8 Roadside Water Springs In Upstate NY

UPDATE 3/7/2024: Are these springs still around? Unlike when we were kids and drinking water from roadside springs was the best thing in the world, now many sources discourage us from doing so.

According to the New York State Department of Health - " By the time the spring reaches a collection point, it could have chemicals, bacteria, parasites and viruses in it that might make people sick. Waterborne organisms (Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and E. coli) can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea."

Original Article

I was reminiscing with a co-worker the other day and one of the things that came up in conversation was those roadside springs that our family used to go to from time to time to fill up jugs with cold, refreshing spring water.

I wondered if there were any still around, and couldn't remember exactly where we used to go for roadside spring water. So I made a call to my mother since she remembers almost everything.

Well, she didn't remember where we used to go to fill up jugs of spring water from the side of the road, but she did remember as a teen, passing by one all the time when she and her sister used to take a bicycle ride from her hometown of Addison, NY to Elkland, PA. That trip one way is 11 miles. I asked what would be so important to take that long a bike trip. She said "Boys." I jokingly asked her if PA boys were better than NY boys back in the 1940s, and she said "Yes." I refrained from asking any further questions.

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So, I called my sister, and she immediately had the answer. We used to visit a roadside spring between Addison and Woodhall, NY. I visited Google Maps Street View and found the pipe, but it looks like it has since been disconnected, although I can clearly see water on the side of the road. It looks like it's standing straight up and just to the right of it, is a roadside drain. You can see the picture above.

Another place I found that I'd forgotten about, is the New York State Fish Hatchery in Bath, NY. We used to visit the fish hatchery a lot when I was a kid. And according to Find A Spring website, it's still there. Both the spring and the fish hatchery.

I found a website where you can find a load of information about this roadside spring along with others in Central New York, including Lisle, NY through the Roadside Springs Info website UPDATE - the website doesn't seem to be active anymore. Check out these Upstate New York roadside springs that we found -- including a pretty famous one in Broome County.