Magnolia Springs State Park

Cache information:

On the grounds of Magnolia Springs is the site of a former Civil War prison camp. Camp Lawton was a log stockade, with guard towers on the walls, and a ditch dug within the walls for a deadline. On high ground surrounding the prison, three earthen forts were excavated and armed with cannon to prevent escape and guard from attacks. One of the reasons the prison was located here was the large, pure spring, which could supply ample water to the prisoners; and the second reason involved the Augusta Railroad, located one mile from the camp. If the camp was threatened, prisoners could be loaded on trains and moved north to Augusta or south to Savannah, and to other points from there. At its peak, there were over 10,000 prisoners here.

Hopefully this cache will help you learn a little more about the history of the fort. This cache will take you around the fort’s earthen breastworks. Please stay on the marked trail and do not climb on the mounds or breastworks themselves. No major bushwhacking needed.

(Source: http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/civil_war/mid_ga_east/millen_area.html)

To figure out the final location of this cache, please answer the following questions. Answers are available on the Camp Lawton Kiosk, which are located at the posted coordinates.

1. How many acres did Camp Lawton expand? Divide this number by 10 to get A.
2. How high did the population of Camp Lawton get/reach? Take the first number from this and subtract it from C, D, and A to get B.
3. What year was Henry Wirz hanged in the old capitol prison in Washington? C = the last number in that year.
4. What month of the year was Camp Lawton abandoned? Take the number of that month and subtract it by 8 to get D.

Hours:
Park: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Conditions:
Recommended for Kids
Stealth Required

Hazards:
Thorns
Snakes
Ticks

Georgia State Parks GeoTour:

Steps to the Georgia State Parks GeoTour:

1. Obtain a Georgia State Park GeoTour PassPort from any park or historic site or download a PDF from GaParksGeocaching.com

2. Go to Geocaching.com create a log-in and find the GPS coordinates and more information for the Georgia State Parks GeoTour locations.

3. Start your search and locate one or all caches using a hand-held GPS unit. The cache containers are sealed ammo boxes labeled as a Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites geocache. Caches are located in 42 Georgia state parks and state historic parks.

4. When you find a GeoTour cache, log your name and any comments on the logbook inside the cache and stamp your PassPort grid sheet with the unique stamp for that specific park.

5. Be sure to follow the Leave No Trace guidelines –GeorgiaStateParks.org/LeaveNoTrace

6. Follow the Traveling Gophers. There are 58 Georgia State Park & Historic Sites TravelBugs^® moving around the country. Click here to see where the travel gopher for this park is now. Be on the lookout for them and help them get to a new destination.

8. Find one of the “endangered” gopher stuffed toys in 10 of the caches and it’s yours to keep and protect.

9. Complete specific numbers of caches to get a custom Geo-Coin. Bring your stamped PassPort into the park’s Visitor Center and receive a voucher for your coin.

Bronze Bonus Cache page

Silver Bonus Cache page

Gold Bonus Cache page

Park: (478) 982-1660

Lodges/Cabins/Yurts/Camp Reservations: (800) 864-7275