Van_and_Terri
Ranger
Rainbow Springs which is 20 miles west of Ocala was a private park from 1937 until it closed around 1974 when the Mouse came to Florida. It had a monorail, zoo, rodeo, man-made waterfalls, beautiful foliage, boats with under-water views, and swimming. The State bought the property in 1990 and reopened it. The zoo, underwater boats, monorail and most of the foliage are gone. Only one waterfall remains. But there is a natural beauty that remains. The campground is on the Rainbow River which is 8 miles south of the head spring and visitor center. Campers are allowed free entry at the visitor center. The park still offers canoe and kayak rentals, shuttle for tubing, and swimming. The campground has 60 sites of which 7 are tent only. I highly recommend Loops B & C over Loop A. The campground has a one mile nature trail. The visitor center has many miles of trails with geocaches. There is a large swimming area at the visitor center. The campground has a smaller swimming area. The Rainbow River gets very busy on weekends, so weekdays are best for tubing and kayaking.
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