I took this picture of the spring at Whiskey Hollow in April 2011. My family lives around the area and members of my family still fill up their own bottles every week just as my parents did when I was a child. As a matter of fact, I was there on this particular day because I gave my 78 year old father a ride to fill up his bottles for the week. My father was diagnosed with lung cancer in January 2011 and passed away on 1 September 2011. He was a heavy smoker all of his life. We suspect that he had the cancer as far back as early 2010 but he did not see a doctor until January 2011. He was very active until the last 2 months of his life and never took prescribed medications until those last 2 months. He always told me that his own parents would go to this spring and obtain their water. My mother’s parents did as well. It is neverending and a beautiful area. I have no doubt that this special spring helped my father to remain very active while living with lung cancer. The area at Whiskey Hollow….so named because the legend is that there was a bootleg distillery way back in the early 1900’s…..is a beautiful area but yes, a bit isolated and “spooky”. Be careful on the road as well because it is quite a bit of a drop over cliffs if you miss a turn.
I have been drinking this water for over 20 years and have never had any problems.My husbands family has been drinking this water for over 60years and have never gotten sick from it either.Tap water can not compare to Whiskey Hollow water!
I have been drinking spring water all of my life. Recently, I moved from upstate NY to CNY and thought I would give this spring a try yesterday on a Sunday afternoon. It was a bad mistake. As noted in the previous comments, road is narrow, steep, no guard rails and snow covered. There were vehicles parked on both sides with no sense of order. I thought I was going to get spring water, not to a rock concert. We went up the road did a 5 point turn and went back home with our empty containers. The place is treacherous. The people unkind. Mark the date that I have submitted this post. This place is an accident waiting to happen any time of the year. The saddest part of all, is that the people created site with good intentions. I do know of better springs that are not on here. I will not submit any of them to findapring, as I would not want to see them go the way this one has. My advice to anyone that knows of less traveled springs, do yourself & the spring a favor, and keep them to yourself.
I have been getting water from this spring for the last 6 months, and I find it to be good. I am planning on sending some samples of it in with the free water evaluation that Home Depot does. I will post the results. But my family has had no ill side effects from its use. And we intend to keep using it. I have seen signs posted that the road leading up to it is not maintained. I would like to say a heart thank you to who ever has been plowing this road over the past few snow storms. Please keep up the good work.
My family has never boiled or done anything to the water before drinking it. My family has been drinking this water for over 100 years with no health issues that I am aware of. My immediate family still obtains this water every week for their drinking water supply. I drank the water when I was growing up and continue to drink it when visiting family. I do not live in the State or I would drink it every week.
06 Apr 2012
I found the spring easily with the directions provided. The spring is on the north side of the road 1/3 of a mile from W. Dead Creek Rd. There are pull offs on both sides of the road at the spring outlet. There was another gentleman there filling jugs when I arrived. The water tastes sweet.
Does anyone know if this water has been reliably tested recently? We called the county health department and all they could say was that they tested it some years ago (1998) and that they don’t recommend it for drinking
690W/N to Baldwinsville, NY……..Take the 1st Exit for Baldwinsville (Rt. 31)……..Left at the bottom of the ramp onto Downer Street/County Rd. 272/Kingdom Rd……..go several miles and make Left onto E. Dead Creek Rd………go several more miles past Connors Rd. and then Right onto Whiskey Hollow Rd.
Once on Whiskey Hollow Rd. it is about halfway down the road on the Right. When you leave the spring and continue on Whiskey Hollow Rd……go to the end and make a Right onto Perry Rd……..then Right onto Connors Rd…….then Left onto E. Dead Creek Rd. and back to Downer Street/County Rd.272/Kingdom Rd.
Just a few more photos of the area which I took in April of 2011. This is the road through Whiskey Hollow. There are deep ravines on the sides of the road and no guardrails. I wouldn’t recommend going there in the late fall because people do hunt in this area. There is a deep cave off to the left and up the hill if you are facing the spring. I don’t think the spring should be listed as Memphis, NY because it is actually right outside of Baldwinsville, NY.
This place is great. My family used to fill up jugs there for a week’s worth at a time. There is a pipe near the road, just fill up. Be careful though, it is spooky, desolate, and only go during the day.
I was at the spring yesterday and after wondering around the ponds I spotted the sheriff driving by and I asked for directions to the spring. He informed me that it was farther on the left. As I arrived I saw three other people filling up. The flow is steady and filling up a 5-gal jug took about 2 min. The water is refreshingly cold and tastes very good. I measured the TDS count with my meter and the result was 212. It seemed higher than I thought it would be. The lower the TDS count the better(less inorganic compounds). The tap water in my home measures 151, so for a spring water to be above that # is a little puzzling.
Drinking pure spring water is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Our bodies are over 99% water at the molecular level, so water affects every aspect of our biology. Yet, not all water is created equal. Almost all the bottled spring water available is pasteurized for shelf stability, which neutralizes many of the powerful health benefits such as increased hydrogen, healthy probiotics, and crystalline structure. For more about why unprocessed spring water is the best water to drink, read this.
The best way to guarantee you are getting real unprocessed spring water is to collect it yourself. This is a short and simple guide filled with information about how to gather spring water. We will cover how to find a spring, how to collect the water, how to honor the spring, how to store the water properly and other tips.
FindASpring.org is the best resource for locating a spring near you. However, not all springs are on the map. First, check the map to see if there is a spring in your local area. If there is, look at the reviews and comments. Has anyone shared helpful information about flow rate or posted a water test result? Is the spring in a pristine area? Do a bit of research and make sure the spring is safe to drink from. If you have any doubt about the purity, don’t risk it and get a water test, HERE. If you don’t see a spring on the map in your area, there still might be some that aren’t listed yet. First, ask the older generation who have lived in your area a long time if they know. You can also ask people in your community who might already get spring water such as people at a health food store or at a farmers market. Another great option is to view A US forest service map, where many springs have been marked. You can view these maps through the Gaia GPS or All Trails hiking apps on your phone. The map overlay you want is USGS Topo. Not all are easily accessible or ideal for drinking, but some are and it can be a fun adventure to find them. We have found over half a dozen great springs this way.
Once you’ve found your spring, figure out how you are going to gather the water. Is it right on the side of the road and easy to access or do you have to hike to it? We recommend storing spring water in glass instead of plastic to preserve the purity of the water. It is better for the environment, your body, and the water. Even BPA free plastic has toxic chemicals that can leach into water and cause health issues. If you do want to use plastic for safety reasons when filling at the spring, we recommend transferring the water to glass as soon as possible. FindASpring is sponsored by Alive Waters, which offers beautiful reusable glass. They have a 2.5 gallon option, which is a convenient size for carrying that isn’t too heavy. They also sell handles that you can use to transport the jugs even more easily. If you have to hike to access the spring, we recommend putting the water jugs into an extra large backpack to hike the water out with ease. We use Osprey packs that hold 2 jugs each. You can also use a wheelbarrow or even a stroller depending on how easy a walk it is.
When you get to the spring, remember to first give back before you take. Springs are considered sacred in indigenous cultures around the world for their life giving water and also as a connection to the inner earth. A powerful and simple way to give back is to clean up. Is there any trash that needs to be collected? Could you move any dead leaves or sticks to improve the flow rate? Show up in service. Some other wonderful ways to give is with a moment of expressing verbal gratitude, singing songs to the water, offering the water an ethically sourced crystal, a feather, or some other physical gift. Flowers are a popular and beautiful thing to offer, but please be careful to source organic ones as most flowers from the store are sprayed with pesticides and can be toxic to put near a spring. Also, flowers can attract bugs as they decay, so it can be best to offer them to the flowing water directly or a little downstream from the spring head.
When gathering the water, fill the jug as close to the spring head as possible, never gather downstream. Be very careful as wet glass is extremely slippery. Make sure the lid is securely fastened. When transporting the spring water home, the jugs can sometimes slide around the car. Secure them in place or wrap them with towels or something so they don’t crash into each other.
How you store your spring water is essential. It is not pasteurized like spring water from the store, so it will start growing algae if left in direct sunlight. This is good because it means it’s alive! If the water you drink can’t even support the most basic life forms, how do you think it will support your body? Store your water in a cool, dark place such as a dark corner, pantry or closet. The fridge is ideal if you have room. Some people prefer to filter their water through a Berkey filter before drinking, but if the spring is pure, it’s not necessary. We drink our spring water completely unfiltered.
How long the water stays good for depends on how cold a temperature it’s stored at. Spring water is best fresh. We personally do not prefer to drink spring water past 2 weeks old. However, we know other people that will drink it at a month old. It’s great to get in a rhythm where you know how long the water lasts you and put your collection day on the calendar in advance.
I believe that water is calling us to reconnect with her in the deepest way, to gather our own water. Just like our ancestors did. Our ancestors didn’t have fancy water machines. They also didn’t create villages or settle where there was no water. Water was revered as the center of the community and the nodal point around which life could spiral out and take root.
Here’s to restoring the sacred connection with the waters of life.
Written by Dakota Chanel. Water Priestess and Ceremonialist. DakotaChanel.com
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Whiskey Hollow Spring, Memphis, NY
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I took this picture of the spring at Whiskey Hollow in April 2011. My family lives around the area and members of my family still fill up their own bottles every week just as my parents did when I was a child. As a matter of fact, I was there on this particular day because I gave my 78 year old father a ride to fill up his bottles for the week. My father was diagnosed with lung cancer in January 2011 and passed away on 1 September 2011. He was a heavy smoker all of his life. We suspect that he had the cancer as far back as early 2010 but he did not see a doctor until January 2011. He was very active until the last 2 months of his life and never took prescribed medications until those last 2 months. He always told me that his own parents would go to this spring and obtain their water. My mother’s parents did as well. It is neverending and a beautiful area. I have no doubt that this special spring helped my father to remain very active while living with lung cancer. The area at Whiskey Hollow….so named because the legend is that there was a bootleg distillery way back in the early 1900’s…..is a beautiful area but yes, a bit isolated and “spooky”. Be careful on the road as well because it is quite a bit of a drop over cliffs if you miss a turn.
I have been drinking this water for over 20 years and have never had any problems.My husbands family has been drinking this water for over 60years and have never gotten sick from it either.Tap water can not compare to Whiskey Hollow water!
I have been drinking spring water all of my life. Recently, I moved from upstate NY to CNY and thought I would give this spring a try yesterday on a Sunday afternoon. It was a bad mistake. As noted in the previous comments, road is narrow, steep, no guard rails and snow covered. There were vehicles parked on both sides with no sense of order. I thought I was going to get spring water, not to a rock concert. We went up the road did a 5 point turn and went back home with our empty containers. The place is treacherous. The people unkind. Mark the date that I have submitted this post. This place is an accident waiting to happen any time of the year. The saddest part of all, is that the people created site with good intentions. I do know of better springs that are not on here. I will not submit any of them to findapring, as I would not want to see them go the way this one has. My advice to anyone that knows of less traveled springs, do yourself & the spring a favor, and keep them to yourself.
I have been getting water from this spring for the last 6 months, and I find it to be good. I am planning on sending some samples of it in with the free water evaluation that Home Depot does. I will post the results. But my family has had no ill side effects from its use. And we intend to keep using it. I have seen signs posted that the road leading up to it is not maintained. I would like to say a heart thank you to who ever has been plowing this road over the past few snow storms. Please keep up the good work.
Did you test the water? What were the results?
Did you get the results from Home Depot?? Very curious!
My family has never boiled or done anything to the water before drinking it. My family has been drinking this water for over 100 years with no health issues that I am aware of. My immediate family still obtains this water every week for their drinking water supply. I drank the water when I was growing up and continue to drink it when visiting family. I do not live in the State or I would drink it every week.
The local authorities close the road at night due to trouble makers and the areas “reputation”.
06 Apr 2012
I found the spring easily with the directions provided. The spring is on the north side of the road 1/3 of a mile from W. Dead Creek Rd. There are pull offs on both sides of the road at the spring outlet. There was another gentleman there filling jugs when I arrived. The water tastes sweet.
Does anyone know if this water has been reliably tested recently? We called the county health department and all they could say was that they tested it some years ago (1998) and that they don’t recommend it for drinking
On a second phone call to the county they said that the earlier test showed high levels of iron.
Do you do anything to the water before drinking??
Directions: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=baldwinsville+ny&gs_sm=c&gs_upl=2541l4549l0l6721l13l8l0l4l4l2l261l1733l0.3.5l12l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1024&bih=582&wrapid=tlif132285118778810&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
690W/N to Baldwinsville, NY……..Take the 1st Exit for Baldwinsville (Rt. 31)……..Left at the bottom of the ramp onto Downer Street/County Rd. 272/Kingdom Rd……..go several miles and make Left onto E. Dead Creek Rd………go several more miles past Connors Rd. and then Right onto Whiskey Hollow Rd.
Once on Whiskey Hollow Rd. it is about halfway down the road on the Right. When you leave the spring and continue on Whiskey Hollow Rd……go to the end and make a Right onto Perry Rd……..then Right onto Connors Rd…….then Left onto E. Dead Creek Rd. and back to Downer Street/County Rd.272/Kingdom Rd.
Just a few more photos of the area which I took in April of 2011. This is the road through Whiskey Hollow. There are deep ravines on the sides of the road and no guardrails. I wouldn’t recommend going there in the late fall because people do hunt in this area. There is a deep cave off to the left and up the hill if you are facing the spring. I don’t think the spring should be listed as Memphis, NY because it is actually right outside of Baldwinsville, NY.
This place is great. My family used to fill up jugs there for a week’s worth at a time. There is a pipe near the road, just fill up. Be careful though, it is spooky, desolate, and only go during the day.
Is there an easy way to locate where it is?
Just made my first trip out there — it’s a bit hard to find, even with a GPS, but don’t be deterred! It’s worth the trip!
I was at the spring yesterday and after wondering around the ponds I spotted the sheriff driving by and I asked for directions to the spring. He informed me that it was farther on the left. As I arrived I saw three other people filling up. The flow is steady and filling up a 5-gal jug took about 2 min. The water is refreshingly cold and tastes very good. I measured the TDS count with my meter and the result was 212. It seemed higher than I thought it would be. The lower the TDS count the better(less inorganic compounds). The tap water in my home measures 151, so for a spring water to be above that # is a little puzzling.