Rainbow Springs State Park is Disney World for the outdoor enthusiast. Enveloped under a lush tropical canopy of vibrant greenery surrounding crystal clear, divinely turquoise blue waters, this state park offers a wide variety of recreational activities such as hiking, camping, swimming, paddling, snorkeling, bird watching, and more.
I can't even begin to describe with words how enchanting this place is. It's a place you must experience first hand in order to truly understand its heavenly qualities.
We almost didn't make it to this amazing tourist destination. It was our last day in Hernando, Florida and we awoke to a dead battery in my car. We were devastated and slightly panicked, but our dear friends who we were traveling with assured us that it was an easy fix and that we'd be on the road to Rainbow Springs in no time. They jumped my car and we caravaned to O'Reilly Auto Parts were we had a brand new battery in less than an hour. It truly was an easy fix and we learned an important lesson that day: O'Reilly Auto Parts is also a magical destination.
Speaking of magic, it's worth noting that Rainbow Springs State Park is such a magical place that it produced a waterfall in the flat lands of Florida. Check us out in the photo below. Magic!
We were only at the park long enough to do some light hiking and exploring. The hiking trail was well-maintained and beautiful. We saw a variety of birds, a skink, and other wildlife. Much to the disappointment of one of our companions, we didn't see any monkeys. I thought she was kidding, but months later, I was listening to a podcast and learned that there are actual monkeys living in Silver Springs State Park, which isn't far from Rainbow Springs. I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for monkeys next time we are there!
Another thing we saw that is not pictured was mermaids down at the swimming hole. Apparently, mermaiding is a big deal in this area of Florida. People don mermaid tails, dress up in beautiful bikini tops and jewels, wear waterproof makeup, and float in synchronicity through the enchanted waters near the springs. They do this for both a leisure sport and paid gigs. It's fascinating. I want in! Who doesn't want to be a mermaid? I'm realizing now that I need to go back and take mermaid photos!
Come to think of it, I wonder if those are mer-people in the right hand corner of the above photo. I cropped it to see the people better, but it's rather blurry. Ah, well. Next time! And next time I won't be shy about jumping in and swimming amongst the mer-folk.
If you're interested, I took an amazing video of water bubbling out of a shallow pool in the woods. You can see fish floating in the water and it looks unreal because the water is so clear that it's virtually invisible. Click here to view the reel on Instagram. Also, check out my other articles on our Hernando, Florida adventures on the Weeki Wachee River and the Crystal River (manatees!)
Here's the link to Rainbow Springs State Park website.
And here's a link to the directions on Google Maps.
I hope you find your way to this magical kingdom soon!
Carpe Diem,
Melissa Anne
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