This is a truly wonderful place with beautiful decor. It has come such a long way! I absolutely…read morelove coming here to enjoy the peace and nature. Plus, Andrew who works there is always respectful and so helpful with loading me in and out safely.

I reserve two single kayaks a week before I wanted to try this place. Emails and directions are…read morevery clear. When I arrived staff was helpful and guiding me along the way so that I could see otters. It was a very quick process to get in the water, but it did get crowded toward midday and on the way back in. I would highly recommend clothes that can get wet, bringing snacks and water and a hat or sunglasses. A dry bag if you have it but if you want one, they do sell them where you check in.

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 an AWESOME day! Crystal River Kayak Company & Dive Center made for such a great experience!…read moreThe staff were friendly and informative, equipment was clean & well maintained, and check-in/out was simple and quick! We rented paddle-boards for 3 hours to go visit Three Sister Springs at the Crystal River Wildlife Refuge, and it did NOT disappoint! You cannot swim at Three Sister Springs unless you arrive by watercraft as the refuge is protected, so going on an adventure via paddle-board was a nice relaxing way to explore the area. We saw multiple manatees and even got to swim with them when they came in the refuge (SUCH A COOL EXPERIENCE)! The coolest thing about the manatees was how much trust they put in the people visiting their home. There was a mom and calf swimming right up to people, and I thought how cool it was that she put that much trust into her surroundings as to show off her baby. I highly recommend checking out this company next time you're visiting the area!

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff, easy entry point for a day on the river. Great time…read morekayaking with the manatees!

What a fun experience! We took our daughter, her husband and our 3 grandkids (3 year old and twin…read more11 year olds). We all loved it. The kids couldn't stop talking about it. Captain Chad was great - we saw many alligators, turtles, lotsa big water birds and had a blast scooting around in the Airboat. Getting to hold the baby alligator was so cool. Special shout out to Anji, who took excellent care of our group and answered all our questions. She was so knowledgeable. We spent about 2 hours there in total . . . a great value for our money.

Captain Chad did not disappoint. We saw more than 20 gator and turtles, fish and birds. The ride…read morewas amazing and the location beautiful. Captain Chad was very knowledgable ! Highly recommend!!

If you're looking for any kind of rental for Crystal River this is your place. Locked our keys out…read moreof our car and Luke helped us get our car open.huge thanks to you guys from start to finish they made our stressful trip enjoyable. From hunter's kayaks and tours it's a 2 min walk to hunters spring. We saw atleast 10 manatees in the spring and three dolphins were even in the swim area. 10/10 would recommend

Pros: easy online registration and scheduling; Front desk…read moregirl for check in was great super sweet. Very nice and informative. We were a bit late and she extended our reservation. I was quite thankful. The kayaks were fun and we were left to our devices to explore. Isaiah was cool and very laid back. We were also a half hour late coming back and they were totally cool with it. Thank you! I can't believe I saw the baby manatees. I literally cried. Cons: I was surprised they just let us out with no real guide! It was cool but I'm surprised they trusted us. We kinda got lost the first 90mins and didn't know where we going but eventually we got to the area where the manatees were gathering. A bit crowded and I felt bad everyone so close to the protected species. Overall a super a cool experience. We went during manatee festival in January so it was a bit crowded but not overwhelming. It was a beautiful day with beautiful site seeing. Def recommend!

Discovery Kayak is my go-to shuttle service whenever I paddle the Silver Springs Long Run. Over the…read moreyears, I've tried several different shuttle companies, but once I found Discovery Kayak, there was no reason to look elsewhere. Their service is consistently reliable, professional, and friendly. The shuttle is always clean, comfortable, and makes the quick ride back to Silver Springs State Park enjoyable after an amazing day on the water. As a fellow small business owner, I especially appreciate supporting another family-owned business that genuinely cares about providing a great experience for their customers. I highly recommend Discovery Kayak to anyone planning the Silver Springs Long Run. They are an important part of what makes the adventure so seamless and enjoyable.

Went for a friend's birthday to try to see monkeys. Loved how helpful and prepared the staff was…read moremaking sure we were ready and comfortable. The equipment was so well taken care of and we couldn't have asked for a better experience - okay fine we were really hoping to see the monkeys but no such luck! Guess we will have to come back and try again! Oh shucks! The river is gorgeous we saw alligators galore, manatees in 2 different areas, such gorgeous plants and birds. I actually wished we were a week later so we could have seen all the water lilies blooming. It was a perfect day even with the rain storm (actually the rain made it cooler and even a nice trip!)

We had a fantastic three-hour kayaking adventure with Paddles Outdoor Rentals. My friend and I…read moredecided to skip the guided tour and paddle out on our own. Our goal was simple: get a good workout in and enjoy being on the water. Manatees, if we saw them, would just be a bonus. Well... let's just say the bonuses showed up. The staff was super friendly, incredibly patient, and genuinely helpful. Their recommendations about where to paddle made all the difference and set us up for a great route. We got our workout, soaked in the beauty of the water, and had some wonderful manatee encounters along the way. Peaceful, magical, and just the right amount of adventure. Great people, smooth process, and a memorable day on the water.

This was my second time using Paddles Outdoor Rentals and I definitely would recommend them! They…read morehave knowledgable guides, great equipment, and are timely with everything. We saw like a million manatees and even got to go out 15 minutes early to take full advantage.

Highly recommend Manatee Paddle if you are looking for an affordable rental to Three Sisters…read moreSpring! The staff was so helpful - from providing a map and walking through the best path to get to the spring to helping us launch, it was a great experience. You check in downtown and then the walk to the launch area is less than five minutes. Everything you need is at the launch area. This was probably one of the nicest kayaks I've ever rented. The springs was lovely and surprisingly not too packed for 4th of July Weekend.

Manatee Paddle truly went above and beyond to make our experience positive, exciting, and…read moreeducational. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with genuine smiles, warmth, and encouragement. I was personally a bit nervous since I hadn't paddle boarded much before, but every step of the way we felt supported and truly cared for. Hearing about the family's passion for protecting the ecosystem and the manatees, along with all the helpful tips they shared to optimize our experience, was absolutely incredible. When we got to the dock, we were guided so kindly - Mike even held our shoes in his truck for us! When he noticed me struggling a bit, he took the time to give me multiple tips on how to better move in the water and maneuver the board, which made such a difference. We saw so many manatees, including mama and baby pairs, which was unforgettable. When we returned to the dock and shared how excited we were, Mike went above and beyond once again by recommending another nearby location we could walk to where we ended up seeing even more manatees up close and personal. I would 10/10 recommend Manatee Paddle to anyone looking for an incredible manatee experience. I am so grateful to Mike and his family for making our day so special. THANK YOU!!

Great tour! The clear kayaks were fun and it was a beautiful paddle along the river and into a cute…read morelittle side lagoon. Our guide was Sam, who was such a nice young man, with a lot of knowledge and love for the area. Someone on the tour dropped their phone in the water and he even jumped in on a cold day to try and find it for them. The only downside is that they launch from KP Hole, which costs an extra five dollars per person and also is just a launch. There's nothing else at the site other than a parking lot and restrooms. We were hoping we'd get to see the state park and walk around a bit, but I guess if you're prepared for that, it's fine.

We had a wonderful time with Bria. She was a great guide and ambassador for Rainbow River wildlife…read moreand natural springs information. She was supportive when I needed her help. We had a great paddle today. I will be back and recommend you to others.