How to taste the mineral springs of Saratoga Springs

This guide is for anyone who wants to taste the mineral springs that gave Saratoga Springs its name, whether you have lived here for years and never tried them or you are in town for a weekend. It covers where the public springs are, what they taste like, how to plan a walking loop, and what to bring.

Why the springs matter

The springs are the reason Saratoga Springs exists. Visitors came for the water long before the racing, and 19th-century entrepreneurs dug wells and bottled the water for sale across the country. Overpumping drained the springs so badly that New York made them a state reservation in 1909, the beginning of what is now Saratoga Spa State Park. Today the public springs are free to drink from, and many locals fill jugs at their favorites.

What to bring

A little preparation makes the tasting better.

• Your own cup or a refillable bottle. The spring taps do not supply cups.
• A plan for the taste. Several springs are strongly salty and metallic, so start small.
• Comfortable shoes. The downtown springs are a walk, and the park springs are spread along trails.

Downtown springs

The downtown springs can all be reached on foot in an hour or two, starting at Congress Park.

Congress Park

Congress Spring, discovered in 1792, became the centerpiece of Congress Park and of the village that grew around it, and its bottled water was once the most famous of the Saratoga waters. It sits under the covered pavilion in the park at the south end of Broadway. Columbian Spring, once nicknamed the headache spring, is also in the park and is known for its iron content. Deer Park Spring, in a small cast-iron fountain, draws from a vein of the Congress Spring.

Hathorn No. 1

Hathorn Spring No. 1 is at the northeast corner of Putnam and Spring streets, a short walk from Congress Park. It is one of the strongest-tasting waters in the city, salty and mineral-heavy. Try it at least once.

High Rock Park

At High Rock Park on High Rock Avenue, several springs emerge from rock formations. High Rock Spring, across Maple Avenue from the Olde Bryan Inn, is the spring where, according to local history, the Mohawk brought an ailing Sir William Johnson in the 1700s. Governor Spring and Peerless Spring are nearby. The Saturday farmers market sets up in the High Rock pavilions from May through October, which makes a Saturday morning a good time for this part of the loop.

Springs in Saratoga Spa State Park

The park springs are more spread out. Drive or bike to the Geyser Creek area and walk from there.

Island Spouter and Orenda

The Island Spouter, known locally as the Geyser, sprays water up from a mound of hardened minerals. A short walk away, Orenda Spring spills over a large, rust-colored tufa deposit built from its own iron-rich overflow.

Hayes Well and nearby springs

Hayes Well Spring sits near the parking area for the Island Spouter. Discover Saratoga notes that some people breathe the gas venting from it to clear their sinuses. Polaris and Tallulah springs are on Geyser Loop Road; Polaris contains small amounts of radon gas and Tallulah is one of the milder waters.

State Seal and Hathorn No. 3

State Seal is the spring most people use for drinking water, and you will often see locals filling jugs there. Hathorn No. 3, also in the park, is highly mineralized and rich in magnesium.

A walking loop

For a first taste, this route covers the downtown springs in about two hours at an easy pace:

• Start at the Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitor Center at 297 Broadway, across from Congress Park, for a springs map.
• Cross into Congress Park for Congress, Columbian and Deer Park springs.
• Walk to Putnam and Spring streets for Hathorn No. 1.
• Head north on Putnam and Maple to High Rock Park for High Rock, Governor and Peerless.
• End with lunch on Phila Street or at Putnam Market, 431 Broadway.

A note on health claims

For two centuries people have claimed the waters cure digestive trouble, skin problems and more. Treat those claims as history, not medicine. The waters carry real minerals, sodium among them, so anyone watching salt intake should keep tastes small. Ask a doctor if you plan to drink the water regularly.

Good to know

For more, the visitor center produces self-guided walking tours, including one of Congress Park. Springs are occasionally shut off for maintenance.

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