Blue Springs State Park, State park in Barbour County, Alabama, US
Blue Springs State Park is a 103-acre public recreation area 7 miles east of Clio in Barbour County, Alabama. A natural spring with a sandy bottom pumps 3,600 US gallons per minute into two concrete-ringed pools: a large irregular pool and a smaller connected basin at a higher level. The large pool was lined with concrete in 1913.
The property became a state park in 1963 after Alabama purchased the land from a private owner. This transition opened the spring and its pools to the public.
From the early 1900s the pools hosted political rallies, three-day horse-trading events and annual reunions of Confederate soldiers. Harrison's Hotel, built in 1890, and J.T.E. Whigham's Blue Springs Hotel with its 28 rooms and bathhouse drew visitors to the village as a health spa.
Swimming in the spring-fed pools is unsupervised, with no lifeguards on duty. The Magnolia Trail, opened in 2018, runs 2 miles through southeast Alabama forest and crosses the west fork of the Choctawhatchee River; its trailhead is inside the park, though most of the route lies on the adjoining Forever Wild addition. Camping ranges from primitive sites to cabins and rental campers.
The spring water stays at a constant 68 °F (20 °C) and feeds the pools at 3,600 US gallons (14,000 L) per minute. The water rises from a sandy-bottomed natural spring rather than a drilled well. The smaller upper basin beside the main pool was added in 1913 for children.
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