Rainbow River

Aug.17  Rainbow River
 Dunnellon

Rainbow River vista

 I have been visiting Rainbow River since 1983, when I went tubing as a teenager for the first time and was hooked for life. This river is perhaps the most beautiful river in all of Florida. If you took a poll asking Floridians which river was the most beautiful, Rainbow River would be at the top or near the top. This nearly 6 mile long spring fed river is a tributary of the much longer tannin stained Withlacoochee River. It discharges about 400-600 million gallons of water a day from its many springs located on the river.It is very popular with tubers,which attracts thousands of visitors each year to its crystal clear,blue green colored waters. My goal for today was to paddle from the 484 bridge, a popular put in/take out called Blue Run to the headsprings and back. I have only paddled this river one other time on a stand up paddleboard, but didn't make it all the way to the headsprings.This would be my first time exploring the river from KP Hole(a popular county park that rents tubes and paddlecraft) upriver to the headsprings. This would also be my second tributary paddled of the Withlacoochee, Gum Slough being the first earlier this year. This river is about 100 miles North of Tampa Bay and is among my Nature Coast destinations.
 I recently acquired a GPS device, so I plotted my route up and down, to get familiar with it. Upon arriving at the launch, I fired it up and it read that I was 19.2 miles away from the headsprings .Apparently the coordinates I entered the day before were wrong! No matter, I would definitely know exactly how many miles I paddled as well as the correct coordinates. I want to familiarize myself with this, as I am planning on paddling some navigationally tough trips down the road. I had a pleasant drive up and at the launch, I chatted with a very lonely older guy who lamented that he has had a hard time meeting women who want to kayak with him. Then he mentioned he had been married five times. Yikes! Nice guy though. He had just finished cycling a trail by the launch. Lots of outdoor activities in Florida. I shoved off at a hair before 8:30 and started upstream.

at the launch

 For a weekday, the river seemed popular as the parking lot was 3/4th full, but for the most part I had the river to myself. One thing that absolutely amazes me about this river is that even with the population of homes on it, boaters, tubers and paddlers, the water and scenery still remains pristine. There was an abundance of winged wildlife on this trip: cormorants, anhingas, moorhens, and a few raptors or hawks. The cormorants were fun to watch as they darted beneath my kayak in the clear waters searching for food. they are quite the fishermen, as are the anhingas who pose on logs with their wings spread out, drying them off. It is easy to confuse anhingas with cormorants, and from my observations, the easiest way to tell them apart is that the cormorants will let you almost touch them before they fly off, if they do at all. Cormorants are funny to watch, as I pass five of them sitting on logs with their throats vibrating. The more I explore these rivers, the deeper my appreciation is for the winged wildlife.
 I arrive at KP Hole at around 9:30, and my GPS states that I have paddled 2.8 miles. Just beyond the park, I enter a small creek known as Gissy Spring Run. I paddle up a very beautiful and secluded creek that ends with a gate across it. This blocks visitors from entering Gissy Springs. It is reminiscent of Juniper Creek, which I will visit later this year. I continue upriver, which puts me in new territory- I have never explored this section before. There is a long stretch of marsh grass and a narrow alley between it and the wooded bank on the East side of the river. The water is very deep here, maybe close to 20-30 feet deep. I pass a few boaters who have stopped at a large tree hanging over the river, looking to rope swing over and into the river. It is getting very warm out and I desire to do the same.

Gissy Spring run

Rainbow Springs

 Recently,around this section of the river, two younger kids were stalked and pursued by a very aggressive, large alligator. KP Hole closed its operations for nearly two weeks until three alligators were captured and removed from the river. I have mixed emotions about this as I feel sad that these gators were taken from their habitat and likely euthanized. Alligators are a big reason why I love to kayak Florida freshwater.Incidents such as the one described above as well as much more unfortunate ones that have resulted in death or dismemberment are on the increase as more people than ever before visit or live in our state and discover watersports. Alligator populations have also increased due to conservation efforts that have successfully transformed the species from endangered to thriving. These two factors are creating potentially dangerous situations as many people harrass or feed these alligators which in turn lose their natural fear of man. Bottom line is that these alligators had to be taken before a death occured.
 I reached the state park at the headsprings at around 10 am or so and took a break. I had paddled 3.75 miles upriver. The current is about .5-1 mph and I am averaging 4 mph downriver and 3mph up. I float outside the roped off swimming area and sit sideways on my yak to take a break. I feast on chocolate covered cherries and almonds.I am also out of Gatorade. On the Rainbow River you can only take non disposable items- no plastic bottles or bags, so I exhausted my supply of Gatorade on the way up. What to drink? Ah, have no fear-I brought my Lifestraw, my water filter. I simply scooped some fresh,72 degree river water up and sipped it up with my straw. The water was cool, but not too tasty. I paddled a little ways downriver and stopped in a very nice scenic part of the river with no development. I looked at a limestone rock formation on the bottom, about 15 feet deep and watched a school of bright metallic blue colored Buffalo shad swim around. I dipped my camera in the water to film them and soon I had about 20 small bluegill surrounding my camera, which made for some colorful footage.

the natives

 I took my time downriver and stopped for a swim and snorkel. I talked with an older gentleman and his son or grandson. The cool water felt like heaven. Instantly refreshing. It kept me refreshed for almost my entire trip down, as well as my wet canvas hat I would dip into the river and throw over my head. I spied more cormorants fishing, and a large softshell turtle moving through the eelgrass, which is very plentiful here-a good sign. I stopped about a mile upriver from the launch and swam with a big old black lab named Anna, who was swimming alongside her owner's kayak. I passed the launch and ventured 0.6 miles down to Blue Cove, a cloudy blue green colored spring about a mile or so frrom the confluence of the Withlacoochee River. I paddled back upriver again and stopped just outside the launch and dove off of a large cypress tree a couple of times to cool off. All told, I had paddled over 9 miles in the August heat which felt glorious with the cool clear waters surrounding me. I had been to Rainbow River once more and countless trips before. Each time afterwards, as well as today, I vowed to be back sooner.

Dream house

NOTES: The Rainbow River was once called Wekiva River  as well as Blue run, one of the many called as such in the state. This was always a popular destination and artifacts found here date back 10,000 years. Rainbow Springs state park costs 2 bones to enter and has an artificial waterfall. You can paddle up here and pay if you want to stop which is much better than trying to find a parking spot. Dunnellon's Blue Run is a free launch! Get there early, as it is very popular. Bring your bike as well if you're feeling vigorous. No disposables are allowed on the river, which may explain the pristine condition of the river as it coexists with a very populated area.
COORDINATES: Elev 131 ft. N29 deg.02.957' W082deg26.841' Blue Run Launch
KP Hole: N 29 deg 05.221' W082deg 25.696' 130 feet elev
Rainbow Springs: N29 deg 06.132' W082 deg 26.244' 119 ft.elev
  

August 3rd
Leaving the rat race behind: The beautiful Hillsborough River

Signs of times

 To arrive in paradise, you often have to work for it, such as driving through downtown Tampa at rush hour or negotiating treacherous I 4. Any surge in blood pressure or spike in aggravation level is definately worth it once you arrive at Morris Bridge State Park just East of Tampa. Forget Busch Gardens or Ybor City, having fun in Tampa for me is heading to the Wilderness Parks in Thonotosassa for a day of kayaking. The Wilderness Parks are a group of parks located on the upper stretch of the 54 mile long Hillsborough River, which runs from the Green swamp to Tampa Bay. The Hillsborough is one of the "big four" rivers in the Tampa Bay area, which includes the Little Manatee, Manatee, and Alafia rivers. The Wilderness Parks also contain a very nice mountain biking trail; a biking enthusiast could cycle 30 miles of trail in one day on this loop which connects Trout Creek and Morris Bridge parks. I was accompanied  this day by Matt Fulton, a young Troy State student from St. Petersburg. I've known Matt and his family for years and recently found out about his love for kayaking. I've been waiting to "share" this river with someone who hadn't been down it yet, as it is one of those special places which hook you on paddling for life.
 After arriving at Morris Bridge Park,we soon set off just before 8am, and crossed under the busy Morris Street Bridge,as commuters sped towards Tampa. Soon, civilization was left well behind as I slipped under a massive tree spanning the river- a natural bridge. The river here is very peaceful and canopied by towering cypress and pine trees. The birds come alive and we spot several herons, anhingas, and the occasional limpkin, which bring the river to life. The water was very high today, which I expected with heavy summer rains. An occasional alligator was spotted, but quickly would disappear, leaving retreating trails of bubbles. At the bend heading East for Sargeant Park, is an area that I refer to as "the gator nursery". It's an area where the canopy of trees open up and bathe the area in sunlight. I have always seen baby alligators here as well as the mamas and papas- including one big daddy that may have been 14 feet long, the biggest I have seen. No luck today though, as the river is high and affords the giant reptiles plenty of places to hide.

Morris Bridge

Taking in the sights

 After two hours we arrive at Sargeant park, which is 4 miles done. We head down Flint Creek which is a small tributary of the Hillsborough. It heads East, while the main river makes a 90 degree turn and heads North towards Hillsborough State Park via the infamous 17 Runs section. Flint Creek is a small stagnant waterway that is often covered with a green film on the surface and is known for alligators. Usually you can spot a dozen very quickly, but after heading down a half a mile, we see just two lizards. That is furthest I have been down Flint Creek and the fewest alligators I have spotted there.
 After a half hour break at the park, we head up towards the 17 runs section of the river. This infamous stretch is known as a challenging test for paddlers. It offers numerous portages and navigational difficulties(the river splits off, apparently in 17 different directions). Many unfortunate souls have been lost in this section and had to spend the night in the swamp amongst the alligators, water moccassins, mosquitoes, and possibly bigfoot. We paddle about 30 minutes upriver and it is clear sailing. We turn around at the pilings or remnants of an old loggers bridge.It is a very peaceful section that is beckoning me to attempt it at a future date.

ducking under

pilings from an old loggers bridge

 Continuing downriver, we spot some gators sunning themselves on some old cypress logs. There are only a handful of paddlers on this beautiful day in August, which is surprisingly dry with a nice breeze and feels many degrees cooler than it should be. We arrive back at Morris Bridge Park and after a brief break, we head down the river towards my favorite section  which is the winding, narrow run in the forest between Morris Bridge and Trout Creek, which lies conveniently 4 miles down river.  It feels like the most isolated section on the river and has many more obstacles and natural bridges to cross under. Matt loves it as well and to him it feels like an entirely different river. I pass a bend in the river that has memories for me: the spot where a 12 foot alligator freaked my daughter Samantha out as he slowly slipped into the water ahead of us and also roughly the place where an 8 footer exploded off a bank and almost hit my kayak. I call it "gator bend". Just downriver from there, we cross under a beautiful natural bridge that leaves an arch just tall enough for us to squeeze under. On this section of the river you can look into the dark, green forest forever. There are no sounds or signs of the modern world. The water is black today, but along the shallower edges it is a brilliant glowing red, revealing a sandy bottom. We turn around after a mile and a half or so, and paddle against a robust current.

tropical paradise

 In all, we paddled about 13 miles today in some of the most beautiful scenery in all of Florida. The Hillsborough is my favorite of "the big four" rivers in the Tampa Bay area for its wildlife and spectacular and peaceful scenery. It is the river that really hooked me on paddling, and my hope is to introduce many others to this special place and discover what Florida is really all about. 
Notes: There are three primary parks to launch your paddlecraft in this section: Trout Creek and Morris Bridge Parks which are located off of the Fletcher exit off I 75 and Sargeant Park which is accessed off of US 301. It is 2 dollars to park at each. Sargeant Park also has a paddling outpost named Canoe Escape which offers excellent service all along this section of the river and will even pick you up at the parks further west towards USF. Trout Creek, Morris Bridge, and Sargeant parks are all 4 miles apart which make for easy plannable and convenient trips as well as resting spots along the way. These parks all offer hiking and biking as well and are each worth exploring when you stop there. The restrooms are very well maintained.