Mineral Wells

For more than a century, Mineral Wells has been known as the best place in Texas to restore your body and refresh your soul. Lying just on the cusp of the Prairies and Lakes and Panhandle Plains regions, the city pairs beautiful, diverse geography with timeless heritage for an experience that’s stimulating in every sense of the word.

Mineral Wells became world-famous in the early 1900’s when word got out about its springs that produced waters that were said to cure all kinds of ailments. Movie stars, celebrities, and tourists from all over the world would come to stay at the famous Baker Hotel and relax at local mineral well-fed bathhouses, earning the city the nickname “the South’s greatest health resort.” Though currently closed, the Baker Hotel is undergoing renovations and will soon be ready to welcome guests. In the meantime, it is one of more than 60 sites designated with historic markers in Palo Pinto County. History fans won’t want to miss the Old Jail Museum Complex, where the 19th-century jail, log cabins, and fort provide a glimpse of what life was like for settlers before the city became a popular destination for travelers.

That magical water continues to be a draw today, and the best place to find it is at the Famous Mineral Water Company. Here you can sample and buy the legendary “Crazy Water No. 4,” the company’s most potent mineral water blend, or book a massage or mineral bath in The Crazy Bath House. You can even reserve a room there, although if round-the-clock pampering is what you’re looking for, you can’t go wrong staying at The Cliffs Resort on Possum Kingdom Lake. In addition to a spa, the resort offers a pool, dining areas, a challenging and gorgeous championship golf course, and incredible views of Possum Kingdom Lake.

Speaking of which, the lake is one of many fantastic outdoor venues in this area. Boasting 17,000 acres of clear blue H20, you can swim, paddle a kayak or canoe, fish, scuba dive, snorkel, and just about anything else you can think of. The lake is fed by the Brazos River, which provides of stretch of even more paddling and lovely scenery between the historic Possum Kingdom Masonry Arch Bridge and FM 4. The easiest way to explore it is to rent a boat from Rochelle’s Canoe Rental and let them give you a ride to and from the water. On the other side of town, Lake Mineral Wells State Park offers its own watery fun, plus rock climbing, hiking and biking on miles of trails, and Ranger Programs for your youngsters. 

As you can see, your itinerary will fill up fast while you’re here. Yet you’ll still need to make time to wander the rows of blooms at Clark Gardens Botanical Park, bag up some 300-million-year-old souvenirs at the Mineral Wells Fossil Park to take home, and tackle a mammoth chicken fried steak from Mary’s café in Strawn. Just don’t get so busy that you miss the beauty of slowing down and getting a new lease on life ... because that’s the beauty of Mineral Wells.