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West Virginia was well-known for its springs and the resorts that built up around them. There are two types of springs. Mineral springs contain water with different dissolved salts. Thermal springs have warm water, sometimes up to 106 degrees Fahrenheit, because they come from deep underground where temperatures are higher.
The waters are classified based on what they contain. Saline has salts (like calcium and sodium). Sulfur has hydrogen sulfide, which smells like rotten eggs. Chalybeate contains iron.
People used to vacation at springs for their health. They believed the mineral and thermal waters could cure diseases by drinking them, bathing in them, or rubbing the water on themselves. Even if the cures didn't work, the clean mountain air and relaxation made many feel healthier.
Barger Springs was once a popular mineral spring resort located on the Big Bend of the Greenbrier River (Summers County). Before the Civil War, the original owner built log cabins and a store for hunters and trappers. In 1903, investors bought the...
Berkeley Springs, the seat of Morgan County, is famous for its natural hot mineral springs. The town was founded in 1776 and named Bath (after an English spa). While the official name is still Bath, the post office name is Berkeley Springs.The spr...
Blue Sulphur Springs, near Smoot (Greenbrier County), was a popular mineral spring resort for about 24 years (1834–1858). In 1834, the owner built a huge three-story brick hotel with 200 rooms, along with cottages and bathhouses. In the 1840s, he ...
Capon Springs Resort in Hampshire County is a 5,000-acre retreat known for its mineral springs. The resort opened in the 1700s, and its main hotel (Mountain House) was built in 1849. The Austin family bought the resort in 1932 and still manages it...
Mercer Healing Springs was a popular health resort located between Princeton and Athens (Mercer County) and known for its special spring water. The spring was discovered around the 1870s or 1880s. People believed the water had medicinal powers.The...
Minnehaha Springs is a small area in Pocahontas County, near Marlinton. It was named Minnehaha after a character in Henry Longfellow’s poem “The Song of Hiawatha.”In the early 1900s, people realized the local spring—with its constant temperature a...
Pence Springs is a community in Summers County, named after a mineral spring. The spring water is known for its strong sulfur smell and "rotten egg" taste.Long ago, wild animals (like buffalo) and prehistoric people visited the spring because of t...
Red Sulphur Springs, in southern Monroe County, was a popular mineral spring resort that operated from the 1820s until after World War I.The spring water is cool, emerging from the ground at 54 degrees Fahrenheit. It leaves a unique purplish-red d...
Rock Springs Park was a popular amusement park in Chester (Hancock County). The area, known for its cool springs, became a commercial park in May 1897. It was easy to get to because a new trolley line went directly to the entrance. At its peak, th...
Salt Sulphur Springs, near Union (Monroe County), was a popular health resort thanks to its mineral springs. The soothing spring waters were first discovered by European-Americans in 1805. By 1820, a stone bathhouse (still standing) and a large, e...
Shannondale Springs was a popular health spa located near Charles Town (Jefferson County) along the Shenandoah River. The resort opened in 1820 and quickly became a major gathering spot. During its peak (1840-1858), it attracted the political elit...
Sweet Springs, in eastern Monroe County, is the site of a historic mineral spring resort, known by European-Americans since the late 1700s.The spring water flows at 73 degrees Fahrenheit and was valued for its medicinal properties due to its iron ...
Webster Springs is the county seat of Webster County, located where the Back Fork meets the Elk River. The area was first known for its saline (salty) springs, which Indians and wildlife used. European-American settlers found the springs in 1782.P...
The town of White Sulphur Springs is named after its well-known mineral springs, which have a long history of supposedly having healing powers. The springs were first reported by European-Americans in 1778. People had heard that Indians believed t...
