Hot Springs
Historic bathhouses, steaming thermal springs and wooded trails right in a downtown
- Hours
- Grounds open daily, free entry
- Entry
- Free entry
- Reservations
- Not required
- Size
- 5,554 acres
Hot Springs Weather Now
Loading the forecast for Hot Springs…
Hot Springs is the only national park that sits inside a city, built around 47 springs that flow from the lower slope of Hot Springs Mountain. Rainwater sinks deep into the earth, heats up, and returns to the surface about 4,000 years later at around 143 degrees. Congress set the area aside as a federal reservation in 1832, decades before Yellowstone, and it became a national park in 1921.
The heart of the park is Bathhouse Row, a line of grand early-1900s bathhouses from the era when people came here to take the waters. You can still soak at the Buckstaff, which has run since 1912, or at the Quapaw's thermal pools. Behind the bathhouses, about 26 miles of trails climb into oak and pine forest on Hot Springs, North and West mountains. Baseball teams once held spring training here, and the town also has a colorful gangster history.
The park and surrounding area
- Park boundary
- Other parks
- Major highway
- Road
- Rivers and lakes
- Town
Plan your trip
- Best time to go
- March through May and October through early November bring mild weather, spring blooms or fall color, and fewer muggy days.
- How long to stay
- One day covers Bathhouse Row, a bath and the tower; two days lets you add longer hikes.
- Getting there
- Little Rock (LIT) is about 1 hour by car; Hot Springs Memorial Field (HOT) is a small regional airport in town, and Dallas (DFW) is about 4.5 hours away.
- Wildlife
- Look for white-tailed deer, gray squirrels, armadillos, wild turkeys, pileated woodpeckers and many songbirds.
Plan and book
Some links below are affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How this works
Where to stay
Tours and activities
- Guided tours on Viator (opens in a new tab)Day trips, wildlife, photography
- Tours on GetYourGuide (opens in a new tab)Compare options and reviews
- Campsites on Recreation.gov (opens in a new tab)Official federal booking site
What to pack for Hot Springs
- Reusable water jugFill up with free thermal and cold spring water at the park's jug fountains.
- Comfortable walking shoesBathhouse Row, the Promenade and the hilly trails add up to a lot of walking.
- Quick-dry towelHandy if you plan to soak at the Quapaw pools or spend a day around the bathhouses.
- Insect repellentTicks and mosquitoes are common on the wooded trails from spring through fall.
- Rain jacketArkansas storms pop up fast, especially in spring and summer.
A first day, start to finish
- Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center
- Walk Bathhouse Row and the Grand Promenade
- Thermal bath at Buckstaff or Quapaw
- Drive up to the Hot Springs Mountain Tower
- Short hike on the Peak or Dead Chief Trail
Don't miss
- Bathhouse RowEight historic bathhouses from 1892 to 1923 line Central Avenue; two still offer thermal baths and the Fordyce is the visitor center.
- Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor CenterA free, self-guided walk through three floors of restored 1915 tubs, steam cabinets, a gym and a stained-glass bath hall.
- Grand PromenadeA half-mile brick walkway behind Bathhouse Row with views over the rooftops and access to open thermal springs.
- Hot Water Cascade and Display SpringsSpots near the Arlington Lawn where you can see and touch 143-degree spring water that fell as rain about 4,000 years ago.
- Hot Springs Mountain TowerA 216-foot observation tower atop Hot Springs Mountain with views of the Ouachita Mountains; reached by a scenic drive or trail.
Know before you go
Do
- Bring a bottle to fill with free thermal water at the jug fountains.
- Tour the Fordyce Bathhouse before choosing a bath, so you know what the old treatments were like.
- Walk up to the Grand Promenade and the trails behind it, which most visitors miss.
Don't
- Try to soak in the outdoor springs; the water is around 143 degrees.
- Expect to book Buckstaff ahead, because baths are walk-in only.
- Drive the narrow mountain roads with a large RV or trailer.
Bathhouse Row, the Grand Promenade and the trails are open daily, and entry is free. The Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center and the Lamar Bathhouse park store are open daily, generally 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The bathhouses and the Hot Springs Mountain Tower are run by concessioners and set their own hours, and the Maurice Bathhouse is closed for renovation.
Get to Buckstaff right when it opens on a weekday morning to skip the longest wait for the traditional bath.Trekker's tip