How to Start Your Rainbow River Tubing Adventure

Ever since we did river float at the Boise River in Idaho, Dustin and I are obsessed with finding cool places for tubing. So, when we found out that Florida has tons of natural lazy rivers and springs for tubing, with Rainbow River being the more popular one, we knew we had to go there. Tubing down the Rainbow River is such a refreshing and relaxing experience. With the current being slow and smooth, it gives us tons of time to enjoy the crystal clear, teal water and the wonderful nature and wildlife in the water and on the shore.

Stats

Where

Rainbow Springs State Park Tube Rental:
10830 SW 180th Ave Rd, Dunnellon, FL 34432

Parking

There are plenty of parking inside the park.

Hours

Memorial Day – Labor Day: 8 am – 3:30 pm, 7 days per week
First Saturday in April – Memorial Day: 8 am – 3:30 pm, weekends only
Labor Day – End of September: 8 am – 3:30 pm, Weekends only (Please call to confirm opening, the facility may close early due to weather.)
October – March: Closed

Fee

Tube & Tram Ticket – $22/person
*There is no parking fee however there is an additional $2.00 State Park Admission Fee per person. Whether you bring your own tube or not, the price is the same.

Time:

2 hours for the tube ride

Pet-friendly

No dogs are allowed.

Ideal Time

Rainbow River tubing closes in the winter. It gets very busy on holidays and weekend so go early or go on the weekdays.

Weather

Video

So before we start, tubing at Rainbow River is a bit different than Rainbow Springs State Park. It can get a bit confusing. Rainbow Springs has headsprings which are located inside the main Rainbow Springs State Park. The spring flows into the spring run, which is the Rainbow River. You cannot float from the headsprings (main park), however, there are two options for you to launch your float a mile or so down the river.

Option 1 - K. P. Hole

K.P. Hole is a county park, located on the west side of the river. It has very limited parking and filled up very fast, before 10 am on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. If the parking lot is full, the park closes until parking spaces open up. Don’t park on the street or on private properties; you will be ticketed and towed. If you leave from K.P. Hole, the tubing trip is about 4 hours to the Tuber’s Exit at the Blue Run of Dunnellon Park, where you can take the return shuttle back. For updated prices and hours, check out the K.P. Hole website.

KP Hole Park: 9435 SW 190th Avenue Road, Dunnellon, FL 34432
Price: $30/person including entry fee, tube rental, & return shuttle service. *Personal tubes are not permitted at KP Hole Park

Option 2 - Rainbow Springs State Park

The better alternative to tube down the Rainbow River, in our opinion, is to use Rainbow Springs State Park facility on the east side of the river. As we mentioned before, you cannot launch from the main state park. You’ll need to go to the Rainbow Springs Tube Rental, 9 miles from the main state park, instead. From here, you can get your tubing package which includes a tube, tram ride, and entrance fee for Rainbow Springs State Park. Whether you bring your own tube or not, the price is the same.

If you still want to bring your own tube, it has to be 60” and smaller. For K.P. Hole, you’ll ride your tube down the river first, then take the return shuttle. However, if you launch from Rainbow Springs State Park, you’ll take the tram ride up the river first and then float back to your point of origin, where you park your car.

Pro-tip: Keep your rental receipt. After finishing your float, you can show your receipt to get into the headsprings area of Rainbow Springs State Park for free.

State Park’s Tubing Entrance: 10830 S.W. 180th Ave Rd, Dunnellon, FL 34432
Price: $22 plus $2 State Park Admission Fee per person (for 2 hours)

Important Things to Know

For K.P. Hole, you cannot bring your own tube. For Rainbow Springs State Park, you can bring your own float, however, the price is the same regardless. Your tube has to be 60” or smaller in diameter.
No disposable items on the water. Disposable item is any item that is thrown away after a single use such as Ziploc bags, plastic water bottles, food wrappers/bags, etc.)
It can get very busy at either park on holidays and weekends. Go early, before 9 am if you can.
Neither parks take reservations. It first comes first served. It might change in the future so you can always double-check by calling the facilities.
The parking spaces are limited at both parks. Once they hit capacity, the entrances will be closed until at least 10 cars leave before they let more cars in. Please note, that there are no alternative parking lots and you cannot park on the streets or wait at the entrance.
Rainbow Springs State Park has changing rooms on site but no showers.
Dogs are not allowed on the tube, even as service animals.
Snorkeling is allowed but you need a diver flag. Make sure to not lose your float while snorkeling.
NO ALCOHOL IS ALLOWED.

What Should I Bring?

Sunscreen – you will be baking in the sun for at least 2 hours. We use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea SPF 30. and tinted, organic All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter.
Hats, swimsuits or rash guards, sunglasses
Water shoes – Make it so much easier to launch your tube on the slippery ramps. You don’t need anything too expensive. These will work.
Dry bags – to store all of your items.
Waterproof pouch with a lanyard – if you want to bring your phone, we recommend using a waterproof pouch with a lanyard. This way, you won’t drop your phone.
Snacks and water – make sure they are non-disposable. It can get warm out there so bring enough water.
Snorkel gear – if you want to do some snorkeling while floating. Make sure to bring a dive flag.
Strings – if you’re going with friends, you can use this to tie your tubes together. We didn’t bring a string but the lady at the front desk offered us one. She said that you can ask them for one if you don’t have one.
Gopro – if you want to bring a camera, bring one in a dive housing or a Gopro so being in the water won’t be a problem
Floating camera stick – Just in case you drop your GoPro.

*Keep in mind that there is not much room on the tube to store your items so you will have to keep track of them the whole time.

Rainbow River Tubing Adventure

The Start of Our Tubing Adventure at Rainbow River

After much consideration, we decided to go with Rainbow Springs State Park for the tubing adventure for a couple of reasons. The first one is that we heard the first two miles of the Rainbow River are the best part so there is no need to stay on for that long. The second reason is that we can also visit the headsprings at Rainbow Springs and make a full day of it.

Since we went on a weekday, there was plenty of parking. The rental process was very simple. The staff that we met were friendly and informative. After renting two tubes, and picking up our life jackets, we headed toward the tram stop. We didn’t have to wait long before our tram arrived and soon enough, we were on our way to our launch site.

Launching Our Tubes

After we got off the tram, we got to pick up our tubes before making a short walk toward the launch ramp. The launch ramp is actually located at the Rainbow Springs Camp Ground, which is 2 miles upriver from the rental place. It can be a bit slippery and tricky to get on the tube. If you wear watershoes, it definitely helps a lot.

Tubing Down the Rainbow River

As soon as we got on our tubes, we were greeted with crystal clear, refreshing water. It was a warm day so that 72-degree spring water felt like a dream. While we were floating along, we could see the aquatic grass, swaying beneath the clear water. It was interesting how different tubing along the Rainbow River versus the Boise River in Idaho. The Boise River has a much stronger current with mild rapids and waterfalls. Here, at Rainbow River, the currents were very gentle.

Some sections of the river are deeper than others. The average depth here at Rainbow Springs is ranging from 8 to 15ft deep. Although in some places, it felt like we were touching the aquatic grass with our butts. We didn’t bring our snorkel gear but it would have been fun to look for fish and other marine life. Although, we saw a family of otters that were swimming in the water. They were super cute but we were warned not to get too close to them. Apparently, they are not the friendliest.

Taking Out

After 2 hours of relaxing float, we made it to the take-out point, which was at the same place where we rented the tubes. Once we got out of the river, there was a wooden pathway that lead back to the rental office. This walk was quite a bit longer than we were expecting. You also have to carry your tube all the way before dropping it off.

We had a blast tubing down the Rainbow River. For us, it was a good decision to just do the 2 hours. As much fun as it was, 2 hours was enough. We were ready to explore the main Rainbow Springs State Park. Don’t forget to keep your receipt for free entrance to the headsprings. If you love floating, check out Kelly Park Rock Springs. It is a whole different experience.

These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.

adventure gear

Lots of sunscreens, we use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea SPF 30. and tinted, organic All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter.
Swimsuits and towels
Floaties but make sure they are smaller than 5ft in diameter.
Watershoes
Sunglasses
Food, snacks, and drinks but no alcohol. For healthy and easy snacks, check out some of our recipes.