Indian Springs State Park is a 528 acre (2.14 km²) Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

 state park

State park

State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...

 located near Jackson

Jackson, Georgia

Jackson is a city in Butts County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,934 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Butts County. The center of population of Georgia is located in Jackson. The community was named after President Andrew Jackson. Founded in 1826, Jackson began as...

 and Flovilla

Flovilla, Georgia

Flovilla is a city in Butts County, Georgia, United States. The population was 652 at the 2000 census.Indian Springs State Park is nearby.-Geography:Flovilla is located at ....

. The park is named for its several springs, which the Creek Indians used for centuries to heal the sick. Indian Springs is thought to be the oldest state park in the nation. It was acquired from the Creek Indians by the state through the Treaty of Indian Springs (1825)

Treaty of Indian Springs

There are two Treaties of Indian Springs with the Creek Indians. The first treaty was signed January 8, 1821. In it, the Lower Creek ceded land to the state of Georgia in return for cash payments totaling $200,000 over a period of 14 years...

 and the Treaty of Washington (1826)

Treaty of Washington (1826)

The 1826 Treaty of Washington was a settlement between the United States government and the Creek National Council of Native Americans, led by their spokesman Opothleyahola. The Creeks ceded much of their land in the State of Georgia to the Federal government....

. Thereafter, Indian Springs has been operated continuously by the state as a public park, although it did not gain the title "State Park" until 1931. The area became a resort

Resort

A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....

 town in the 19th century. It became an official "State Forest Park" in 1927. In 1931, along with Vogel State Park

Vogel State Park

Vogel State Park is a or 94 hectares state park located at the base of Blood Mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest. It became one of the first two parks in Georgia when it founded a state park system in 1931. Much of the park was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the...

, it became a founding unit of Georgia's state park system.

Visitors are still allowed to sample the park's spring water, all the while enjoying swimming, fishing, and boating. Several structures within the park were built during the Great Depression

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

 by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps

Civilian Conservation Corps

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...

. The park also contains a 105 acre (0.42 km²) lake consistently stocked with fish, as well as a 3/4 mile (1.21 km) nature trail.

The park features a small museum that is open seasonally. Exhibits include the park's natural history, the resort era, activities of the CCC

Civilian Conservation Corps

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...

, and the history and culture of the Creek Indians.

Facilities

• 88 Tent/Trailer/RV Sites
• 10 Cottage
  Cottage
  __toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
  
  s
• 7 Picnic Shelters
• Group Shelter
• Group Camp
• Miniature Golf Course
  Miniature golf
  Miniature golf, or minigolf, is a miniature version of the sport of golf. While the international sports organization World Minigolf Sport Federation prefers to use the name "minigolf", the general public in different countries has also many other names for the game: miniature golf, mini-golf,...
  
  
• Boat Rental
• Pioneer Camping

Dauset Trails Nature Center

In the early 1980s, Dauset Trails was primarily a rehabilitation center for injured and orphaned wildlife. The animals were mainly native to the area and could not be released due to the severity of injuries. These animals were given exhibits for protection and display and gradually grew to become the Animal Trail.

The Animal Trail winds about half a mile through the woods rounding a small lake. It is easily accessible by foot, strollers, and wheelchairs. These animals are used to teach students of all ages the importance of each species and its role in the world.

The nature center contains exhibits of birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, ducks, geese, and farm animals.

There are also camping facilities, with turkey roosts available as well.

Biking and hiking

There are 17 + miles of trails for mountain biking and hiking. These trails offer beautiful, scenic experiences for hikers and mountain bike enthusiasts of all skill levels. The trails are routed into 3 categories: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.

Annual events

• Southeastern Indian Celebration (June)
• Astronomy
  Astronomy
  Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
  
  Program (August)
• Christmas at Idelwilde (December)

External links

• Indian Springs State Park, official website