Rainbow Springs State Park is a very popular place to stay all year round. The campground has sewers on every site as well as the electric and water. The sites are mostly a mixture of crushed rock with a clothesline, fire pit, and picnic table and are quite spacious with foliage in between each one. There are three bathhouses and three separate loops of camping included a section just for tent campers. The campground Ranger station is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm only with a little store inside that sells drinks, snacks, camping supplies and such. There is a pool located behind this building but it has not been cleaned and filled yet. The campers have their own area to access the springs with picnic area and you can get in the water to canoe, kayak, tube and swim as well as fish. They have one washer and dryer at each bath house for $1.50 per load. The bathhouse is very nice with three shower stalls, lots of hot water and terrific water pressure. We could not get TV reception ourselves but the cell phone reception fluctuated between two to four bars. Not bad at all.
This park is huge and spaced out. There are three separate areas and entrances. The main headsprings entrance is located on Highway 41 with a large parking area and separate fees to enter at $2.00 per person. We did not have time to explore this area. They have another entrance for those who want to tube down the river and that is generally opened only on the weekends most of the year. That is located off 81st Place Road between Highway 484 and Highway 40. The campground is located a mile down the road from there. They also have a tram service on weekends that takes you between the campground and the tubing entrance area and back again. Of course, there is a fee for that as well. To get into the tubing entrance you have to pay $5 per car and then $10.60 per person to tube down the river. We spent four nights in the park but two of those days we were at the Boom Town Festival working so we didn’t have a lot of time to explore.
Rainbow Springs State Park
19158 S.W. 81st Place Road
Dunnellon, Florida 34432
(352) 465-8555
https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Rainbow-Springs
Admission Fee:
$2.00 per person at the headsprings entrance and $5.00 per vehicle, up to eight people at the tube entrance. Children under six years old are free.
Tubing Fee (Separate from the park entrance fee at the tube entrance): $10.60 per person (includes tax, tube and tram service to and from the parking area with your tube that must be under 60” in any dimension or if you use our tube).
Camping Fee:
$30.00 per night, plus tax. Includes water, sewer and electricity.
Florida residents who are 65 years of age or older or who hold a social security disability award certificate or a 100 percent disability award certificate from the Federal Government are permitted to receive a 50 percent discount on current base campsite fees. Proof of eligibility
Picnic Pavilion Rental Fees:
There are two covered pavilions available for reservation. Beyond the normal reservation fee (see below) each pavilion has a $30 clean-up deposit due on the day of reservation. The deposit will be returned after inspection upon departure.
$75.00 plus tax: Felburn Pavilion seats up to 75 people on plastic chairs and tables. The regular $2.00 admission/person still applies.
$75.00 plus tax: Hickory Pavilion has 14 picnic tables. The regular $2.00 admission/person still applies.
47 Campsites (All have sewers and there are laundry facilities in the campground area at $2.00/per load)
40Ft Back-In/50Amp – 2
42Ft Back-In/50Amp – 1
47Ft Back-In/50Amp – 1
50Ft Back-In/50Amp – 1
51Ft Back-In/50Amp – 1
52Ft Back-In/50Amp – 1
54Ft Back-In/50Amp – 4
55Ft Back-In/50Amp – 1
57Ft Back-In/50Amp – 1
58Ft Back-In/50Amp – 3
60Ft Back-In/50Amp – 6
60Ft Pull-Through/50Amp – 1
62Ft Back-In/50Amp – 4
63Ft Back-In/50Amp – 3
64Ft Back-In/50Amp – 4
65Ft Back-In/50Amp – 4
66Ft Back-In/50Amp – 1
68Ft Back-In/50Amp – 1
70Ft Back-In/50Amp – 3
72Ft Back-In/50Amp – 1
75Ft Back-In/50Amp – 1
90Ft Pull-Through/50Amp – 1
103Ft Pull-Through/50Amp – 1
WHERE TO GET WHAT YOU NEED
GROCERIES
Walmart Super Center
11012 N Williams St (AKA US Hwy 41)
Dunnellon, FL 34432
(352) 489-4210
OPEN 24HRS
Save-A-Lot
11582 N Williams St #400 (AKA US Hwy 41)
Dunnellon, FL 34432
(352) 465-1992
Dollar Tree
11352 N Williams St #504 (AKA US Hwy 41)
Dunnellon, FL 34432
(352) 465-0185
Winn Dixie
10055 S US Hwy 41
Dunnellon, FL 34432
(352) 465-4111
GAS
Shell Gas Station
11867 N Williams St
Dunnellon, FL 34432
(352) 489-1494
Murphy USA
11004 N Williams St
Dunnellon, FL 34432
(352) 489-9277
Marathon Gas Stations
11716 N Williams St
Dunnellon, FL 34432
(352) 489-6112
Circle K Gas/Convenience Store
11946 N Williams St
Dunnellon, FL 34432
(352) 489-9061
RESTAURANTS
Lombardo’s Restaurant
5388 US-41, Dunnellon, FL 34432
http://lombardos-restaurant.com
(352) 489-9664
China Wok Restaurant
11352 N Williams St # 101
Dunnellon, FL 34432
(352) 489-9763
Don Pepe Mexican Restaurant
20744 W Pennsylvania Ave
Dunnellon, FL 34431
(352) 465-8445
Penn Station Deli and Grill
20583 W Pennsylvania Ave
Dunnellon, FL 34431
http://pennstationdeliandgrill.com
(352) 465-1212
Purple Sage Cafe
20359 E Pennsylvania Ave
Dunnellon, FL 34432
(352) 489-4118
Swampy’s Bar & Grille
19773 E Pennsylvania Ave
Dunnellon, FL 34432
http://swampys.restaurant/
(352) 547-4777
Dunnellon Florida Sonic Drive-In
11351 N Williams St
Dunnellon, FL 34432
http://sonicdrivein.com
(352) 522-0038
SUPPLIES
Camping World Ocala
14200 US-441
Summerfield, FL 34491
(888) 367-8134
Gander Mountain
3970 SW 3rd St #101
Ocala, FL 34474
(352) 351-6186
Walmart Super Center
11012 N Williams St (AKA US Hwy 41)
Dunnellon, FL 34432
(352) 489-4210
OPEN 24HRS
RV PROPANE
Affordable Secure Storage
7465 N Florida Ave
Citrus Springs, FL 34434
(352) 465-7500
http://www.affordablesecureselfstorage.com/location-citrus-springs.php
LAUNDROMAT
Dunnellon Laundramat
20155 E Pennsylvania Ave
Dunnellon, FL 34432
(352) 489-9247
MEDICAL CARE
Quick Care Med
11371 N Williams St #4
Dunnellon, FL 34432
(352) 465-2273
http://www.quickcaremed.com/
Seven Rivers Regional Medical Center
6201 N Suncoast Blvd
Crystal River, FL 34428
(352) 795-6560
http://www.sevenriversregional.com/
West Marion Community Hospital
4600 SW 46th Ct
Ocala, FL 34474
(352) 291-3000
http://ocalahealthsystem.com/service/west-marion-community-hospital
MAP OF THE AREA
Our YouTube video from the pictures we took while we were there: