Rainbow Springs State Park, Florida

What do you get when you mix a rodeo, a zoo and theme park? That’s right, Rainbow Springs State Park! Well, you get the park 50 years ago. Although many of the themed attractions are no longer around, this park still retains its fair share of fascinating sites - enough to entice thousands of visitors each year. Among these temptations are the pink, purple and white azalea blooms of spring, as well as the turquoise waters of a surging waterfall. In fact, this national landmark is also an aquatic preserve and has earned the distinction of Outstanding Florida Waters as designated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. As such, much of the 1,472-acre park’s activity revolves around the crystalline waters of the Rainbow River. Snorkeling expeditions, canoe/kayak trips and afternoon tube floats are popular pastimes. So too are swimming, fishing and picnic grill-outs next to the park’s luscious gardens. Though no longer in any official capacity, Rainbow Springs is more of a de facto zoo, as a number of critters call this place home. Be on the lookout for osprey, hawks, swallowtail, gopher tortoise, Florida pine snake, Sherman’s fox squirrel and many, many more!