Wealthy with historical past, Louisiana is and was house to a few of the most intriguing pure springs within the nation. With pure springs found properly earlier than the Civil Struggle and a few being namesakes for present-day cities, pure springs in Louisiana are a real gem!
After the Civil Struggle, a number of areas with pure mineral water had been vibrant resort cities. This attracted folks from Louisiana and past to come back to Louisiana searching for cures for his or her illnesses.
Trendy existence have led to many springs being forgotten and, because of this, overgrown. We’ll share all of the pure springs in Louisiana we don’t need to see forgotten.
Preserve studying to study 9 unforgettable pure springs in Louisiana!
Northern Louisiana
1. Elgin Spring
Antioch
Elgin Spring is an artesian spring positioned in Antioch, Louisiana–an unincorporated group in Jackson Parish. The group is normally related to Farmersville, Louisiana.
This spring is the northern space of the state’s solely groundwater supply. Artesian springs are distinctive as a result of they power groundwater to the floor by layers of rock surrounding the aquifer with out the assistance of a pump like different springs usually have.
Locals come to the spring to gather consuming water at this pure spring in Louisiana. It’s an open-running spring linked to the Sparta Aquifer and covers most of Northern Louisiana. The spring is subsequent to busy Freeway 2, and guests ought to park in a cleared space off the freeway
That is additionally a preferred location for Geocaching–a enjoyable leisure exercise the place gamers depart hide-and-seek containers at particular coordinates to be discovered by others of their on-line group.
Central Louisiana
2. Kisatchie Nationwide Forest
Provencal
Central Louisiana locals declare the unnamed pure spring at Kisatchie Nationwide Forest has the freshest consuming water within the state. The forest is a well-liked place to camp, hike, horseback trip, and interact in different leisure actions, and discovering this particular spring isn’t exhausting.
This pure spring in Louisiana is positioned off Forest Highway 380 in Provencal. You’ll simply spot the spring as a result of water consistently flows from two pipes inserted into the hill. The water supply is behind the hill, the place you’ll discover a quick climbing path.
Close by is a well-liked place for dispersed tenting since campers can simply receive water from the pure spring. Locals and campers from the encircling campgrounds additionally take pleasure in climbing to the spring to drink the water.
3. Sizzling Wells Resort
Alexandria
It began within the mid-1900s when employees had been drilling for oil within the west woods of Alexandria, Louisiana, and as an alternative of discovering oil, they discovered an underground spring. The spring was named after the recent mineral water it produces.
The spring turned recognized for its capacity to clear up pores and skin issues for a person who was unable to seek out different therapies that might work.
Phrase unfold concerning the magical therapeutic powers of this pure spring in Louisiana, and the spring grew in recognition all through the state. Motels and a swimming pool had been developed, and guests got here from throughout to expertise the therapeutic waters.
In the present day, just a few weathered-down buildings stay across the closed water wells. The Sizzling Wells Resort closed its doorways in 1986, although its reminiscence remains to be alive within the city of Alexandria.
Must you attempt to go to Sizzling Wells Resort now, you’re prone to encounter a ghost city. The outdated buildings from the resort had been torn down in 2006 and the wells had been capped. A 3-unit condominium constructing sits within the spot of the outdated Sizzling Wells Resort.
In 2017, the land was bought by new house owners and discussions of revitalizing the magical resort happened, nevertheless, there was a battle over who owned the underground waters. No updates have been made since, however we are able to at all times hope!
4. White Sulphur Spring
LaSalle Parish
A narrative just like Sizzling Wells Resort–within the mid-1800s, a sulfur spring was found by Joseph P. Ward ten miles southwest of the small city of Jena, Louisiana.
Regardless of its rotten egg odor (a well known attribute of sulfur springs), the landmark was a preferred vacationer attraction earlier than the Civil Struggle attributable to its supposed therapeutic powers. The resort was recognized for its events, tremendous wines, dancing, reside music, and playing,
There have been resorts, a publish workplace, and different buildings surrounding this Louisiana pure spring. After the Civil Struggle, gaming was changed by family-friendly actions.
The resort’s final proprietor turned the spa right into a searching and fishing resort as a result of he didn’t like consuming. All the things was shut down after an inspector found contaminated water within the spring within the early 1900s.
This Louisiana pure spring’s solely remnants are a shallow pool close to a small gazebo (inbuilt 1916 and restored in 1976), picnic tables, and a roadside park.
When you select to go to the location of this historic Louisiana pure spring, you’ll nonetheless odor the foul, rotten egg odor, and also you’ll see an indication marking the spot of the never-forgotten resort.
5. Belle Cheney Springs
Evangeline Parish
One other central Louisiana historic resort web site, previously often known as Sarasota Springs, Belle Cheney Springs (typically spelled Chaney) was one of many state’s most praised resorts. The chilly pure springs in Louisiana had been positioned northwest of Turkey Creek.
The world’s oldest residents nonetheless bear in mind the resort, which was believed–like many different historic pure springs in Louisiana–to have curing powers. Individuals would journey from New York to wash within the water and have household picnics.
The resort was bought in 1853 and marketed as a resort that would come with spring water, reside music, and ballroom dances twice every week. Guests would take the Texas and Pacific or Morgan Railroad to come back to this pure spring in Louisiana.
Because the flip of the 20 th century got here, the resort began to wrestle, and new house owners tried to revive the resort, however sadly, nothing got here of their efforts.
Sadly, the Louisiana pure spring is dried up and overgrown with grass within the piney woods of northwest Turkey Creek. When you determine to seek for the historic pure spring, we suggest discovering an area who is aware of the realm to indicate you the place the outdated spring is positioned.
Southern Louisiana
6. Krotz Springs
Krotz Springs
The spring that impressed its city’s title, Krotz Springs, was found when Colonel Charles W. Krotz started drilling for oil in 1900. At 2,400 toes, he found an artesian properly with sturdy stress as an alternative of oil.
Colonel Kotz bottled the water and bragged that Kotz Spring was “The approaching well being resort of the South.” He fashioned the Krotz Springs Mineral Water Firm to market his artesian water, claiming the water ailed abdomen, kidney, and bowel bother.
He additionally claimed it might remedy rheumatism, would dissolve gallstones, and was a remedy for malaria. He touted it as “the best bathing water on this planet.”
A 1907 article within the St. Landry Clarion newspaper claimed, “It tastes just like the ‘morning after’ if you first get it.” At the moment, the water was solely bought by the pint, however it could later be bought in smaller bottles. By 1910, the water was out there in a number of shops throughout the nation.
The city grew, and Colonel Krotz took nice satisfaction in his village’s spring water.
Though Colonel Krotz envisioned the village to turn into a resort city, it was not meant to occur. The city continued to develop and would come with a college, Colonel Kotz struggled to see success in his enterprise endeavors.
The city of Krotz Springs is positioned on the banks of the Atchafalaya River. Though the precise web site of the unique Louisiana pure spring water isn’t marked, the Atchafalaya Nationwide Wildlife Refuge is a well-liked place to go to as a result of it’s a part of North America’s largest freshwater swamp system.
7. Tilly Springs
Beauregard Parish
A small pure spring in Louisiana off Don Plush Highway between DeRidder and Merryville, Tilly Springs sits 157 toes above sea degree. This pure spring is thought for being an awesome fishing spot, and anglers report catching largemouth and noticed bass at it.
Locals additionally like to gather consuming water from the spring, however no further info is on the market.
8. Abita Springs
Abita Springs
The city of Abita Springs is a suburb of New Orleans and was house to Native Individuals way back to 2,200 years in the past. The world was recognized for its fishing and pure spring water which made life on this space snug.
Early pioneers made this pure spring in Louisiana their house. Intensive testing was carried out on the water in 1887, revealing the spring water was stuffed with minerals with medicinal properties.
Abita Springs Lodge is newly renovated and the one present-day functioning resort remaining. A small non-public spring-fed pool sits within the pool that comes out at 5 gallons a minute.
In the present day, water is drawn from a deep aquifer in Southern Hills and a few spots lie 3,000 toes deep. The Abita Beer Brewing Firm sources the water used of their drinks from right here.
Guests to Abita Springs may entry the Louisiana pure spring water from a fountain within the city’s middle, positioned beside a central roundabout on LA 36 subsequent to a gazebo.
9. Denham Springs
Denham Springs
Based in 1826, this suburb of Baton Rouge’s mineral springs had been found within the late 1700s close to the Amite River, about one-half mile west of the present-day Downtown Vintage District.
It could be years earlier than the reportedly therapeutic mineral waters would appeal to vacationers looking for cures to numerous diseases.
Town was a Accomplice provide middle within the Civil Struggle. After the warfare, Denham Springs began a number of plantations and added a well being resort together with different companies. Within the early twentieth century, the city was finest recognized for its mineral springs.
Denham Springs has skilled vital development lately due to a rise in suburbanization, although it’s pleased with its wealthy historical past.
Town has a Historic District and a mural on the Outdated Metropolis Corridor depicts one of many resorts surrounding the springs within the 1800s (that, sadly, burned down through the Civil Struggle).
In 2018, the mayor of Denham Springs expressed curiosity in revitalizing the outdated pure springs in Louisiana and requested an LSU professor, Douglas Carlson, for help. The Advocate did a narrative in 2022 concerning the professor’s findings.
Carlson was capable of finding 5 springs or seeps within the metropolis’s Spring Park. An archaeological dig would should be carried out to definitively decide the place the outdated wells had been positioned–and this may seemingly value a number of 1000’s of {dollars}.
Wrapping up the Notable Pure Springs in Louisiana
Pure springs in Louisiana had been as soon as the speak of the city, and we’re hoping this publish will spark some discussions about these once-famed therapeutic waters.
Though chances are you’ll not be capable to bodily see all of the waters, visiting the websites and cities of their places is a good way to study extra about them from locals.
Searching for extra enjoyable issues to do on this state? See 19 of the very best locations to go tenting in Louisiana.
