Rainbow Springs State Park, December 1-5, 2018

Saturday morning we hitched the kayak trailer to the RV and made miles northwest to Rainbow Springs State Park outside of Dunellon, Florida just southwest of Ocala.

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We pitched camp by setting up our dining fly, unpacking the small propane grill and locating it and a propane tank at the picnic table.

We'd read and seen pictures extolling the awesome clarity of the Rainbow River water and the ranger in the camp office shocked us claiming one could see up to 240 feet through the crystal waters.

Our experience merely cemented the claims.  These waters are the most transparent I've ever seen and that includes my experience snorkeling at Molasses Reef, Buck Island, and the Great Barrier Reef among others.

We first took a walk around the park campground and down to the kayak launch ramp.  Our walk included a trek through the brush where we found signs alerting us that we were no longer at the top of the food chain in Florida's outback.

 
It was only a few hundred yards from our campsite to the launch so we engaged the new dollies gifted to Karen by her daughter Allison.  The dollies made the trek carrying the kayaks to the water a simple stroll as the entire pathway was paved and smooth with no obstructions.

Karen demonstrates the superb results of her daily exercise classes.

This was also our opportunity to test two new-to-us kayaks that I bought at a recent yard sale.  Both were inflatable kayaks and our plans include enabling up to three guests to kayak with us and avoid having to rent additional kayaks.  I should point out that the larger kayak can be paddled by one or two adults, so with the smaller kayak and the two hard-sided kayaks we already owned, a total of 5 of us can paddle the local waters together.  And given that these are inflatable kayaks, they pack into much smaller bundles for storage and shlepping in our vehicles.

As we began paddling the two inflatables, we met a young man diving in the crystalline waters from his jet ski.  We were pleased that he used his small vessel for slow transportation and a diving platform instead of a high-speed, wake-throwing monster as many other folks use them.  In the small river with very limited room, the jet ski wakes would easily swamp our little kayaks.  The gentleman even alerted us to a tiny side creek that he assured us was a great spot to paddle through.  And he was absolutely correct!

The trees and boughs hanging over the creek made a natural cathedral

That's the white sandy creek bed two feet under Karen's kayak! 
Without ripples proving the water was there, we'd think we
were floating in the air above the sandy bottom!

Our test paddle of the inflatable kayaks alerted us to how they were different from the hard molded plastic kayaks we were familiar with.  Karen discovered that sitting on top of the inflatable kept her arms from rubbing the sides of the kayak as it happens sitting inside the rigid kayak.  We've since added a seat pad for Karen to raise her higher in her old kayak so it should be more comfortable for her to paddle it.

We found that without the hard chines and molded keel the inflatables were impacted by the breeze to a more dramatic degree than our hard-sided kayaks.  Although we can't see any problem with the inflatables abrading and leaking, it is a concern of mine.  And we did discover a small leak at the valve in the green kayak which became significant within an hour or so.

The next morning was chilly for Florida (yes our blood seems to be thinning) so we began the next day with a walk to get warmed up and avoid any cold splashes had we gone kayaking.  Our walk took us a couple miles down the tramway path to the park tubing venue.  Apparently in warmer weather the park and river are a popular site for cooling and splashing.  Folks leave their cars at the park's tubing entrance, collect a tube and ride the tram to the launch area near the campgrounds, then float downstream to the take-out point near their parking spot.  The walkway from the take-out to the lot is a raised wooden boardwalk that enables a wonderful perspective of the flora and fauna of the marshy wetlands adjacent to the river.

The sun was overhead and warming making the afternoon perfect for a kayak trip upstream to the Rainbow Springs headwaters and source of the Rainbow River.  The west side of the river included KP Hole County Park and many private homes until we neared the source where both banks of the river are protected parkland.  The park is composed of land and water features that were integral to its success as a Florida destination and attraction in the mid-1900s until it closed in 1973.  Three man-made waterfalls, an active swimming hole and an abandoned zoo are remnants of the park's commercial history.

Karen enjoying the Rainbow River scenery

Our kayaking was made thrilling by the constant view of fish flashing in the cellophane liquid below us and the diving anhingas chasing those fish.  Buzzards hung on the limbs overhead waiting for scraps or abandoned fish.  Karen likened the swimming anhingas to the penguins she saw underwater while snorkeling in the Galapagos during her recent trip there.

Turtles sunning themselves were a common sight

We hiked around the park's headsprings area taking in the waterfalls, enjoying the up and down walkways, an uncommon feature in otherwise flat Florida, and mesmerized by the see-through aqua.

The buoys define the park swimming area.  The bottom is
perfectly visible in depths well over ten feet.

Originally we had planned to snorkel at Devil's Den, a privately owned spring that is almost entirely underground.  Since we forgot our swimsuits and snorkel gear, we decided to merely reconnoitre the venue for a future visit.  We found the staff to be friendly and accommodating.  They were prepared for sightseers like us as they had a $5 "walkaround" fee, discounted for locals.  We explored the paths around the large fish and duck pond, checked the small swimming pool and stared through the open "roof" into the cave below ground where we could see a swim platform used by snorkelers and divers to swim the transparent spring waters.  The water is said to be a constant 72F year round, so we may return later this winter.  We returned to our campsite, struck camp and returned to Titusville, having enjoyed a few wonderful days of hiking, kayaking and sightseeing.