Rainbow River, Florida Tubing Guide
Tubing the spring-fed Rainbow River in Dunnellon is run by two different operators, a state park concession and a Marion County park, with a City of Dunnellon park at the end of the longer float. Their addresses, fees, hours and seasons differ.
Where the 2026-27 season stands
As of Oct. 29, 2026, both tubing operations are in their winter closure. Marion County lists KP Hole's annual tubing season as April 1 to Sept. 30, so tube rentals resume April 1, 2027. Florida State Parks lists the state park tubing entrance as closed October through March and reopening, weekends only, on the first Saturday in April (April 3, 2027). KP Hole Park itself stays open in the off-season, with winter hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Oct. 1 to March 31, and rents canoes, kayaks and paddleboards year-round.
How Tubing the Rainbow River Works
The Rainbow River begins at the headsprings inside Rainbow Springs State Park in Dunnellon, in southwestern Marion County, southwest of Ocala. Florida State Parks describes the headsprings water as averaging 72 degrees year-round, and Marion County notes the river is on the state's Outstanding Florida Waters list and is a state aquatic preserve.
Tubing is not allowed at the state park's headsprings area. Visitors tube from one of two separately managed entrances. Florida State Parks directs tubers to its own tubing entrance on SW 180th Avenue Road, where a concessionaire, Guest Services Inc., rents tubes and shuttles tubers 2 miles upstream so they can float back to their vehicles in about two hours. Marion County's KP Hole Park, on SW 190th Avenue Road, sells a longer package: tubers float an average of about four hours downriver, and a return shuttle runs from Blue Run of Dunnellon Park, a City of Dunnellon park, back to KP Hole.
Because the entrances have different owners, a price, hour or rule at one does not carry over to the other. The comparison below keeps the three locations separate, and every figure is taken from the operator's own page, listed under sources.
Rainbow River Tubing Entrances Compared
Two places to start a float and one place the longer float ends, each with its own manager, address and fee.
| Rainbow Springs State Park tubing entrance | KP Hole Park | Blue Run of Dunnellon Park | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managed by | Florida State Parks; tube rental and shuttle run by the concessionaire, Guest Services Inc. | Marion County Parks & Recreation | City of Dunnellon (also listed in the Marion County park directory) |
| Address | 10830 SW 180th Ave. Road, Dunnellon, FL 34432 | 9435 SW 190th Ave. Road, Dunnellon, FL 34432 | 19680 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, Dunnellon, FL |
| Phone | Guest Services: 833-945-2925 | KP Hole Park: (352) 489-3055 (Marion County park directory) | Marion County park directory lists (352) 671-8560; city page lists no phone |
| Fees | $5 per vehicle of 2 to 8 people, $4 single occupant, $2 pedestrian or bicycle; tube rental and shuttle priced by Guest Services (call) | $30 plus tax per person (entry, tube and return shuttle); $25 plus tax per person for groups of four or more paying together | No fee listed on the city's parks page |
| Float | Shuttle 2 miles upstream, float about 2 hours back to the parking area | Average float about 4 hours to Blue Run of Dunnellon Park, then return shuttle | Exit point for tubers floating from KP Hole; KP Hole's return shuttle leaves from here |
| Season | Daily Memorial Day to Labor Day; weekends only first Saturday in April to Memorial Day and Labor Day to end of September; closed October to March | April 1 to Sept. 30 | No season listed; the city says most of its parks are open sunrise to dusk |
| Hours | 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., last tram 4:30 p.m. (Hours & Fees page); 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Experiences page) | Tube rentals daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or until capacity; park open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 1 to Sept. 30 | Sunrise to dusk (city hours for most parks) |
| Tubes | Rent or bring your own | Park tubes only; personal tubes not permitted | No tube rental; not a tubing entrance |
| Age rules | 5 and older; ages 5 and 6 wear a life jacket | 3 and older to tube; renter must be 18 or older; life jackets on request | Not applicable |
Rainbow Springs State Park Tubing Entrance
10830 SW 180th Ave. Road, Dunnellon, FL 34432
Guest Services Inc.: 833-945-2925
8 a.m. to 4 p.m., last tram 4:30 p.m., per the park's Hours & Fees page
Per Florida State Parks, tubers pay the park entrance fee at the tubing entrance, then rent tubes and buy shuttle service from the concessionaire. The state does not publish the tube rental and shuttle price; it directs visitors to Guest Services at 833-945-2925. The park's Experiences page lists the same season with a 3:30 p.m. closing time, so calling to confirm hours is the safest plan. In the shoulder season (Labor Day to the end of September) the park asks visitors to call to confirm opening because the facility may close early for weather.
Season
- Memorial Day to Labor Day: daily
- First Saturday in April to Memorial Day: weekends only
- Labor Day to end of September: weekends only
- October to March: closed
KP Hole Park (Marion County)
9435 SW 190th Ave. Road, Dunnellon, FL 34432
KP Hole Park: (352) 489-3055
Tube rentals daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., April 1 to Sept. 30, or until the park reaches capacity
Marion County lists a tubing package of $30 plus tax per person that includes the park entry fee, tube rental and return shuttle service from Blue Run of Dunnellon Park, and $25 plus tax per person for a group of four or more paying together. The person renting must be 18 or older, children must be at least 3 to tube, and life jackets for tubers are available on request. Outside the tubing package, the county lists a park entrance fee of $7 plus tax per park user, and says personal tubes are not permitted.
County notes
- Annual tubing season: April 1 to Sept. 30
- Average float: about 4 hours
- Disposable items and alcohol are not permitted
- A VIP parking pass booking portal is linked from the county page
More on the park, including paddle rentals and the park pass, is on the KP Hole Park guide.
Blue Run of Dunnellon Park (City of Dunnellon): the take-out
19680 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, Dunnellon, FL
The City of Dunnellon lists Blue Run of Dunnellon Park as a park with walking and birding trails, a 3-acre pond and Rainbow River access for kayaking, and calls it a popular exit point for visitors tubing the river. The city says most of its parks are open sunrise to dusk and that a restroom facility at Blue Run is being planned. Its parks page lists no fee. Blue Run does not rent tubes; tubers who start at KP Hole finish here and ride the county's shuttle back.
See the full Blue Run of Dunnellon Park guide for the trail connector and paddling access.
Other ways onto the river
A separate, privately run business, the Rainbow River Water Taxi, has operated a pontoon shuttle from KP Hole Park for tubers; it is not part of the county or state tubing operations, and its page recommends calling first to confirm it is still running. Paddlers can compare rentals and launches on the Rainbow River kayaking guide and the broader Rainbow River overview.
Rainbow River Tubing Rules
Marion County river rules
- • No disposable containers. Sec. 5-52 of the Marion County Code of Ordinances makes possessing food or beverages in disposable containers on the Rainbow River unlawful. Paper sacks, boxes, breakable plastic utensils, paper napkins and towels are prohibited, and the fine is $50.
- • No alcohol at KP Hole or on the Rainbow River, per Marion County.
- • No-wake zone. Sec. 5-54 sets idle speed only on the Rainbow River, including KP Hole, seven days a week all year.
- • Personal tubes are not permitted at KP Hole Park.
Florida State Parks rules
- • Aquatic preserve. The park says the Rainbow River is an aquatic preserve and asks visitors to review recreational rules before launching, including the prohibition of disposable food and beverage containers on a person.
- • Minimum age 5. Tubers who are 5 or 6 must wear and fasten a life jacket.
- • No tubing at the headsprings. Inflatables, including rafts, tubes and balls, are not allowed at the headsprings day-use area; tubing is done from the separate tubing entrance.
- • Own vehicles. Visitors who want to shuttle two or more of their own vehicles to tube are told to use a location along the river other than Rainbow Springs State Park.
Planning notes
- Arrive early. Florida State Parks recommends avoiding weekends if possible, or arriving early on weekends and holidays. KP Hole stops renting tubes at 12:30 p.m. or when the park hits capacity.
- Pick the float length first. The state park float takes about two hours; the KP Hole float averages about four, and KP Hole tube rentals end at 12:30 p.m.
- Call before a shoulder-season trip. The state park asks visitors to phone Guest Services (833-945-2925) to confirm opening from Labor Day to the end of September because weather can close the facility early.
- Eat nearby afterward. Dunnellon's riverfront dining is covered in the things to do in Dunnellon guide and at Swampy's Bar and Grill.
Sources and how this page was checked
Every fee, hour, address and rule on this page was checked on Oct. 29, 2026 against the operator's own pages: Florida State Parks, Rainbow Springs Experiences & Amenities (tubing), Rainbow Springs hours & fees, Rainbow Springs entrances, Marion County Parks, Visit KP Hole Park (which also quotes the county ordinances), Marion County Parks, park directory (KP Hole and Blue Run listings) and City of Dunnellon, Parks & Facilities. Where the state park's own pages disagree on tubing hours, both are shown.
AI tools helped gather the sources and draft this page; each fact was checked against those sources before publishing. Questions or corrections? Contact our team or read our editorial guidelines.
Rainbow River Tubing FAQ
Where can you go tubing on the Rainbow River in Florida?
Tubing on the Rainbow River in Dunnellon, southwest of Ocala, runs from two operated entrances. The Rainbow Springs State Park tubing entrance is at 10830 SW 180th Ave. Road and runs a shuttle 2 miles upstream for a float of about two hours. Marion County's KP Hole Park is at 9435 SW 190th Ave. Road and sells a tubing package with a float of about four hours. Blue Run of Dunnellon Park, a City of Dunnellon park at 19680 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, is the exit point for the KP Hole float.
When is Rainbow River tubing season?
Marion County says KP Hole's tubing season runs April 1 through Sept. 30, with tube rentals daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or until the park reaches capacity. Florida State Parks says the Rainbow Springs tubing entrance is open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day, weekends only from the first Saturday in April to Memorial Day and from Labor Day to the end of September, and closed from October through March. As of Oct. 29, 2026, both are closed for the winter; KP Hole reopens April 1 and the state park entrance on the first Saturday in April.
How much does tubing the Rainbow River cost?
At KP Hole Park, Marion County lists $30 plus tax per person for a tubing package that includes park entry, a tube and a return shuttle, or $25 plus tax per person for groups of four or more paying together. At the Rainbow Springs State Park tubing entrance, Florida State Parks lists park entry of $5 per vehicle of 2 to 8 people ($4 for a single occupant, $2 for a pedestrian or bicyclist); the tube rental and shuttle price is set by the concessionaire, Guest Services, which the park asks visitors to call at 833-945-2925. The shuttle costs the same whether visitors rent a tube or bring their own.
What is the difference between the state park entrance and KP Hole for tubing?
The state park tubing entrance shuttles tubers 2 miles upstream and the float back to the parking area takes about two hours; personal tubes are allowed. KP Hole Park, run by Marion County, rents its own tubes only, the average float is about four hours, and the package includes a return shuttle from Blue Run of Dunnellon Park. Tubers must be at least 5 at the state park (ages 5 and 6 wear a life jacket) and at least 3 at KP Hole, where the person renting must be 18 or older.
Can you bring your own tube to the Rainbow River?
At the Rainbow Springs State Park tubing entrance, yes: Florida State Parks says the shuttle cost is the same even if tubers bring their own tubes. At KP Hole Park, Marion County says personal tubes are not permitted. Inner tubes and other inflatables are also not allowed at the state park's headsprings swimming area, which is a different entrance from the tubing entrance.
Can you bring alcohol or disposable containers on the Rainbow River?
No. Marion County Code Sec. 5-52 makes it unlawful to possess food or alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverages in disposable containers on the Rainbow River, and paper sacks, boxes, breakable plastic utensils, paper napkins and towels are prohibited; the fine is $50. Marion County also says alcohol is not permitted at KP Hole or on the Rainbow River. Florida State Parks likewise lists a prohibition of disposable food and beverage containers on a visitor's person on the river, which is an aquatic preserve.
Do children need life jackets for Rainbow River tubing?
At the Rainbow Springs State Park tubing entrance, tubers must be at least 5 years old, and tubers who are 5 or 6 must wear and fasten a life jacket. At KP Hole Park, children must be at least 3 to tube, and Marion County says life jackets for tubers are available on request.
How long does it take to tube the Rainbow River?
Florida State Parks says the float from the state park's tubing entrance takes about two hours after a 2-mile shuttle upstream. Marion County lists an average float of about four hours from KP Hole Park to Blue Run of Dunnellon Park.
Is Rainbow River tubing busy on weekends?
Florida State Parks recommends avoiding weekends if possible, or arriving early on weekends and holidays, for the tubing entrance. Marion County stops renting tubes at KP Hole at 12:30 p.m. or when the park reaches capacity, so a morning arrival is the safer plan there.
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Tubing en el río Rainbow, Florida
El tubing en el río Rainbow, en Dunnellon (condado de Marion), tiene dos entradas con administradores distintos. La entrada de tubing de Rainbow Springs State Park, en 10830 SW 180th Ave. Road, ofrece un recorrido de unas dos horas; la entrada cuesta $5 por vehículo y el precio del tubo y del transporte lo fija el concesionario Guest Services (833-945-2925). KP Hole Park, del condado de Marion, en 9435 SW 190th Ave. Road, cobra $30 más impuestos por persona e incluye entrada, tubo y transporte de regreso desde Blue Run of Dunnellon Park; el recorrido promedio dura unas cuatro horas. La temporada de KP Hole va del 1 de abril al 30 de septiembre, y la entrada del parque estatal está cerrada de octubre a marzo. No se permiten recipientes desechables ni alcohol en el río, con una multa de $50.