Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

May 24, 2011

Dan Keefe
518-486-1868

Public-Private Partnership Completes Renovation of Saratoga Spa State Park’s Geyer Springs Area

Regional Commission and Park Supporters Helped Restore the "Vale of Springs" for Park Centennial

(May 24, 2011 Saratoga Springs, NY...) New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) Commissioner Rose Harvey and members of the Saratoga-Capital Regional Parks Commission today celebrated the grand opening of the historic "Vale of Springs" at Saratoga Spa State Park. To recognize the 100th Anniversary of the park, the Saratoga-Capital Park Commission led a fundraising effort to secure $250,000 in donations and in-kind services to rehabilitate the area hosting the rare spouting mineral springs.

"This project is a perfect model of a public-private partnership," Commissioner Harvey said. "This community identified a need within the park and worked tirelessly with friends and supporters toward its completion. The involvement of local businesses in this project—who donated both money and in-kind services—is particularly inspiring and demonstrates just how special this park is to the surrounding community. I am tremendously grateful for the support and commitment to the park that made the project a reality."

"We are so appreciative to our community leaders who stepped forward to restore some of our springs to celebrate our 100th Anniversary of the Saratoga Spa Park," said Heather Mabee, Chair of the Saratoga-Capital Park Commission. "Without these extraordinary people, we would have had to close off a part of our park. Our deepest thank you, to all of our patrons and community leaders, who love our state parks and realize the importance of them."

"The Centennial Campaign to restore the historic Vale of Springs has been a wonderful success," said Steven Miller, Vice President of the Friends of Saratoga Spa State Park. "The pavilions, trails, and environs adjacent to the Hayes and Orenda Springs are the heart of our park. We thank those who contributed resources of all types for this restoration project and trust that the many visitors to this Park will enjoy and appreciate this scenic and historic area."

The mineral springs tour is one of the most popular educational programs offered at the park. The improvements will enhance the tour experience by:

• Creating a new mineral springs loop trail with interpretive signs along the way to help visitors understand the extraordinary history and natural features of the springs along Geyser Brook.
• Restoring the 1930s plazas and pavilions to accentuate the beauty of the landscape and allow visitors a new space to pause and take in the scene.
• Improving ADA accessibility to the Vale of Springs.

Complementing the volunteer project at the springs, recent capital improvements by the agency include updated pavilion/restroom complexes throughout the picnic area. Federal stimulus funding for environmental sustainability projects was secured to improve drainage and water quality along the Ferndell Trail, a beautiful hiking path linking the Geyser Brook to the Gideon Putnam Hotel and other park amenities.

A National Historic Landmark, the 2,200-acre Saratoga Spa State Park attracts nearly 2 million visitors a year. New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 178 state parks and 35 historic sites. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com.