Snowy Range Pass

Snowy Range Pass

Monday, October 23, 2017

Magnolia Springs State Park

After bidding farewell to our friends, we headed south.  We stopped for the night at the Magnolia Springs State Park, near Millen, GA.  It is known best for its clear springs that has been drawing people here for many years.  The spring has an estimated water flow of seven million gallons per day.  There is also an abandoned aquarium on the  grounds that reportedly attracted up to 40K visitors a year for the few years it was open. 








The campground is in an area near the lake with 26 sites for RVs and tents.  There are tall trees providing some shade.  A great place for rigs of all sizes. There are water craft available to cruise the lake and picnic areas to enjoy the scenery.








The park also has an important historical site on the grounds.   During the Civil War, a prisoner of war camp was located here, called Camp Lawson.  As the war dragged  on, there was a need for another camp to hold the growing number of Union prisoners.  This need became acute when the North ended the prisoner of war exchange program in the hopes that this would shorten the time it would take to defeat the South.  We saw firsthand how awful the conditions in these camps were when we visited the Andersonville POW site. The design of this camp was nearly identical to the one in Andersonville, which more or less guaranteed horrific conditions for the prisoners, many of whom were sent here from Andersonville due to overcrowding.  There were over ten thousand  prisoners at the camp when it was abandoned as  General Sherman made his march to the sea and Savannah.  A small interpretive center is located next to the park check-in office.  It is definitely worth the small fee to visit. Across the way you can walk thru some of the earthen works of this camp that are undergoing  archaeological study. 










7 comments:

Paul and Marsha Weaver OCT. 17, 2009 said...

Wonderful campground.
How could someone leave 1,000 POWs? That is a ton for sure.

Sherry said...

Very interesting park that I didn't know about. I was wondering if you could swim in the spring but not if that Alligator is in there. I'd like to kayak it though.

Happytrails said...

You've taught me something new....I didn't know much about this state park in Georgia!!
What an interesting place as well as a beautiful campground!!

Wanderin' said...

That looks like a very nice place to stay. Love the historical places to visit in the area. I'd like to visit Andersonville. It's been on my bucket list but haven't checked it off yet.

Ruth said...

Wow, the spring looks amazingly clear. If we are in that area this fall we will have to try and stop by. We could also get our kayak out for a ride.

Looks like and interesting park and lots of history to boot. I always say I am glad that we weren't alive during the Civil War, nothing nice about it at all!

www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

Nickie and Jim said...

What a lovely park! We wouldn't mind kayaking in the lake, but it would have to be when the skeeters wouldn't carry us and the kayak away ... never mind the gator!

Laura said...

That little gator looks hungry. So sad for all those pow's, as if war isn't awful enough.