Berkeley Springs State Park

About Berkeley Springs State Park

Berkeley Springs State Park is located in the center of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, and baths have been bubbling with water since the 1930s. Since then, thousands have enjoyed the warm mineral water flowing through the waterfalls and pools of the park, as well as the picturesque views of the mountain range.

Even before the first Europeans discovered the warm waters of Berkeley Springs, it was a famous health mecca that attracted Indians from Canada, the Great Lakes and the Carolinas over the St. Lawrence's Seaway. The first settlers, who arrived in the 1730s, learned from the Indians the use and value of the springs and began to transfer the benefits of these springs to the settlements in the east and around them. According to a report by the US Geological Survey, bathing at the source was popular even before George Washington's time.

Perhaps the most famous of these healing powers of Berkeley Springs was the 16-person election party that George Washington attended. For many years he visited the springs regularly, but it was mainly his efforts that helped to increase the reputation of the spring as a spa for the colony. In 1776 Lord Fairfax was transferred to the colony of Virginia, and shortly afterwards the property was offered for sale.

The prominent colonist who made his first purchase there, Sir Thomas Jefferson, was born in Berkeley Springs on the same day as his father-in-law, George Washington.

In 1776, inspired by their famous English counterparts, the General Assembly of Virginia established the City of Bath, established a Board of Trustees to govern the new city, and established Berkeley Springs State Park. James Rumsey, who later invented the first successful steamboat, was commissioned to build a wellness center on the site of the original Berkeley Spring, now the Berkeley Spa. The reputation of this spring has therefore firmly established it as a "spa," and it was officially founded as a spa by George Washington and his wife Martha Washington.

There are metal railings for safety and exercise, and you can share a private bathtub with someone of the same sex. Roman bath, heated to 102 degrees Celsius, is used for reading or simply relaxing, but there is no metal railing for using safety exercises.

Relax in a footbed made of mineral water heated to a maximum temperature of 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Footrests and pillows are available, the bath time is 15 minutes, with a massage for up to 10 minutes. If you also want the massage, bath time will also bebe 15-minutes, but without metal railings.

The Spa at Berkeley Springs State Park: The bath is open to the public every day from 9 am to 4 pm, with a maximum bathing time of 10 minutes.

The steam chamber is heated to 124 degrees and encloses body and head for eight minutes. Massages for women are on the women's side and massage technicians behave on the men's side. The massage equipment is trained and guided, and sensitive areas are always completely draped during the massage.

A bath and massage package may include a steam treatment, or another option is a powder shower followed by a treatment. This treatment uses a standard heat lamp and is particularly good for people with dry skin, and it can be followed with a shower.

Reservations require a full prepayment and credit card guarantee. If your reservation is cancelled within 24 hours of the scheduled date, you will be refunded the full amount. If your reservations are cancelled less than 24 hours before the date, you can receive a refund.

Berkeley Springs State Park, one of the largest state parks in the United States, is located in the Eastern Panhandle, West Virginia, about 30 miles south of Charleston, W.Va.

The park can be reached by taking US 522 north from Winchester, VA, and traveling 34 miles to the park. The WV-9 provides easy access to Berkeley Springs State Park in Charleston, W.Va., and US-522 will take you north to Winchester, VA.