Hot Springs National Park
Last Updated: 3/28/2024
“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.”
Did you know that Hot Springs National Park is actually located in the middle of the city? I didn’t either, until I started to research for our trip. Crazy, right? Hot Springs National Park has two personalities that mesh so well together. You have these 8 Grand Bathhouses with their amazing architecture. And then you have hot springs, mountain views, forested hikes, and creeks.
All this personality is located in the middle of town! They don’t even have a parking lot:) But there is a free parking garage close, or you can park on the street. With so much to do in one National Park, it is hard to know where to begin. So we put together a list of some of our Hot Springs National Park favorites!
Bathhouse Row and Visitor Center
Usually our first stop on any trip to a National Park is the Visitor Center! The Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center is located in the Fordyce Bathhouse, on Bathhouse Row. You can now take a self-guided tour of the Fordyce, so you can see its splendor at your own pace.
There are 7 other bathhouses that make up Bathhouse Row. The Lamar Bathhouse is the Gift Shop. You can enjoy all the thermal soaking and spa services at the Buckstaff or Quapaw Bathhouses. Superior Bathhouse is now a brewery. And the Hale Bathhouse is a luxury hotel. The Ozark Bathhouse is home to the National Park Cultural Center. The Maurice Bathhouse is the only one that is not in use today.
Hiking the Park
Hot Springs National Park is divided into two different areas of hiking trails, the Hot Springs & North Mountain Trails and the West Mountain Trails. Whatever your skill level, you can definitely find a trail to explore. Here are some of our favorite hikes!
Grand Promenade: The Grand Promenade is an easy, half-mile, brick trail that meanders above and behind Bathhouse Row with views of the mountains. Definitely a nice easy stroll!
Hot Springs Mountain Trail: This is an easier 1.7 mile trail that loops around the top of the mountain. There are several ways to reach the Hot Springs Mountain Trail. You can reach the trail by hiking up the Peak Trail (0.6 mile), that starts on the Grand Promenade. Driving the Hot Springs Mountain Drive to the summit will also get you to the trail. And lastly, you can take the Gulpha Gorge Trail (0.6 miles) from the Gulpha Gorge Campground. We opted to drive up and enjoy a picnic at the summit before we started our hike on the Hot Springs Mountain Trail.
Goat Rock Trail: The Goat Rock Trail is 1.1 mile out and back trail. Parking is limited at the North Mountain Loop Overlook. This trail can also be reached from the Gulpha Gorge Trail. Even if you don’t do the hike, the overlook is worth a drive!
Canyon Trail & West Mountain Trail: The Canyon Trail (0.7 miles) can be reached from downtown Hot Springs. There is a section of this trail that is very steep. It connects you to the West Mountain Trail (1.2 miles). You can make the West Mountain Trail into a loop by using the Mountain Top Trail. These trails definitely have some elevation change that make the trails strenuous at times.
Sunset Trail: The Sunset Trail is the longest trail at Hot Springs National Park, being 10 miles one-way. This trail is divided into three sections: West Mountain (2.8 miles), Sugarloaf Mountain (2.6 miles), and Stonebridge Road (3.8 miles). We parked at the parking area off of Black Snake Road. Then we hiked the Sugarloaf Mountain Section out and back to Balanced Rock. It was definitely a lot harder than I thought it would be. After a bite of lunch, my husband (Ryan) and our oldest daughter (Addy), continued on the West Mountain section (plus a few other trails) and met us back downtown.
Hiking the Sunset Trail to Balanced Rock.
Scenic Mountain Drive
If you don’t have time for a hike, but you want to experience the beauty of Hot Springs National Park. Then definitely go for a scenic drive to one, or all, of the six overlooks. The beautiful North Mountain Scenic Drive, built as a carriage road back in the 1880s, has switchbacks that will take you to the top where you will find two of the overlooks.
From there you can continue on to the North Mountain Loop, and the Goat Rock Overlook, then back down to Fountain Street. The West Mountain Scenic Drive is a two way road that leads to the Summit Loop where you will find the other three overlooks.
Goat Rock Overlook on the North Mountain Loop.
Experience the Water
Soak in the Water: You can relax in the thermal spring waters at either the Buckstaff or Quapaw Bathhouses. In addition to soaking, they both offer modern spa services.
Drink the Water: Some of you might be wondering if it is okay to drink the thermal waters. The answer is yes, it is okay to drink the water, it is even encouraged. You can actually buy glass jugs to fill and take with you. Or you can bring your own container. We saw a lot of people bringing their own gallon jugs to fill and take home. There are six thermal spring fountain locations, and two cold spring locations.
Touch the Water: There are two locations, within the park, where you can touch the thermal waters. Display Spring and Hot Water Cascade are located close to Bathhouse Row and the Grand Promenade.
Hot Water Cascade
Camping
Gulpha Gorge is the only campground in Hot Springs National Park. Each site has electric, water and sewer connections. The cost is $34/night and reservations are now required. We ended up camping at the Hot Springs KOA. When we first visited Hot Springs National Park, the campground was on a first come, first serve basis. I’m a planner, so it was hard to go and not know if we would have a campsite. Next time I will be brave, and give it a try:)
Photo Op at the Fordyce Visitor Center.
Hot Springs National Park was our 11th National Park, on our quest to see all 63! We chose it because it was close to home. We have decided to knock out the parks within a days drive of our home in West Tennessee. We really enjoyed our time at Hot Springs National Park.
We also enjoyed exploring Hot Springs, Arkansas. You should definitely check out our post on our Favorite Things to do in Hot Springs, Arkansas. As always, thanks for following along. Happy Adventuring!