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Reviving the glories of old
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Location: Blogs Sly Comments |
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| Posted by: Emory Schley |
3/22/2007 5:53 AM |
Rainbow Springs State Park, located a bit north of Dunnellon, Florida on U.S. 41 is truly one of Beautiful Marion County’s best-kept secrets. At one time, it was a tourist attraction featuring rodeo events, a sky ride, an aviary, magnificent springs, submarine boats and lots more. Most of that is gone today, leaving only walkways through beautiful wooded areas, a couple of waterfalls, and a few other goodies.
Today, it is slowly recovering – thanks to many hard-working volunteers – from years of neglect and non-use. Slowly, the flower beds are returning, the swim area is in operation, and canoes once again ply some of the most beautiful spring waters in all of Florida. It’s a bit out of the way of the mainstream tourist trade, so you generally don’t have to contend with lines, and the admission price, by anyone’s standards, is quite reasonable: $1 per person.
I like to go over to Rainbow Springs every couple of months or so, and just wander the brick walkways through the woods, and the waterfalls, and whatever flowers happen to be in bloom at the moment. I always take my camera because of the wealth of opportunities the park presents to photographers.
Actually, the existence of Rainbow Springs, back in the early 1970s, was one of the reasons we decided to move up here from Miami. We knew the area was just right for raising our young family, and Rainbow Springs was high on the list of those qualities that made the area “just right” for raising children. Unfortunately, it closed within a year of two of our arrival in Marion County. The property eventually passed to interests who were eager to use it for development purposes, but fortunately, most of those plans went unrealized.
The state eventually wound up with the heart of the old attraction’s property, although many houses are springing up right at the attraction’s doorsteps now, even as I write this.
Lots of local people and groups have contributed to the resurrection of the springs, and that process is a continuing enterprise. I only hope that someday, it will be possible to resurrect as much of the “old” Rainbow Springs as is humanly possible. It’s a great place now, but it could be, oh, so much more, with some additional volunteers and an infusion of cash. Got any of that green stuff lying around unused? Here’s a place that could REALLY put it to good use! |
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