Saratoga Spa State Park

More European than American in feel, Saratoga Spa State Park (off S. Broadway/Rte. 9 just south of downtown, 518/584-2000, www.saratogaspastatepark.org [1], 8:30 a.m.–4:30p.m. Mon.–Fri., 8:30 a.m.–5:30p.m. Sat.–Sun., May–mid-Sept., 8:30 a.m.–4:30p.m. weekends and holidays only, late Sept.–October, parking $6) spreads out over 2,200 pristine acres, every one of which is meticulously planned.

At one end is the Avenue of the Pines, flanked with towering green-black trees. At the other, Loop Road leads past a half-dozen mineral springs, all of which have a different taste, depending on their mineral content.

In between are tennis courts, swimming pools, mineral baths, two golf courses, the Spa Little Theater, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center [2], and the Gideon Putnam Hotel, a grand Georgian affair built in the 1930s and an interesting spot to stop for a cup of tea.

Though no longer the drawing card they once were, the heart of the park remains its mineral baths. Near the Gideon Putnam are the Roosevelt Baths (518/226-4790, www.gideonputnam.com [3], 9 a.m.–7 p.m. daily, treatments $18–110). Newly renovated, the place includes a fitness center and private rooms and tubs, where clients relax in bubbling golden-brown waters, indulge in algae body wraps, and succumb to muscle-relief treatments.

Near the park’s center lies the regal Victoria Pool (10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily late June–early Sept., adults $6, children $3), embellished with colored tiles, romantic archways, and a small café. Even on the hottest days, the pool remains delightfully empty, partly because the park also boasts a second, larger pool—the Peerless Pool (10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily late June–early Sept., adults $3, children 5–12 $1.50), adjoined with diving and wading pools.

Nearby, Catherine’s in the Park (518/583-4657) is a good poolside lunch spot.