LOVE THIS PARK! it offers easy drop in access for your paddlecraft and has a beachy swimming area…read moreto enjoy for when you're done. Parking is limited but there are many other places to park nearby.

Florida has some amazing parks. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful area…read more The beach here is gorgeous and there are chance encounters with the manatee, but no touchie!

From Tampa, it took an hour and 30 minutes to get to the river. We first wanted to take a swim in…read morethe swimming area so we went there first before it got really crazy. The area is a bit small and there isn't really a lot of sun spots for you to chill at. It is cool to experience once but I think if you tube, you still will be able to get a swim in because parts of the river are pretty deep. After the swim area, we headed to the tubing section. It is a 15 minute drive from the main park entrance. The fee was 54 for two people that had an annual pass. Highly recommend bringing a small cooler with snacks and drinks and an extra tube for it. It took us about 2 hours to float back to our car and the river is very calm and relaxing. I've floated a river in San Antonio but wasn't as nice as Rainbow springs. Very clean and the water is sooo clear. Overall, really enjoyed our day visit to this state park!

Do not go tubing. The experience was dangerous and life threatening. You go in sign a wavier that…read morebasically "signs your life away" and that the park is not responsible for your safety if anything happens like all waivers do these days. I went with my group and it was a horrifying experience. The tubes are only adult sized and if you bring little kids your kids will not fit. I got stuck multiple times along the shallow vegetation, luckily had a swimmer help me on my side. The workers said it would only be 2 hrs. I ended up getting heat exhaustion due to being out stuck tubing in the river out in the sun for 4-5 hours. Fell asleep basically out in the sun and I got sunburned to a crisp, I did apply sunscreen and still burned. The heat and exhaustion to being exposed for far too long got me to pass out. All of the people in my group had burns as well, even if you applied a tremendous amount of sunscreen. Someone could get seriously hurt or even killed by participating in this activity. I ran into some wildlife along the way such as alligators. Yes it is normal in Florida but the lack of safety is my main concern. No lifeguards or people stationed anywhere along the river to actually Help you if you are going to be drowning. Heck, the whistle attached to my own life jacket that was offered at the beginning was actually broken when I actively tried to use it. These people probably don't get paid enough to be concerned about our actual safety. If you do end up wanting to go down the river try going kayaking along the trail instead. It is much faster and you won't get stuck since you can the paddle to go forward. Even then its better to be safe than sorry, do not go on this experience.

What a fantastic spot! We even discovered a hidden walkway through the crystal-clear waters…read more Hands-down the best price in the area for kayaking. We went with KP because of the stream direction, which made paddling back super easy after our adventure. Highly recommend!

Come early! Parking fills up and there is a line to get in as soon as they open (at least on a…read moreweekend day). You can launch kayaks or paddle boards, rent tubes to go down the river, or there is a small swimming area. Water is crystal clear and 70 degrees.

Jervey Gantt Park as a multitude of athletic fields upon its property. It also has a nice paved…read morewalking area that allows you to walk in a quiet area and, at least when I was here, it appears to be a pretty safe place. I would say that the multitude of athletic fields are probably why most people come here. They all appear very well maintained and overall this was a pretty positive experience. While I would not recommend coming here if you are looking more for a park type environments, these sport fields I am sure are very well received by the community. Again, if you're looking more for a park where you can hang out and chill, this is probably not the place. However, this serves the community well with all these sport fields and I'm sure that the neighbors and community love it. For that I am giving it five stars.

I come here (almost) everyday. It's peaceful and has lots of space. There's about two miles of…read morepaved trail. I tend to weave around the park multiple times. The park will stay lit till around 10pm; so you can run after dark.

My family and I love this park. This place is always extremely clean and very welcoming. They have…read morea pool that you can pay for a very inexpensive yearly membership or a one time day pass - they have disc golf, basketball courts, a splash pad, camping grounds, beautiful trails, baseball fields, and even more! Everything is really well kept and the staff are extremely friendly and helpful. I definitely recommend coming here for a really nice day. Kids, adults, and dogs will have so much fun and it's a very inexpensive place to enjoy nature and spend quality time with family and friends!

Lovely park, picnic areas, playground, tot splash pad, pool. We've visited several times.read more

For history buffs, this is worthy of a view, if you are in the area. This is an old mill. It has…read moreinformation and diagrams shown, so you can imagine what it was like in action.

This is free. It's a neat little pit stop, but it will not take you much time to view it. They have…read moresome informational signs posted at the site and a little sitting park across from it. That's about the extent of it. But it's right by Homosassa Park, so it's worth stopping.

Out on a motorcycle ride recently with some friends, decided to do the Ozello trail. One of the…read moreriders with us is a new rider and had never been down the Ozello trail, so we took it nice and slow. No need to see bikes go into the drink! At the end of the trail, there is a nice little park and boat ramp overlooking the water, and we stayed there for about an hour just breathing in the salt air and watching little hermit crabs crawl over the rocks. Good times. I can see that the place could easily handle a picnic or two, and it kind of bugs me that we didn't bring anything to picnic with except some drinks, but perhaps next time.

Good little ramp, plenty of parking. Watch the tides, especially in winter! Not bad for free…read more Excellent fishing waters. Great for kayaking too.

The most memorable park in Ocala! I have to admit I did not see it all so I will be going back…read moreshortly to see so much more. I was at peace just walking a bit sipping coffee and taking in the calm and beauty. There is much to see at Shalom Park it's very beautiful place to be. When I was there they were having a yoga class it was so nice to see. I walked around and spoke to some lovely people they mostly were enjoying some morning exercise. I'm sorry that I missed the zen garden but this just gives me an excuse to go back faster. It's obvious that many frequent this park for so many reasons you can easily see. It's lovely, peaceful, clean and you feel pretty safe comparatively. They have activities here from what I've read and the yoga class is proof of this but I think there is much more that I need to explore and check the calendar for to see and know for myself. There are 2 miles of trails, the zen garden, an area called the Labryrinth where you can take a physical, spiritual or meditative walk along its winding path. Stop along it's 24 points of reflection and create your own Labryinth experience. Labryinth's have one way in and one way out come in and form your own perspective enjoying this relaxed atmosphere. The Pergebo was magnificent as I felt so much happiness being there. It is part gazebo and part pergola, I didn't even know such a thing existed until now! It's covered in confederate jasmine and blossoms in the spring with tiny white fragrant flowers. This is located on the path at the end of the olive trees! I enjoyed the pond so much with all the beautiful fish and sounds of the falling water. You can feed the fish and see them all come at once jumping out at you. Gorgeous Koi such beautiful colors. Sit on a bench and relax if you'd like there are many all around the park for you to enjoy. They say the pavilion is often used for educational purposes and horticulture events and that there are often presentations that people can escape the sun or rain showers. The stage is where I had seen the yoga class taking place. They have weddings, live concerts, the parks sunset series and much more on the stage throughout the year. Mounted on the stage, The Peace Panels display quotes of peace by renowned authors, musicians, and political leaders! The olive tree promenade has 18 trees on each side 18 is the symbol of peace; the number 18 is the symbol of life,and many couples use this as their entry way for marriage. The formal gardens is an area where there is lot's of live large oak trees, colorful bushes and lot's of foliage all around in a nice quiet shaded atmosphere. People often gather here for a picnic, wedding or just to enjoy and relax and enjoy the environment. The bat house can hold 800 bats during the night. Bats are a natural way of achieving insect control in the park and each bat can consume 6-8,000 insect every night! There is so much more to see and encounter at Shalom Park I encourage you to visit and explore. The story of Shalom Park from their website: As with most great achievements, Sholom Park began as a vision, born in the hearts of Sidney and Ina Colen. Inspired by a visit to Boston Gardens, Sholom Park was created for a purpose; to provide a place where the pursuit of inner peace and learning may be enhanced and enjoyed. The park was named after Sidney Colen's grandfather, Sholom, which is also the Hebrew word for peace. The park does not serve a political or religious agenda or belief system After years of conceptualizing the vision, a master plan for the park was developed in 1999 and the park concepts began to take shape. In 2001, horticulturist, Steve Curl was hired to oversee the final design and construction of Sholom Park as the vision came to life. On October 17, 2004, Sholom Park celebrated its grand opening and ribbon cutting along with hundreds of friends and supporters. Hours: 8 AM - 5 PM Address: 7110 SW 80th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34481 Phone: 352) 854-3677 Email: info@sholompark.org Wheelchair accessible *** Bike racks available ***

Wow! WoW! Wow! I think this park is profoundly under the radar and simply not well known enough…read more This isn't just some playground with a path. In fact, there is no playground equipment at all. What it does offer, though, is everything one could want in a natural setting. You can walk for a little while or lose yourself in it for much longer. The paths are easy, accessible, and thoughtfully laid out, with enough variation to keep things interesting from start to finish. It never feels repetitive, which is rare. The labyrinth was genuinely enjoyable, with multiple points of interest throughout. Subtle shifts in sound and visual texture keep you engaged, yet everything remains grounded in simple nature, shaped by the hands of men.. nothing artificial or forced, just an intentional design that draws you in. The crowning glory moment for me was the Zen garden. I cannot remember the last time I felt that level of calm and stillness. It has a way of centering you almost immediately. I would have stayed longer, but I needed a restroom, which unfortunately was closed at the time. This is a place I will return to without hesitation. My mother has yet to see it, and I already know she is going to love it.