Hot Springs National Park

Breathtakingly beautiful. Absolutely loved ever second being there. The trails are rough, especially if your not use to mountain hiking, so be prepared to have extra water, excellent shoes and pack and dress light.

A Unique and Historic National Park Experience Right in the Heart of Town! Hot Springs National Park is truly one-of-a-kind! Unlike most national parks, this one is set right in the middle of a vibrant urban area, surrounded by charming shops, great restaurants, and a rich sense of history that you can feel as you walk down Bathhouse Row. It’s amazing to explore a place that many consider to be America’s first national park, even predating the official park system. It’s a piece of history that doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves, but absolutely should. The old bathhouses, natural hot springs, and scenic trails on the surrounding hills make for a fascinating and relaxing visit. Whether you're into history, hiking, or just soaking in the atmosphere (literally!), this park offers something for everyone. Definitely worth a stop — or even a weekend getaway!

Hot Springs National Park was such a peaceful experience. I loved walking the Grand Promenade, and the natural hot water pools were so relaxing. The downtown market was really good with lots of local stuff, and the duck boat ride was super fun!

Pretty neat how the city runs through this hidden gem of a national treasure. The bathhouses are neat to appreciate. The downtown area is nice & quaint w/ plenty of shops, boutiques, & good restaurants. Always something for everyone to enjoy.

It was a wonderful quaint place with a beautiful view. The National Park is right in the middle of town. The entire area has sort of an old timey vibe. The pathways are wonderful, and quite challenging at the same time. The entire area has a beautiful and wonderfully rustic atmosphere. I highly recommend coming here while visiting Arkansas.

Hot Springs National Park is an absolute treasure! The combination of natural hot springs, historic bathhouses, and scenic hiking trails makes this a unique and relaxing destination. I loved walking along Bathhouse Row — the architecture is gorgeous and the history behind each building is fascinating. I took a soak at the Quapaw Baths and it was incredibly soothing after a day of hiking. The trails around the park are well-maintained and offer beautiful views of the surrounding Ouachita Mountains. I especially enjoyed the Sunset Trail and the Grand Promenade — perfect for an afternoon walk. The town itself blends seamlessly with the park, giving it a cozy, small-town charm with great shops, restaurants, and friendly locals. Parking was easy, and everything was within walking distance. Whether you’re into history, hiking, or just want to relax in naturally heated spring water, Hot Springs National Park is well worth the visit!

Smaller different kind of National Park. All about the history of the area with some tours and history and Architecture to explore. Still some decent hiking into the surrounding foothills and a good view from the top of the Parks tower, worth a quick half day stop to see most everything around.

This is a small National Park with some good hiking trails. The Mountain Tower and the Bathhouse Emporium Row are fun to see. President Clinton grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I recommend visiting the Hot Springs National Park.

Hot Springs is probably the most unique national park in the country. It's not what you think of when you think of a national park: typically, vast areas of nature, mountains, forests, desert landscapes, etc. That's not the case with Hot Springs National Park. First, it's the second smallest national park in the country. Second, this national park is an urban park that was built around the city center. Bathhouse Row -- eight buildings constructed between 1892 and 1923 -- are located in the center of Hot Springs National Park. The park was built around previously established establishments, so the city is basically the national park, if that makes sense. Thermal water has been bubbling from the land for more than 4,000 years. It's the centerpiece of the area, and cherished and revered by the community and visitors alike. Visiting Hot Springs National Park means experiencing the water in many ways. You can visit a spa on Bathhouse Row for a soak -- either Buckstaff Bathhouse for a traditional bathhouse experience, or the Quapaw Baths & Spa for more modern spa services. Outdoor public bathing isn't allowed in Hot Springs, so you gotta go to a spa or a hotel with private baths. You're also welcome to "drink the elixir" from the many public thermal springs fountains all around Hot Springs. The water is free, but you will need your own cup or a jug to fill up. The water is surprisingly: around 143 degrees Fahrenheit. I got some water from one of the fountains, and it was like drinking a cup of tea (without the tea). There are also three public places where you can touch the water, even though you can't get in it. These places are the Display Spring behind the Maurice Bathhouse; Hot Water Cascade at Arlington Lawn; and the Fordyce Fountains near the Hot Springs National Park visitor's center. Because Hot Springs National Park is an urban park, there are lots of restaurants and shops all around. There's a visitor's center with an informative museum that's free to visit (and you must visit!). This is the national park for people who like nature in theory, but are indoorsy people at heart. It's like visiting a cute town that's actually a national landmark.

Not your typical National Park but still worth a visit. We really enjoyed the excellent museum at the visitor center. It did a nice job of painting a picture of what it was like in the golden era of the bathhouses in Hot Springs. The displays were well done. Just walking the main drag and looking at the restored bathhouses was interesting, We did not do any hiking of the trails above town since we had limited time but there were many options to get more of the normal National Park nature experience. Don't forget to bring some empty jugs to fill up on the cooler spring water from the taps in town.

Hot Springs National Park is okay. It's no Smokey Mountain Park but it's better than the St Louis Arch (honestly who made that a national park). It's a small park but I am glad we have something in the mid-west. There is some elevation in the park and Sunset Trail is their longest. We saw woodpeckers which was great and saw maybe 5 other people total.

Very cool ! Nicely landscaped , somewhat easy of a walk . Nice to stroll down after dinner and walk the dog

Ok if I am being completely truthful, this park is a little underwhelming when you compare it to other national parks, but it is quite unique and historical. The Forsythe bathhouse is a great place to start and the museum is a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. It gives you a glimpse of life at the turn of the 20th century, how some health practices have evolved (such as physical therapy), and even race and class politics surrounding the park. We walked along the grand promenade which was really nice. There is a cute little main street with shops and restaurants and several bathhouses where you can soak. We didn't have time to get on the hiking trails, but they looked pretty!

Soo many dilapidated buildings. The bath houses are no longer functional- except one and it smelled like a bottle of chlorine. I'm sure this place was amazing in its hay day but now not so much.

Beautiful hiking trails behind the bath houses. Initial ascent is straight up 12-15 grade. You'll huff and puff but once you level out the rest is up and down and much easier all the while in the shade. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Great map of trails can be obtained in Fortice Bath and museum. Take plenty of water. Went up, came down to get other hiking poles and back up. Definitely worth the climb to see the beautiful trees and foliage changing colors to fall. Definitely do this and you won't be disappointed.

Recommend this National Park located in downtown. The visitor center staff were very helpful.

One of the most unique national parks I've visited! Bathhouse row is spectacular. With most of the buildings in use you can see the inside of all of them to some capacity. Make sure to visit both the Gift Shop and the Visitor Center as they are both in separate bathhouses and provide completely different things. Book a spa day at either Buckhorn or Quapaw. I went with the latter since their packages best suited my time constraints and I was able to get a short yet phenomenal massage for only $110.00 (Mountain Dream Package at Quapaw). I also highly recommend taking the Hot Springs Scenic Drive (only about 3 miles round trip) and take a short trip up the Mountain Tower ($10.00). You can get a phenomenal view of the bathhouses from above and survey the gorgeous landscape of the entire area. Totally worth it, unless you're afraid of heights then you can skip this. :)

Such an interesting National Park! I love how there's an idyllic town built around the park itself, it gives you access to both outdoor space and small town shops and restaurants. The park is very accessible, with a variety of trails that range from casual strolls to more intense inclines. Hot Springs Mountain Tower is a nice way to get 360 views of the park and the surrounding town, definitely worth a ticket to go up to the top. The bathhouses in town are also part of the appeal, it's interesting to see how the hot water from the springs was put to use for recreational and medicinal purposes. Overall, a really beautiful park with plenty to explore. Well worth the visit!

Very well kept area, peaceful surroundings, great historical area and Mountain View's. This area is growing on the tourist side quickly but there are still many hidden gems of areas if you get away from downtown. Wonderful national park

An unexpected urban national park with history, modern day shops and hiking trails. Can be difficult to find/navigate for a first time visitor, so make sure and hit up a Visitor Center and talk to an employee about how to go about navigating the Hot Springs area. The Good: There is so much to do at Hot Springs National Park! It's a little confusing at first so like I mentioned, go to a visitor center (there's at least two I saw) and get some info. Lots of bathhouses with amazing architecture to visit, one is for couples and you need a reservation. The others seem to be like you can just wait your turn. I can't speak to much as I was with my family and came for the hikes! The hiking trails were amazing! Lots are traversable with kids and older folks alike. Even ones with bad knees can walk around these trails with out too much trouble. Lots of little shops and restaurants to visit as well. The Bad: The address I input to get there, including using Yelp!, took me to not any actual parking lot but some f federal building. The Parking is also real tight, they have paid meters, .25¢ for 30 minutes. The Ugly: The route I put in on GoogleMaps took me to some backwoods, Wrong Turn road that felt waaay wrong turn. Overall, Hot Springs National Park, and the city of Hot Springs offered so much to do and my family and I enjoyed our first trip to Arkansas. Will be visiting again.

We really enjoyed this part of Hot Springs. Really the Park and downtown area is the only part we really wanted to be at. We camped a state park and came here for the day. We had a great time. The museum was amazing! The gift shop was cool that you could get a drink of the spring water for you and your dogs. They even have a thing for Dogs called a Bark Ranger. Super nice staff. The outside areas are really nice with a couple of the hot springs accessible. A great time was had by my whole family.

We stopped in here pretty early when it was still dark but it was a fun walk nonetheless. We entered around the bathhouses and went up the stairs. The fountains in the beginning are actually hot which was pretty neat. There was also a sample spring that was left in its natural state. There are many trails that we saw and there are many stairways that have uneven stairs so it's easy to trip so be careful. There's a path that leads to the old hospital that's all locked up but it's a neat photo op. Parking was strange. We had to park on the street in the 2-hour parking area. Not sure if there was other parking but we didn't stay too long.

I struggled with this review, whether to rate it a 4 or a 5. Hot springs is the second smallest national park after the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. The springs are fascinating--they run at 143 degrees Fahrenheit, are beautiful, and unique. A lot of history to learn along the way. I'm glad I came here, because where else would you find this?! Bathhouse row is very interesting, especially Fordyce Bath House. There are several display springs and informational billboards. That being said, it's very touristy. Almost like the Gatlinburg of Arkansas. Wax museums, gimmicky shops. I think it's the only National park built around a town (or the other way around). The main street is very busy, and there is so much traffic--somehow it's louder than New York City. Lots of little shops, if you're into that kind of thing. Free parking garage if you can find a place, otherwise a lot of paid lots. A lot do restaurants within a half mile walk. I stayed at the Hilton Waters Hot Springs (reviewed separately), in the middle of it all. Worth a day or two.

The oldest & the smallest National Park in the U.S. ladies & gentlemen! Google it. The park is much different than any other park due to it being right smack in the middle of the town. It also stands out not only because of its thermal fountains but with its uniqueness of having the ability to take a hike, do some shopping, drink, sight see and much more! you can also enjoy bathhouse row where you can legit enjoy a day to soak in the water just like they did back in the late 19th and early 20th century! It is said that the waters are medicinal. You also have Fordyce Bathhouse which is now a museum and the visitor center as well! A must stop if you're in the area. There is an additional visitor center/souvenir store as well right in the corner. I suggest you do some shopping in the tower for souvenirs since they have way more items there. Entrance is $10 for the tower and there is a nice unpaved steep trail that can take you there (less than a mile hike). Or you can cheat like many others and drive up to the tower. So choose your poison. The trails aren't marked very well so I suggest you grab yourself a map from the visitor center just in case.

The whole town is basically the National Park! This is a great day trip from Little Rock or a nice place to spend a relaxing weekend. The town of Hot Springs used to be the destination for European style mineral bathhouses and now only two are open. The rest have been turned into historical preserved areas and given National Park status. Start at Fordyce Bathhouse to get the picture of how the spas operated in the early 1900s, then make your way through the town, stopping at the hot spring pools here and there. You can also try to get in to the Quapaw Baths, which are first come first serve. We weren't able to get a spot that day but I am sure it's relaxing. There is no entrance fee for this National Park but you do have to pay at the spa for services. Glad to have checked this one off my National Park list, making it my 35th park visited.

Beautiful area to walk along and see some of the springs and the city. The path is wide for all the visitors and walkers. We found nearby parking. It was .60 or .70 cents for 2 hours. There's also free parking in a garage behind the main drag of the business district. We used it a few times while here. It's conveniently located.

My wife and I spent some time here on a road trip a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it. Bathhouse Row was really cool and the views from the observation tower were amazing! The only reason I'm saying 4 stars instead of 5 is because I'm one of those people that's unsure of it being National Park status. It's worth of being a National Historical Park, but to me...a National Park should be purely natural wonder, not man-made. I believe the same about Gateway Arch as well. It's still a great experience and worth a visit. It's definitely worth booking an experience at one of the bathhouses too

I've become a national park fanatic, and knowing that I was going to visit one of the most urban U.S national parks had me excited! First off, it's important to not have any expectations of extravagant hikes, giant mountains or breathtaking landscape. This park is very unique by being right in the town of Hot Springs, where the whole area is practically the park. It's incredibly fascinating to see different spots with the hot springs water, even people unloading large jugs out of their cars just to get some for themselves (Yes, it is free to anyone!) Walking down Bathhouse Row feels like traveling back 100 years ago and the strip of buildings are beautiful. You can even visit one for yourself and relax in one of their hot baths. When it comes to the hiking and nature side of it, we came in not having a huge interest for it. It's not a lot, but a couple miles of hiking will get you up to the top for some nice views. Or, you can cheat like us and drive up there. If you've seen the infamous tower, that is up there as well and can get you even better views for about 10 bucks. There are quite a bit of small trails though, if you are itching to explore the outdoors there. Hot Springs NP is pretty underrated, in my opinion. While it's not the most famous or out-of-this-world park, it still holds so much history and is very unique on its own.

Nice little hike through the woods and pretty good views overlooking Hot Springs. Pretty and quick drive through as well.

Love every thing about this place! The mountain tower is awesome! The museums are great and the gift shop Is cool! Take a walk down the promenade!! All water at the National Park is free...bring your own container! Neat piece of history. Prepare to walk ALOT!

Hot Springs is a great park to visit. There is an incredible amount of history to explore while visiting. Stopping in at a bathhouse is a must do on your visit.

Freaking amazing. Got her a little Kate in the day, but thoroughly enjoyed walking bathhouse row and filling my water bottle up with natural spring water. What an experience.

Great place for easy to moderate hiking, tourism, bird watching (saw a bunch of vireos especially!). Pictured in this post is the human-made hot spring. I saw one (the only one in the season to my knowledge) and it was a warm small stream. Still very cool to see! The workers at the visitor center were exceptional - thank you for your kindness and advice!

Drove an hour out of our way from our cross country trip just to take a stop here for two day! Amazing park with an amazing View! Well worth the trip! Must see and the water is so Hot!

Of the 62 National Parks, this one is the most urban. It's a National Park....literally in the middle of a historic city. Fun place to spend the day or a weekend to get pampered or hit the trails. Most people, including us, go there to check out the eight historic bathhouses along Bathhouse Row. Lamar. Buckstaff. Ozark. Quapaw. Fordyce. Maurice. Hale. Superior. Only two, Buckstaff and Quapaw, still function as active thermal springs bathhouses. Others are a craft brewery (the only one located in a national park and the only one that uses natural spring water to make craft beer), a luxury hotel, the park visitors center, a cultural center and a gift shop. The last, Maurice Bathhouse, is still vacant and ready for commercial repurposing. If you have more than a few hours, explore beyond the promenade. Taste the water. Go behind the hotel and explore the red brick walking trails. Hot Water Cascade is near the Arlington Lawn and Display Spring is behind the Maurice Bathhouse. Touch the water. You'll be surprised by the heat generated by the thermal hot springs. Nice to go up the scenic trails to get a panoramic view of Main Street below. If the visitors center is busy or closed, go to the gift shop at the Lamar Bathhouse and ask for Bill. He is super full of valuable information and knowledge about the park. So interesting to hear from Bill not only about the history of the bathhouses, but also how the thermal springs water is collected, what caused the decline in the 70s and 80s and the measures in place designed to prevent the spread of illnesses, like frequent testing of the water for viruses and bacteria. Very interesting to hear about the fears and impact of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s on Hot Springs as a contrast to the current pandemic. Despite being surprisingly busy, we were able to find free weekend street parking. Entry is free to the park operated centers. Parking is also free in a large garage near the visitors center. Stamp your park passport book both at the Lamar and Fordyce Bathhouses. The stamps are different at each site.

What a great place to go and step away for a bit. We took our time and walked/hiked up the mountain to the lookout and observation point! It was amazing! Stop along the way to witness the natural hot springs and wildlife everywhere.

Of course, the number one thing to do in Hot Springs is going to be it's namesake - Hot Springs National Park. It's free to visit the park, so price-wise this place is perfect. This beautiful park is right in the middle of the city - in fact, on one side of the street you've got businesses and buildings and the other is national forest area. But once you get deeper into the park, you'll find 26 miles of hiking trails and 8 historic bathhouses. On Bathhouse Row, you'll see eight historic buildings that were constructed in the late 1800's and early 1900's, along with the Grand Promenade. So what exactly are the bathhouses you ask? Before modern medicine was around, health seekers came to Hot Springs to "take to the waters". In sitting in the spring-fed baths, the waters were thought to cure a plethora of ailments. While most of the bathhouses are no longer in use, two of them are open to the public. The Fordyce Bathhouse, one of the more luxurious spas, now serves as a museum to the Golden Age of Bathing (and it has free entry) and you can still take a dip at the Buckstuff Bathhouse or Quapaw Baths & Spa - but make sure you have a reservation and kids are not allowed inside the working bathhouses. While in the park, you'll want to take a sip at one of the 6 public water fountains. These drinking facilities are real, spring fed, water - so you can experience the "healing powers" for yourself.

It was too hot for hiking so we decided to do the two mountain drives. The drives were ok. Mountain roads are always fun but the views from the viewpoints were just eh. Instead of views of the mountains, it was nothing but city views. We were hoping there would be more actual views of just nature. Even the bathhouses are right on the main drag with no room to breathe or really impart the feeling of being in nature or in a historical place. Go if you're in the area. Otherwise, skip this park.

The oldest national Park with some unique features! Though Yellowstone is the one that typically come to mind when we were think of oldest NP, Hot Springs was actually created 40 years prior. If you're looking for a NP to take children, this would be a great choice. There are bathhouses, trails, hot springs, food, and hotels/motels/camps in abundance to distract the young ones. (And the only NP in the world to have its own brewery that use its own hot spring water to brew!)

The trails throughout Hot Springs are just incredible. There are many trails to choose from with various levels of effort. If you are looking for a leisurely stroll after a meal in the downtown area, the trails have you covered. If you are looking for a more aggressive workout and go a little deeper into the wooded area, the trails have you covered. If you are looking for something in between, you guessed it, the trails have you covered. When you go there, be sure to bring a couple of empty jugs as there are multiple filling stations where you can get some of the hot springs drinking water. It is fun and good drinking water. There are stories surrounding the spring water showing the popularity of the water for many decades. I know this is going to sound obvious, but it comes as a surprise to many, the water at the filling stations is hot . . . It is Hot Springs after all. The best part of all of this is you can have a great day, get some exercise and it is all free. What else could you ask for?

If you're looking to go off grid, this is not the national park for you. However, the historic town was worth the trip and the hiking trails were nice!

Beautiful! Hot springs is an understatement! We touched some spring water that was boiling!!! Trails are beautiful, much steeper than expected. Bring your bug spray and check yourself after (my boyfriend was being eaten by mosquitoes and I had a tick on me)

Great experience very friendly and knowledgeable staff. I would recommend the thermal spa for the bath & massage

We took a weekend vacation here and so glad we did. I love the history I learned from our awesome guide Kary (I believe was his name). The amount of significance that African American women had during this time period was a surprise as I had no idea and I'm for learning that history. Also learning how the system works and how it became a national park was mind opening. The mountain tower is worth the money. The third floor is under construction but the second floor has so much important information. The views are perfect and I am in love with the city now. Catch one of the bath houses and the guided tours and thank me later. There is free parking in a garage near by just follow the street signs.

We try to go to National Parks when ever we travel. This time we went to the Hot Springs NP. This is a different type of park. It is located in the middle of town and there are bath houses that you can try the different springs. We did not do it due to Covid but would be a fun thing to do sometime. There also is a drive that brings you up on a mountain doing switch back to get you there. At the top there is an elevator that you can take, for a fee, to look out over the whole area. The pollen was so thick that the air was green so we did not do the elevator. There is a nice gift shop at the top. This is an unique area.

We try hard to travel to as many national parks as possible. This one is a bit different than the rest. I'm sure they are keeping the hot springs as a treasured place. There are old bath houses some still working others not. They are all kept up very nicely. We did take the drive on top of the mountain where the look out tower is. We did not go up in the tower that day because the pollen was so incredibly thick the air was just hazy and green. It is a very pretty drive up to the top very wooded.

Hot Springs National Park is a more urban park, possibly the most urban park with the National Park designation. Nonetheless, it is a National Park because of the cultural history and natural resources it protects. The city of Hot Springs is remarkable and historical and I loved learning all about it on my visit to Hot Springs National Park this past weekend. The Park is home to eight bathhouses, located on Bathhouse Row. The eight bathhouses are from the 19th and 20th centuries and each one is unique in its own right. Buckstaff Baths, is only one of two options to enjoy the hot springs with a thermal bath. The elaborate, Fordyce Bathhouse is home to the parks visitor center, beautiful stained glass features, lobby fountain, and rich history preserved in the museum. Other features include Lamar Bathhouse, home of the official park gift shop/store and Superior Bathhouse, home of a brewery! In addition to Bathhouse Row are the nature trails that surround the park in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. I drove up to Mountain Tower but would like to return to hike up there. You can do this park in one full day but make a weekend of the city of Hot Springs. Check out the Gangster Museum and Ohio Club while you're in the area. This was National Park #32 on my National Park journey to visit all 60 US National Parks.

We are on a mission to take my 85 year old father to all the National Parks. This one is so usual. We will have to come back post COVID time to really check this place out. As the main office in one of the bath houses was closed. You could go into one that is a shop and another one that is a brewery but we decided to walk down bath house row and then enjoy the trails. We never saw a place to actually pay an entry fee or show your annual pass. We did find an cell phone tour that we enjoyed. It gave us more information since the visitor center was closed. We enjoyed a nice picnic in the area as well. A smaller park compared to many. The town of Hot Springs had some nice murals around the town.

Small but mighty! A National Park that can be visited in a weekend! The history is awesome, the outdoor hikes are beautiful and the baths are relaxing!

This is a fun park and we enjoyed walking around town and reading the history. They have a lot of hiking trails and the changing leaves were beautiful in November. We stayed in our RV at their campground which is very conveniently located not too from town, with a lot of hiking trails near by. We were expecting to find a big pool kind of like the one in Glenwood Springs, Colorado for the whole family ro enjoy, but they don't have anything like that, instead, they have the bath houses. We think they could still build a pool near by. We didn't know we could get drinking water from the springs, until we got there. A lot of people had lots of water bottles to fill up with water and take home. You should plan to bring your bottles if you visit. They have cold springs and hot springs, so you can get cold or hot water from the faucets. If you want to get cold drinking water, look for Happy Hollow Spring, that's a convenient location to get cold drinking spring water from. You can also hike or drive to the tower from there.

Beautiful park - smallest National Park in the United States! We were extremely lucky to have been here at a time when the weather was perfect! The park is basically a half mile walk through a hilltop forest and a line of bathhouses along a stretch of road in Hot Springs Arkansas. If you're in the area it is absolutely worth visiting - great food, nice hotels, and live music at a number of bars with interesting histories. We really enjoyed the Quapaw Bathhouse and the visitor center.

In its heyday, Hot Springs, AK was famous for its hot springs. People came by train (and I guess some by car) to visit the hot springs for their supposed therapeutic value. Catering to all these tourists/visitors were a number of "bathhouses". Most of the bathhouses are gone but 8 have been preserved or "creativity repurposed" along the main street of Hot Springs. The central area of Hot Springs is actually is a National Park and there is a National Park Visitor's Center that provides a great overview of the history of the Hot Springs area. Bathhouses were popular before the Civil War, declined during the war era and then resurged in the post-Civil War era. Bathhouses started falling out of favor again in the 1940s. Be sure to visit the National Parks Visitor's Center.

Whether you're a tree-hugging, crystal lugging Druid looking to commune with nature, or a urban hipster/foodie that wants another name to drop over coffee back in the city, this National park

Oldest national park, as reported by the friendly staff at the visitor center. Must sees: Bathhouse row Mountain Tower Numerous trails Visitor center Bathhouse turned brewery Various hot springs Fountain in the middle of town (fill your own)

The National Park Service has done an amazing job of preserving the old Bath Houses along the Row. If you start on the North side of the park you can walk past the old Bath Houses on the Row. One is a gift shop and there are two that still give baths and massages. You can then stop at the Fordyce and go in the Visitors Center to tour it and get the detailed information about the park. Make sure you ask about the Mountain Drive that goes up to the Mountain Tower. It is an easy breathtaking drive up the mountain to picnic areas, observation look outs and the Mountain Tower that you can go up in for spectacular views.

I'm a fan of my time spent here at Hot Springs National Park. It's different than what you'd expect to find from most NP's that are nestled in scenic surroundings. First off...Hot Springs, Arkansas is a quaint little town located in the center of the state. It's about 1 hour west of Little Rock. Hot Springs NP is a park designated for "preserving and protecting the pure, geothermal spring water disbursed from the surrounding lands for public health, wellness and enjoyment". Funny....right next to the park headquarters building is a multi faucet water fountain. Here I noticed local citizens throughout the day parking their cars in loading zones on the street and quickly stopping at this fountain to fill up their water jugs. Yes, it's great that the local water is pure and drinkable! Hot Springs National Park is simply composed of Bathhouse Row nestled right in the heart of town. There are 8 bathhouses that make up the park. During my visit, people and tourists were leisurely walking the streets and stopping inside the bathhouses to learn more about the unique locale, as well as exploring the history, and of course bathing in the hot springs pools. Let me give a quick overview of the 8 bathhouses....one thing also I don't want to leave out....of the 8 bathhouses, ONLY 2 OF THEM ARE STILL USED FOR BATHING. 1. Lamar Bathhouse - park store you can buy gifts and souvenirs at. 2. Buckstaff Bathhouse - the traditional bathhouse. You can experience what it's like to have an authentic mineral bath and massage. It's setting is just like from back in the day. A real European feel. It's the ultimate throwback type of spa and bathhouse. During my visit, I took a mineral bath here for $38. It lasted 1 hour consisting of 20 minutes in the spa tub, a brief steam shower, another 20 minutes wrapped in cloth on a bed and finally a rinse shower at the end. The experience for me was just okay. It didn't "wow" me, but it was still interesting to immerse myself in the old fashioned backdrop. Btw, I visited last week on Saturday before Easter and the place was BUSY! I did my bath 10am in the morning, but come afternoon, all appointments were sold out! Keep that in mind if you're visiting and planning out your day. Hours: Mon - Sat, 8am - 11:45am and 1:30pm - 3pm. 3. Ozark Bathhouse - a standing bathhouse no longer in use. 4. Quapaw Bathhouse - this is other active bathhouse. This is more modern look with bunch of pools for everyone on their own accord to casually dip into. Unlike the Buckstaff where you have a private bath and attendant, here is for any and everyone to go as they please without being held to an appointment. I will mention again....although I didn't bath here, there was only a limited amount of people allowed in the bathhouse at one time. So, when I stopped here in the afternoon, they were at FULL CAPACITY! 5. Fordyce Bathhouse - it's the Visitor Center where you can get your Park's Pass Stamp, view park film and explore the rustic bathhouse from back in the olden days which is no longer in use. Tours of this bathhouse are available if interested. 6. Maurice Bathhouse - no longer active 7. Hale Bathhouse - just a stand alone building. Nothing to see. 8. Superior Bathhouse - COOL! Here this place has been transformed from a bathhouse to an active brewer of beer using the local hot springs water. It also offers food to enjoy with the craft beers. They have seating indoors and outdoors. It's a real nice setting having a few drinks, relaxing and people watching if you get a table outside. Oh, and I recommend getting the 4 flight sampling of beers for only $7! Finally, I'd like to mention the real HIDDEN GEM of this place. It's the GRAND PROMENADE!!! Located just behind bathhouse row, you can walk along, stroll and simply take your time enjoying the forestry, woods and scenic settings of Hot Springs. This half mile hike offers great views of historic downtown. It's mainly composed of a brick promenade that along the way...will lead you to plenty of different hiking trails throughout the area if you're interested in exploring more. This Grand Promenade is a must do while visiting! And...although I'll write another review about HOT SPRINGS MOUNTAIN TOWER in it's own section, this place I also HIGHLY RECOMMEND exploring while here in Hot Springs. It overlooks all of the surrounding area when you take an elevator to the top. It's a nice addition to the overall experience. Getting here, you can easily drive the 3.5 mile one way loop right outside town OR hike the 1.5 mile uphill Peak Trail from the Grand Promenade. Hot Springs National Park was a pleasant 2 day getaway for myself. Not only am I a National Parks junkie, but the uniqueness in what this place offered genuinely won me over. Exploring Bathhouse Row, strolling the Grand Promenade and appreciating the vistas at the Mountain Tower was a fulfilling combination of activities that makes Hot Springs NP a worthwhile destination for everyone!

Beautiful place with lots of different things to do. Do some research on what interest you, we couldn't hime due to having a new baby, but we walked and saw all the bath houses, drove the west mountain scenic drive, and up into the mountain tower. All those were worth the stop, we enjoyed it all.

This is such a fun city/national park! We just walked downtown all afternoon and in to the evening. We popped in at different visitor centers, visited active bath facilities, drank from the hot spring, enjoyed nature, shopped, drank in a historic pub, ended the evening with a great dinner, and then headed home. The feel here is so relaxed and welcoming.