World’s Largest Prison And A State Park In Georgia
I recently took a trip to Millen, Georgia, to check out Magnolia Springs State Park because I heard it is a beautiful park known for its crystal clear springs. The park didn’t disappoint, but the one thing I didn’t know is it was initially home to the world’s largest prison. More on that later, but first, let’s talk about this amazing state park. World’s Largest Prison And A State Park In Georgia
The clear springs I mentioned earlier flows 7 million gallons of water a day, and you’ll see an alligator or two, lots of turtles, and other wildlife. The park offers cottages to rent and has a lake perfect for spending the afternoon fishing. There is also a campground for 26 tents, trailers, and RV campsites.
Hiking trails and a splash pad to cool down on those hot Georgia summer days are also available.
History
You can check out the history center, too. That”s where I learned about the world’s largest prison. During the Civil War, it was called Camp Lawton. You won’t see much of the remains of the prison today, but you will see some of the artifacts on display in the history center.
Camp Lawton was a 42-acre camp that was built by the Confederacy to relieve overcrowding at the prison in Andersonville. It was built to house 40,000 prisoners, but only a little more than 10,000 were held there. The prisoners were moved to Savannah as the advance of Sherman’s army closed the camp after only two months.
I found this place fascinating, as I didn’t expect to see so much history. By the way, I didn’t see an alligator, but I did see a lot of turtles! You can walk over the springs on a nice boardwalk to take some pictures like I did, as you’ll see below.
Hope you get to check it out soon. Happy travels!
Photos from Millen
