Magnolia Springs State Park Campground

Wonderful small campground, sites are all fairly level and are very spacious. Bathhouse was clean, could use some repair work though. Easy to hike and bike right from the campground (wear insect repellent!). The tree canopy is beautiful, the trails well-maintained and well marked. We didn’t use the dump station, but it looked unlevel, so might be an issue to completely empty tanks.

The weather in Georgia just did not cooperate with us, or our plans. Magnolia Springs State Park looked like a very good choice. Plenty of trails to hike and numerous opportunities to learn a bit more history, especially during the violent years of our Civil War. And to make matters worse the cell service maps showed solid connections, especially with AT&T. But the reality of having only one bar of LTE service and the occasional one bar of 5G was very disappointing. As I sit here writing this review my google machine just spins and spins and cannot save what I am composing.

With our senior discount the price we paid for site #14 was $32 per night. That number also included the extra $5 for the park pass which is paid at check-in unless you already have a pass. The campground was clean, but wet. Our site had water and electricity. The dump station was near the entrance to the campground. Shower rooms were clean and there was a laundry room in the building.

The park has a small history museum which was very good as well as what remains of the old Civil War fort and stockade prison. Near the river and springs there are several boardwalks and interactive signs along the way. No sightings of beavers or alligators on this visit. There has been so much rain lately that the trails were suspect and likely sporting a few water moccasins or cottonmouths which we had no interest in running into. But the trails would generally be wonderful and plentiful if dry. The bugs were not at all bad even in light of all the rain. Given the springs and aquifer here the drinking water is probably pretty good, but who knows these days with all the chemical runoff and farms located in the area.

We did take a walk up the hill to read all about the prison that was here in 1864. It only lasted six weeks as Sherman was making his march from Atlanta and the Confederates had to skedaddle. Most of the Northern Army prisoners were sent to Savannah but a few were also sent back to Andersonville from which they came which was a nightmare for the unfortunate. Very interesting history here and well worth the visit.

The town of Millen is five miles south of the park. It is another poor and sad town that either can’t or won’t take care of its historical structures. There are no “good” places to eat and definitely no BBQ no matter what Yelp might say to the contrary. We settled for the local hangout of the town’s police and fire department and ate lunch at “Cindy’s Cafe on Cotton” which was pretty much across the street from the Old Freight Depot Museum. Our wish was to continue learning about the area but the museum was not open and no reason was given. Plenty of bad luck on this first visit to Magnolia Springs State Park but it was definitely worth the time.

We must have found a cancellation, as I found site 16 for a Friday and Saturday night...! This site is a very long back in with a nice view of the lake. We did see an alligator cruising the shore 4 times down in front of us.
The trails are nice - but watch your step - lots of tree roots and one got me. Loved walking to the spring to watch the turtles and alligators (saw two there).
The CG itself is a square loop with nice sites on the outside of the loop - there are a few sites on the inside too. We could hear the highway and the train - but neither of that bothers us.
When I have better internet, will upload some photos!

Very nice smaller park. Had good trails and a nice museum for the Civil War POW camp. The spring area is small but we walked out every morning to see the gators, turtles, and fish. The cabins are being replaced so construction activity in 2023. Some train noise from about a mile away, so not overwhelming. We enjoyed the simple pleasures of this park.

Water and electricity only. Small RV Area But Clean And Quiet. Nice Nature Trail. Keep In Mind The Dumping Station Can Only Be Used While Inbound. So If You Are Leaving Full You Need To Turn Around To Enter The Dumpsite. There were some low tree branches in a tight turn near the dumpsite. Mine is 12ft tall and 35ft long. A gentle brush with the tree branches. That is all I remember for now.

Stayed in site 6 (a pull through). All things good! Wonderfully landscaped, easy to maneuver through roads. Very large, shady level sites ( a few pull-throughs), many adjacent to woods. Dump station and full hookups available. Accessible sites available. Very friendly rangers, camp hosts, and employees. Pet friendly. Clean comfort stations with flush toilets and showers, centrally located to all campsites. Beautiful environment; hiking trails, lake with dock, boat rentals, fishing, playground, splash pad, large open space for families to play games, small store at entrance. Tent, RV camping and cottages available. Picnic tables at every site. Wi-Fi was fine for me. An absolutely stellar campground. We camped at Magnolia Springs State Park in a campervan.

Five stars all the way. Such a beautiful park and big spaces. There’s a few short hiking trail and if you are a geocacher you’ll have plenty to do!
The camphost were friendly and suggested site 16 to us and was perfect to back in and soooo much space! After walking on the beaver trail and getting a few caches we relaxes by the fire with a few beers to wind the evening down.