Rainbow River: K.P. Hole to the headspring

Launch from the paddle-craft ramp at K.P. Hole Park, the Marion County park on the Rainbow River at Dunnellon, and paddle upstream. The river is spring-fed and astonishingly clear, with eelgrass waving over white sand, turtles on the logs and bald cypress standing in the shallows. The line follows the river north past side springs and private docks on the west bank, with wild woods on the east, to the edge of Rainbow Springs State Park, where the main headspring is kept for swimmers. Turn there and drift back down to K.P. Hole.

It is 2.9 miles (4.6 km) there and back; allow about an hour in a canoe or kayak and 1¼ on a paddleboard, a little longer going up against the gentle current and quicker coming down. The grade is Easy: wide, slow, shallow water, but it flows, and on summer weekends the river fills with tubers and boats.

The whole river is an aquatic preserve and an idle-speed zone. Boating is not allowed at the main headspring, disposable containers and alcohol are banned on the river, and the seagrass is protected, so keep off the shallows where you might ground on it. Be considerate of the homes along the bank. Wear a life jacket and check the conditions before you set off.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap waterways (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.