Magnolia Springs State Park

By America's State Parks Editorial TeamFebruary 5, 2026 · Updated April 18, 2026

💀 Civil War Prison Camp Turned Nature Sanctuary — Built on the site of Camp Lawton, a Confederate POW camp designed for 40,000 prisoners, now a 1,070-acre park where crystal-clear springs flow 7 million gallons daily from the Floridan Aquifer, with camping, cottages, a 28-acre fishing lake, and active archaeological excavations unearthing artifacts from one of the Civil War’s darkest chapters

In the pine flatwoods of Jenkins County, near the small town of Millen in east-central Georgia, a belt of crystal-clear springs emerges from deep limestone channels of the Floridan Aquifer, pouring 7 million gallons of water per day into a spring run that feeds through a corridor of ancient magnolia trees, tupelos, and bald cypress. These springs — beautiful, constant, and almost impossibly clear — are the natural wonder at the heart of Magnolia Springs State Park. But beneath the park’s peaceful surface lies one of the darkest chapters of the American Civil War.

In the fall of 1864, as the Confederacy staggered toward collapse, the Confederate Army established Camp Lawton on this very site — a massive prisoner-of-war camp designed to hold 40,000 Union prisoners, built to relieve the apocalyptic overcrowding at the notorious Andersonville prison 150 miles to the southwest. The springs that make the park so beautiful today were the same springs that made this site attractive to the Confederate command: a reliable, self-renewing water source in an era when lack of clean water was killing prisoners by the thousands. Camp Lawton ultimately held over 10,000 prisoners in its brief existence — just six weeks of operation before General William T. Sherman’s March to the Sea forced its evacuation in November 1864.

Today, Magnolia Springs State Park occupies 1,070 acres of reclaimed forest, wetland, and spring-fed waterways on ground that still yields artifacts from its Confederate past. Ongoing archaeological excavations by Georgia Southern University continue to unearth buttons, coins, personal effects, and structural remains from Camp Lawton — pieces of a story that the park’s History Center preserves for visitors who want to understand what happened here and why it matters.

The Springs

The springs are the park’s most iconic feature. Visitors walk along an elevated boardwalk above the spring run, looking down into water so clear that the sandy bottom, fallen magnolia leaves, and fish swimming below are visible in striking detail. The spring corridor is lined with massive magnolia trees — the park’s namesake — along with bald cypress draped in Spanish moss, creating a landscape that feels ancient and cathedral-like.

Camp Lawton: The Civil War Prison

Camp Lawton’s story is one of desperation, suffering, and the logistical collapse of the Confederacy. Built in haste as Andersonville became synonymous with death, Camp Lawton was intended to be a “better” prison — with access to clean spring water and more space per prisoner. But the reality was still grim: inadequate shelter, minimal food, and the psychological torment of captivity. When Sherman’s forces approached, the camp was hastily evacuated, and many prisoners were marched back to other facilities or simply released in the confusion.

The park’s earthen breastworks — defensive fortifications built around the camp — are still visible in the landscape, and the History Center displays artifacts recovered from decades of archaeological work at the site.

Camping and Accommodations

Fishing

Wildlife

The park’s spring-fed ecosystem supports remarkable biodiversity for its size:

• Reptiles: Alligators inhabit the spring run and lake — keep a safe distance
• Birds: Great blue herons, egrets, wood ducks, barred owls, pileated woodpeckers
• Aquatic: Spring-run fish visible from boardwalk, turtles basking on logs
• Mammals: White-tailed deer, armadillos, river otters

Essential Visitor Information

Getting There

• From Savannah: 80 miles northwest (~1 hour 20 minutes via US-25)
• From Augusta: 60 miles south (~1 hour)
• From Macon: 100 miles east (~1 hour 40 minutes)
• From Atlanta: 200 miles southeast (~3 hours via I-16)

Best Time to Visit

More parks nearby: George L. Smith State Park is within about an hour’s drive, while Hamburg State Park lies elsewhere in the state.

About the Author

America's State Parks Editorial Team

America's State Parks is an independent online guide to the state parks of the United States. Our editorial team compiles and reviews each park profile from official state park agency sources and other primary references, and follows a published editorial and review methodology (see /editorial-review-methodology/). We update profiles and correct errors on an ongoing basis.

View All Articles by America's State Parks Editorial Team →