My final stop on my way home from a weekend near Savannah, GA takes me to Magnolia Springs State Park, which is home to the largest natural spring in the state, pumping an estimated seven million gallons of crystal clear water each day. The park and springs are home to a variety of wildlife.
As I pull into the park in my jeep, I drive around to quickly get a lay of the land. I note a large man-made lake at the northern end of the park, but otherwise I am initially disappointed with what I'm seeing. Since I've diverted an hour or so out of my way to stop by the park, I want to ensure I give it a full measure of exploration and so, I park near a picnic area and start to walk around by the waters of the Spring Mill Branch of Buckhead Creek. This would turn out to be a wise decision.
Approaching the edge of the waters, I realize that this is the actual spring for which the park is named. The clear blue waters flow from a tunnel in the center of the creek and feed the flowing branch of the creek. A variety of creatures live here. From big mouth bass to soft shell turtles both swimming and sunning themselves on downed tree limbs, the pool around the spring is teeming with life.
I decide to walk along the creek for a ways and see if I can spot any alligators. Eventually, I find two four to five foot specimen both on the opposite shore sunning themselves and taking little note of me on this breeze winter day. The creek itself is quite beautiful with a palate of differentiating colors throughout. I'm extremely glad that I decided to explore a little bit instead of just driving off in disappointment. It turns out the park is well worth a visit. I will try to return in warmer temperatures to see the critters more active.
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