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.

Great little playground for the kids. Not many in this town, so I was super stoked to find one…read more There are basketball courts as well. Well kept and clean.

What a fantastic spot! We even discovered a hidden walkway through the crystal-clear waters…read more Hands-down the best price in the area for kayaking. We went with KP because of the stream direction, which made paddling back super easy after our adventure. Highly recommend!

Come early! Parking fills up and there is a line to get in as soon as they open (at least on a…read moreweekend day). You can launch kayaks or paddle boards, rent tubes to go down the river, or there is a small swimming area. Water is crystal clear and 70 degrees.

Hidden gem! We loved swimming and my boys enjoyed climbing the palm tree…read more We did a short trail and saw plants and bugs! We had a picnic at a table but moved to the sun because the boys were cold.

Great place, excellent for small kids because of depth! Cold, very cold though but refreshing place…read moreto be in the summer

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!

Lovely park in Inverness, Florida! Parking was easy and we…read morewere in search of geocaches. We completed an adventure lab ( free app) walking tour of the park and one conventional geocache. The views were gorgeous, real Florida views. We saw one gator but no cooters( turtles). We even saw a water bulldozer type thing for clearing out weeds in the pond.

Water looked terrible, walked all the way around to see a couple of turtles and 1 gatorread more

Beautiful place! The springs were closed but we went to Poe springs 5 minutes away and have a…read morenatural pool and river current with stairs, restaurant and bathrooms

County-owned and run park with a beautiful natural spring. There is a "dive platform", which I put…read morein quotes because as a platform diver myself, it's not high enough to be a proper dive platform but still you can do basic stuff or just jump off. Most of our state parks sadly have removed their dive platforms (Fanning, Madison Blue, Gilchrist Blue) so it's nice to find one. There are picnic tables and a I think a playground for little kids plus a sand volleyball court which gets very popular on weekends. Actually, the entire place gets very popular on weekends and I'd advise going on a weekday if possible. Otherwise, it's super-crowded and mostly rowdy teens. There are a lot of fish in the springs but if you want to freedive or snorkel and see them, come on a weekday, ideally in the morning. Once kids come around after school, the dive platform is the highlight and there's enough kids jumping off it to make the water very murky so you won't see anything then underwater. Tips: --It's cash-only, $2 admission for adults, not sure what for little ones. --No footballs: volleyballs are allowed, but no footballs! I asked why and was told by the girl at the concession stand "two boys playing football trampled a Karen who complained". So yeah, that. --The focus is very much on family fun: again, if coming to see nature come on a weekday, ideally early. --If you dive/jump off the platform, swim clear off it immediately. There's likely a middle schooler jumping right after you. Some run, jump, and don't look down and I've been hit before by flying tweens. --The road leading to the park is pretty long and paved. People drive like proverbial bats out of hell on it, 60 MPH or more. Be careful.

The most memorable park in Ocala! I have to admit I did not see it all so I will be going back…read moreshortly to see so much more. I was at peace just walking a bit sipping coffee and taking in the calm and beauty. There is much to see at Shalom Park it's very beautiful place to be. When I was there they were having a yoga class it was so nice to see. I walked around and spoke to some lovely people they mostly were enjoying some morning exercise. I'm sorry that I missed the zen garden but this just gives me an excuse to go back faster. It's obvious that many frequent this park for so many reasons you can easily see. It's lovely, peaceful, clean and you feel pretty safe comparatively. They have activities here from what I've read and the yoga class is proof of this but I think there is much more that I need to explore and check the calendar for to see and know for myself. There are 2 miles of trails, the zen garden, an area called the Labryrinth where you can take a physical, spiritual or meditative walk along its winding path. Stop along it's 24 points of reflection and create your own Labryinth experience. Labryinth's have one way in and one way out come in and form your own perspective enjoying this relaxed atmosphere. The Pergebo was magnificent as I felt so much happiness being there. It is part gazebo and part pergola, I didn't even know such a thing existed until now! It's covered in confederate jasmine and blossoms in the spring with tiny white fragrant flowers. This is located on the path at the end of the olive trees! I enjoyed the pond so much with all the beautiful fish and sounds of the falling water. You can feed the fish and see them all come at once jumping out at you. Gorgeous Koi such beautiful colors. Sit on a bench and relax if you'd like there are many all around the park for you to enjoy. They say the pavilion is often used for educational purposes and horticulture events and that there are often presentations that people can escape the sun or rain showers. The stage is where I had seen the yoga class taking place. They have weddings, live concerts, the parks sunset series and much more on the stage throughout the year. Mounted on the stage, The Peace Panels display quotes of peace by renowned authors, musicians, and political leaders! The olive tree promenade has 18 trees on each side 18 is the symbol of peace; the number 18 is the symbol of life,and many couples use this as their entry way for marriage. The formal gardens is an area where there is lot's of live large oak trees, colorful bushes and lot's of foliage all around in a nice quiet shaded atmosphere. People often gather here for a picnic, wedding or just to enjoy and relax and enjoy the environment. The bat house can hold 800 bats during the night. Bats are a natural way of achieving insect control in the park and each bat can consume 6-8,000 insect every night! There is so much more to see and encounter at Shalom Park I encourage you to visit and explore. The story of Shalom Park from their website: As with most great achievements, Sholom Park began as a vision, born in the hearts of Sidney and Ina Colen. Inspired by a visit to Boston Gardens, Sholom Park was created for a purpose; to provide a place where the pursuit of inner peace and learning may be enhanced and enjoyed. The park was named after Sidney Colen's grandfather, Sholom, which is also the Hebrew word for peace. The park does not serve a political or religious agenda or belief system After years of conceptualizing the vision, a master plan for the park was developed in 1999 and the park concepts began to take shape. In 2001, horticulturist, Steve Curl was hired to oversee the final design and construction of Sholom Park as the vision came to life. On October 17, 2004, Sholom Park celebrated its grand opening and ribbon cutting along with hundreds of friends and supporters. Hours: 8 AM - 5 PM Address: 7110 SW 80th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34481 Phone: 352) 854-3677 Email: info@sholompark.org Wheelchair accessible *** Bike racks available ***

Wow! WoW! Wow! I think this park is profoundly under the radar and simply not well known enough…read more This isn't just some playground with a path. In fact, there is no playground equipment at all. What it does offer, though, is everything one could want in a natural setting. You can walk for a little while or lose yourself in it for much longer. The paths are easy, accessible, and thoughtfully laid out, with enough variation to keep things interesting from start to finish. It never feels repetitive, which is rare. The labyrinth was genuinely enjoyable, with multiple points of interest throughout. Subtle shifts in sound and visual texture keep you engaged, yet everything remains grounded in simple nature, shaped by the hands of men.. nothing artificial or forced, just an intentional design that draws you in. The crowning glory moment for me was the Zen garden. I cannot remember the last time I felt that level of calm and stillness. It has a way of centering you almost immediately. I would have stayed longer, but I needed a restroom, which unfortunately was closed at the time. This is a place I will return to without hesitation. My mother has yet to see it, and I already know she is going to love it.