Hot Springs National Park is a U.S. National Park in central Garland County, Arkansas, adjacent to the city of Hot Springs, the county seat. Hot Springs Reservation was initially created by an act of the United States Congress on April 20, 1832 to be preserved for future recreation. Established before the concept of a national park existed, it was the first time that land had been set aside by the federal government to preserve its use as an area for recreation. The hot spring water has been popularly believed for centuries to possess medicinal properties, and was a subject of legend among several Native American tribes. Following federal protection in 1832, the city developed into a successful spa town. Incorporated January 10, 1851, the city has been home to Major League Baseball spring training, illegal gambling, speakeasies and gangsters such as Al Capone, horse racing at Oaklawn Park, the Army and Navy Hospital, and 42nd President Bill Clinton.  

The hot springs flow from the western slope of Hot Springs Mountain, part of the Ouachita Mountain range. In the park, the hot springs have not been preserved in their unaltered state as natural surface phenomena. They have instead been managed to conserve the production of uncontaminated hot water for public use. The mountains within the park are also managed within this conservation philosophy to preserve the hydrological system that feeds the springs.

The park includes portions of downtown Hot Springs, making it one of the most accessible national parks. There are numerous hiking trails and camping areas. Bathing in spring water is available in approved facilities at extra cost. The entire Bathhouse Row area is designated as a National Historic Landmark District that contains the grandest collection of bathhouses of its kind in North America, including many outstanding examples of Gilded Age architecture. (Source: Wikipedia)

Established:  March 4, 1921

Size: 5,554 acres

Rank: 61

#Visitors in 2018: 1,506,887

(Visited February 2018). Hot Springs National Park was our first national park visit of our 1-month long winter road trip in a rented RV.   It was pouring for most of our 2-day visit, but luckily, we squeezed one hike in during a relatively dry spell and then the rest of the visit was spent indoors.   As we try to do at all the parks we visit, we try to experience at least one of the most iconic or defining aspects of the park.  For Hot Springs, it is all about the bathhouses and the natural hot springs that surround the area.  So, the rain did not interfere!

We camped at Gulpha Gorge Campground within the park.  We hiked from the campground on Dead Chief Trail into town (about 2 miles).  It was a lovely hike.  We wished we could have hiked more but the rain was unrelenting and torrential.  There were flood warnings while we were there. We felt grateful to get this one hike in.  Once reaching town, we walked along Central Avenue and looked at all the bathhouses (9 in all).  We stopped in Superior Bathhouse & Brewery for dinner and beer.  After dinner, we went across the street to Bubba’s Brewing for another beer and to find an Uber to take us back to the campground.  

We spent much of the next day at the Fordyce Bathhouse which is also the park Visitor Center and Museum.  We watched a movie and then spent a couple of hours viewing the displays set up in multiple rooms.  Consistent with other national parks, the displays and preservation work was outstanding.  

In the afternoon, we experienced a Traditional Bath at Buckstaff Bathhouse.  Buckstaff is the only bathhouse on Bathhouse Row that still operates as a traditional bathhouse.   We could have had a modern spa experience at Quapaw Bathhouse, but I wanted to experience a bath the way people did in the early 1900’s.  It was really cool to use an original tub, sitz bath, steam cabinet, and needle shower, exactly like the ones shown in the museum.  We also had a personal attendant.  

Despite the weather, we ventured out for a short while onto The Promenade.  We visited a few of the many natural hot springs/thermal fountains.  We also filled up several water bottles with the hot springs (non-filtered) water which was great!!  We loved the town of Hot Springs and the park and wished we could have experienced more of the outdoor area.  We hope to return one day!