Radium Springs Garden, Albany, Georgia

“A walk in nature walks the soul back home.”

Mary Davis

Radium Springs is considered one of the “Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia” so we are heading there today to take a look and see. Radium Springs sits on the southeast outskirts of Albany, Georgia in the south western part of the state and is the largest natural spring in the state. We are excited to go see it as we are a big fan of natural springs.

We pulled into the parking area and walked towards the gates to enter the park noticing there was only one other car in the parking lot. That will make this visit perfect for taking pictures. Right from the start, I loved the look of the white cement remains of what was once the casino. What a beautiful backdrop for this amazing park. We walked down the stairs towards the spring on the hill facing the spring was neatly manicured with beautiful flowers gracing the slope.

We continued out walk under the tree lined path to the deep blue green colored spring, and stood there enjoying the sounds of nature in this peaceful park. This spring has a flow of 70,000 gallons of water per minute that empties into the Flint River. There is an extensive underwater cavern system where many divers used to frequent and where more than one diver had the misfortune of getting lost and sadly lost their life. We noticed the water level was low today possibly from the lack of rain. What a beautiful setting with the restored stone walls gracing the crystal clear spring and with remnants of gazebos, picnic areas, and pavilions in sight. Imagine what this place was like during its heyday. It must have been fabulous. I can just see the kids jumping in the water and everyone swimming, picnicking, and just having a great day in the park. There was even a slide for the swimmers and how exciting it must have been. Can’t you just picture that?

Years ago this was where the Creek Indians lived and did their hunting and fishing. By seeing all the fish in the water here now, I’m sure they were able to feed there tribe easily. Before 1925, this spring was called “Blue Springs,” before the radium was discovered there after which is got a name change. Radium was discovered in France in 1898 and it was found to be more than a thousand times more radioactive than uranium. But when trace amounts of Radium, which has a faint luminescent blue color to it, was found in the spring, it became a popular place to go. During that time in United States history, swimming in mineral water was considered good for your health.

Barron G. Collier was the developer and spent nearly $1,000,000 on this project and built a casino to overlook the springs in the 1920’s becoming a well known spa and resort. He designed the casino, a hotel named “Skywater” (meaning ‘spring’ in Creek), bathhouses, cottages, walking and riding trails, and one of the finest golf courses in the south. Bobby Jones played in an exhibition against Joe Kirkwood at this golf course on June 23. 1927 in a game that was considered one of the greatest games in golf’s history.

Outside the casino, they designed a beautiful courtyard and gardens and planted many trees that are now covered with Spanish moss. The resort was opened to the public in 1927 and thrived. People from all over especially northerners traveling to Florida, would stop here on the way, so they could swim in the steady 68 degree water and get the health benefits provided from the radium. They had dinners, dances, beauty pageants, and evening canoe rides during its prime. If you look up into the trees, you can still see speakers in the trees from past events. There is a small wooden bridge going over the water and a picnic area that is surrounded by water. What a nice place to have a picnic.

Radium Springs remained a popular resort until 1944 when tropical storm Alberto flooded the historic structures and did much damage. Another flood came through here in 1998. The casino was then too damaged to be saved and sadly had to be torn down.

Now it is owned by the state and local government and is free and open to the public. Even though the days of swimming here are gone, you can still walk down and see the spring and walk the grounds. It is open Tuesday – Saturday - 9-5, and Sunday 1-5. It is closed on Mondays.

This park is a reminiscent of what it once was. The steps leading down to the spring now have a gate so you can not access the water and there are no swimming signs posted. There is green growth throughout the water but the wild life is abundant here with loads of birds, turtles, and fish. It is sad to see this beautiful park from a bygone era fading in its glory.

We would still recommend seeing this site as it is beautiful and the spring itself is amazing to see. The color is gorgeous, the clearness of the water - impressive, and seeing all the fish swimming around is fascinating. It was a nice stop for us and we are glad we got to see it. Good bye for now. Till next time.

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.”

Gary Snyder