Saratoga Springs Is Way More Than Upstate New York’s Version of the Hamptons

By Bruce Northam
Senior Writer

Saratoga County, just north of Albany, NY, and bounded by the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers, not only has a toehold in the Adirondacks, but it also has other charming small towns, outdoor splendor, and accommodations that are surely memorable.

After a walk on the wild side through this multihued, growing part of upstate New York, we did dive into legendary Saratoga Springs finest, and I’m not just talking about the racetrack!

Up North

A huge part of Saratoga County’s charm is its reach down into the Hudson River and up into its corner of the Adirondacks. We debuted there on the right track via Revolution Rail’s Hadley Run in Hadley, NY.

Your pedal power propels a group of two—or four-person railbikes along a six-mile out-and-back adventure that is mostly flat, repurposed railway and crosses over a spectacular 500-foot-long and 90-foot-high bridge above the confluence of the Hudson and Sacandaga Rivers.

The recumbent-style cruise along the historic Saratoga to North Creek line in mini, lightweight pedal machines is both exercise and contemplation.

Woodsy Chance

It’s also a woodsy chance to communicate with a pal like the old days or imagine how difficult life was when this logging and tourism railway was built in 1871.

Midway through the ride, the group takes a break while one of the guides narrates a medley of local entertainment and education.

All that pedaling will give you an appetite. Nearby, in rustic Corinth, NY, the Vested Veterans Grill has a dreamy fried chicken sandwich.

This hearty establishment offers a 10-percent discount to first responders, firemen, law enforcement, and veterans. If you play your cards right, your all-knowing server waiter might share some local wisdom—and gossip!

A dirt road just beyond “downtown” Corinth led us to our Camp Hudson Pines’s Acorn, a tiny wooden cabin perched alongside the Hudson River. Its 40-acre campus includes a range of accommodations from big houses to airstreams to tents.

There are also hiking trails and a heated pool, but don’t forget about that grand river for swimming, fishing, or kayaking.

It’s a nice place to relax and take in all things Hudson River. You’ll even see passing water-skiers.

A short drive for dinner led us to Tinney’s Tavern (Est. 1952) in rustic Middle Grove, NY, where you can roll back to a time before cell phones and social media stole people’s brains.

Adjacent to Lake Desolation, this humble country-rockin joint enjoys savage local loyalty that keeps coming back for the Faroe Island Salmon and premium reserve pork-flat iron. Both gnarly beef-burger folks and vegans are accommodated. Before or after enjoying this iconic restaurant and bar, take a charming lakeside stroll.

There are day trips, and then there are truly historic American road trips made easy. This journey back to 1777 is free! The Saratoga National Historical Park in Stillwater, NY, is an amazing 10-mile self-guided driving tour with an option for an audio guide downloaded to your phone.

Key Battles Fought Here

Two key Revolutionary War battles were fought here, ending in an American victory that’s recognized as one of the most important in world history. This is where Benedict Arnold rose to maritime fame, shortly before becoming even more infamous as a traitor. The scenic 10-mile auto loop rambles through a patchwork of painting-like vistas, historically significant structures, monuments, and hiking trails.

The park is also biking and hiking-friendly. The Battlefield visitor center offers exhibits, films, a light map, and a gift shop. If this experience doesn’t turn you (back) into a patriot, well…

Ballston Spa, NY

Heading south on archetypal Route 9N from Corinth, you’ll arrive in Ballston Spa, NY, a fetching, bricky town known for antiquing and the no-doubt locally sourced Next Door Kitchen & Bar, which changes their menu based on what is available seasonally and regionally. The halibut chowder and their twist on Brussel sprouts are hits, but the shrimp and grits go the distance: buttery shrimp broth, creole sofrito, pickled pepper sauce, and scallions.

They’ve amassed an ultra-fun, friendly, and professional staff, too. Thei beverage menu showcases New York State breweries and distilleries. Only seven miles from Saratoga Springs yet a world away, Ballston Spa’s The Whistling Kettle is a tea room that’s fit for a queen without breaking the bank.

Saratoga Springs

Yeah, eventually you have to hit this eternally adored town, and for good reason. A historic constant is the mineral springs. People flocked to Saratoga Springs to drink the waters for health reasons in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Today, over 20 springs still flow and are open for visitors to sample these waters, renowned for their mineral content and natural carbonization.

Saratoga Springs, once considered sacred by Mohawk Indians for its magical waters, has seven historic districts. After booming in the 1800s as a rail destination, the proliferation of automobiles in the early 1900s sent Saratoga Springs into a steady decline until three things happened in the 1960s: the rebirth of Skidmore College, the completion of the Adirondack Northway, and Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).

Saratoga Spa State Park

Saratoga Spa State Park is a 2,380-acre marvel of classical architecture right on the edge of downtown. The sprawling grounds of this National Historic Landmark boast mineral springs, classical bath and spa houses, SPAC, and the Gideon Putnam hotel, our splendid digs for the second half of my assignment.

Established in 1935 as President Franklin Roosevelt’s visionary act to preserve this area, the Mineral Baths at Roosevelt Baths & Spa are an ultra-relaxing attraction. Here, you’ll bask in a private-room soak in a deep old-style bathtub full of Saratoga’s famous naturally effervescent underground-spring mineral water. The park also has a dog park, playground swings, and picnic tables.

A bit out of town and unrealized by most tourists is a fabulous place to dine on Saratoga Lake, Lago by Druthers, where you can arrive at this huge indoor-outdoor marina-style hangout by boat, car, or seaplane. Specialty pizzas, boneless wings, and handheld sandwiches aren’t the only thing done right here, it’s also a handsome brewery.

Live music and cornhole round out this destination’s entertainment appeal. After lunch, a drive through mile-away blissful horse-farm country will land you at the Kayak Shak in Fish Creek Marina, where they also rent paddle boards.

Many of downtown Saratoga Springs’s best attractions are free. Steps from Broadway, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market is as intriguing as entertaining. More than half of the stands are women-owned.

There’s a wide array of take-out food and grooving live music, and its adjacent to two famed, free-flowing springs. And, also right on the edge of downtown is Congress Park’s Saratoga Summer Concert Series; bring a blanket or lawn chair. (Sundays in July, Tuesdays in August)

National Racing Museum

Right across the street from this town’s summer-season beacon, the Saratoga Race Course, is the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. In the Steeplechase Gallery, one of many galleries, I learned that Steeplechase has its origins via 18th-century Ireland equine events where riders would race from town to town using church steeples, at the time the most visible point in each town, as starting and ending points.

You’ll be surrounded by storied works of fine art, trophies, historical artifacts, and endless aspects of this sport, from its most iconic moments and pageantry to what happens behind the scenes during a day at the races.

A soft leatherbound drinks list sets the mood at Boca Bistro, an old-world Spanish restaurant and tapas bar in a brick-and-wood farmhouse setting. Here, casual elegance meets gooey ham croquettes (serrano ham fritters, Manchego cheese). A veteran staff makes this authentic, vintage getaway tick—and smile.

The wait for their Paella de Marisco, a true seafood journey, is 45 minutes, which proves that it’s fresh and there’s no rush at this elevated hangout. The Shishito (pepper) margarita also dazzles.

Caffe Lena is America’s longest continuously operating folk-music coffeehouse, where there’s live music nearly every night. The Library of Congress calls it “An American Treasure.” We caught folksy Tom Chapin, Harry Chapin’s brother, at this legendary nonprofit club that offers merry beverages, house-made desserts, and organic coffee. Opened in 1960, the café helped launch many of America’s favorite songwriters, including Bob Dylan.

Be sure to grab lunch at 9 Miles East, a likable industrial warehouse setting where much of the organic farm-to-table menu comes from the owners’ farm, which is nine miles east of the restaurant. Dig into the real organic-flour sourdough pizza, a Thai summer salad, or shakshuka. Open for breakfast and dinner, too.

Consider taking a walk on the wild side, twice. Saratoga Springs Food Tours takes advantage of this beacon’s wealth of culinary resources to allow you to discover not only the cuisine but also the fascinating architecture, history, stories, and culture that make this area so special.

The company has forged relationships with many of Saratoga’s most interesting food establishments. These include the dripping-with-history Olde Bryan Inn, Saratoga Olive Oil Company, Saratoga Tea & Honey, Brasserie Benelux (hearty Euro-inspired comfort food and brew via owner/chef/author Armand Vanderstigchel), and the Walt Whitman-namesaked Whitman Brewing Company and Walt Cafe.

These delectable walking-tour tastings will transform you into an insider on where and how this town feasts. Another key walking tour stop is the previously noted Saratoga Farmers’ Market where nibbles and intros to key vendor personnel included Argyle Cheese Farmer and Nettle Meadow.

I own a walking tour company on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and can testify that these guides are the best in the business. Also, Haunted Saratoga Ghost Tours reveals the infamous ghosts and haunted locations of Saratoga via stories that have lived here for hundreds of years.

We upgraded from our tiny-house campsite to the famed Gideon Putnam Hotel, which is enveloped within the serenity of Saratoga Spa State Park. This 123-guestroom jewel has the feel of a classic golf country club resort, as it is indeed surrounded by a golf course. Big band and ’40s swing music set the mood in the lobby.

The views from inside show parkgoers casually strolling along curving paved paths in and out of the woods. The hotel’s version of classic hospitality was surely demonstrated by the varying shuttle van drivers that transport guests to and from their activities.

These driver-butler-concierges know everything about this historic good-times American city. It was named after one of Saratoga Springs’ first settlers and “founding father,” Gideon Putnam.

A few miles from downtown is The X-Files Preservation Collection and Collectibles, the world’s largest permanent collection of screen-used props, costumes, and set dressings from The X-Files TV series.

This collection is the culmination of years of hard work, research, and passion by owners Jim Thornton and Kelly Anthony.

Heather was a big fan of the show. I’d never seen one episode but still enjoyed the visit since ultra-disciple Thornton was a hoot and so was another guy who’d traveled from Poland just to visit this place!

Other musical highlights included catching two shows at SPAC, the sprawling 25,000-capacity amphitheater that is the official summer home of the New York City Ballet. The Doors performance here in 1968 opened the door to decades of rock shows, too. I saw Brit Floyd, an incomparable Pink Floyd cover band, and Sammy Hagar’s Best of All Worlds tour with Joe Satriani on guitar.

The day before my ultimate guitar hero Satriani hit the stage, we met on the street for a memorable chat. Before that show, I enjoyed dinner and drinks at The Pines, an expansive, multi-purpose beacon set amid the SPAC campus and overlooking its iconic amphitheater. Bands like the Grateful Dead, Phish, and the Dave Matthews Band call(ed) this place home, and have the recordings to prove it.

Saratoga Springs has certainly earned its reputation as an archetypal vacation destination. If this city of magical springwater can’t get the good life right, nowhere else can. It seems that most visitors to Saratoga County do similar things, solely in Saratoga Springs.

Consider reimagining this county as a whole, and you’ll reach different conclusions—fortunate ones. Get ready to enjoy all of it via Discover Saratoga. The author’s visit was sponsored but the opinions are his alone.