In Marion County, the cascading waterfalls again flow.

"This is a former roadside attraction. As progress began, it became an eyesore,” explained Davey Penuel, the assistant park manager with Rainbow Springs State Park.

As Florida's inner-state highway system grew, attendance at Rainbow Springs declined and eventually closed. Shuttered for decades, the State of Florida purchased the land in 1989 and turned on the iconic waterfalls in 1995.

"They [waterfalls] were manmade in the 1930s from rock dynamited from the river itself,” Penuel said.

Several waterfalls cascade past blooming flowers, lush foliage and rock formations.

The spring, fed by the Florida aquifer, is what again draws folks to Dunnellon, according to Penuel, whose comments are almost drowned out by the roaring rapids behind him.

"The water seeps into the ground and is filtered through the limestone and comes out here,” he explained on how the crystal-clear waters bubble up from almost 100 holes in the Earth.

Folks like the Messineo family came to behold the crystal clear waters.

“Anybody taste it?” I ask jokingly.

Mother Karen Messineo poses the question to her children, “How about you? You're the one who usually tastes it.”

Her daughter quickly shared that Rainbow Springs tastes “like regular bottled water.”

After enjoying the majestic waterfalls, you may find yourself wanting to jump in yourself, and here, you can do just that. The water is always a balmy 72 degrees year-round in the swimming area.

"You get use to it though,” Messineo said. “Really refreshing."

The bathing area in the spring ranges from 5 feet to 15 feet in depth and is open year-round. Be ready to share the water with fish and turtles.

"We saw a lot of turtles. A LOT OF TURTLES!,” Messineo emphasized.

Yet Penuel enjoys spending time on top of the water.

"The best way to see the river and head springs is from a boat,” he offered.

Kayaks and canoes are available for rent on Rainbow Springs.

It's a tradition Norm Smith began when he and his wife got married in Rainbow Springs. Their love of the park is something he hopes will be passed on.

"It's still here. It's preserved for everybody. And hopefully in 100 years, it will still be here for those generations,” Smith said.