…read morehours worth of time. Luckily the kids got down the slide before everything shut down due to weather. Was a 40 minute wait for them to go down once! Water is fresh creek and freezing which is quite nice really. Would've loved to have done the lazy river and boat ride but no luck due to weather. I know they can't control it but it seems to happen in this spot frequently therefore it would be nice if they had some indoor activities and more shelters so you didn't have to just up and leave every time it pours rain. Wasn't really worth the drive.

My friends and I have been using River Adventure Tours over 5 years now for our annual scalloping…read moreadventure! A day out on the water with this outfitter has always been super fun regardless of the number of scallops caught. My group has gone out with a few different captains, all of which have been knowledgeable & safe. The booking process is pretty easy. I always book online - you can even sign the waiver through their website so there is no paperwork to take care of when you arrive at the dock. The boats are comfortable for the short ride out to the scalloping site and we always bring along a well stocked cooler of drinks and snacks to enjoy during our trip. All the snorkel equipment needed to dive for scallops is included in the tour. In general, the equipment is nice and well maintained. The conditions have been a little different every year I have gone - sometimes we catch a lot, sometimes a little. The captain has always dived with us to help search for scallops and moves to new locations as necessary. Cleaning the scallops after returning to the docks has always been easy - sometimes there is a group of high school students who will clean them for you for a fee. If they aren't around, there is a station to clean them yourself, and the captain has always been around to help / walk us through the best process. We will be back again!

Came to Homosassa just to visit and check it out. Found this place online, called and booked my…read morepaddle board. When I arrived it just a lil shed you check in at- the worker that helped me was, she was amazing! More than a worker a line of hot spots along the water information center! Yes this girl had all the details to guide me safely on the water as well as back to the shop at the end of my tour! I have already told people to book here and go on the Homosassa river- serious beautiful experience! Thank you! Best 420 Day ever!!!