Hot Time in Hot Springs

Hot Springs, Arkansas is an unique place to visit. As the only urban National Park, its main street is half National Park, half commercial.. But don’t let that fool you, there is still plenty of natural beauty. The area is full of lakes, trails for mountain biking and a lot of hiking. With its colorful history, Hot Springs is an interesting mix of historical and modern. With options from horse racing to an alligator farm, the area certainly has something for everyone.

The National Park

Bathhouse Row is the main attraction in the Hot Springs National Park. Signed into law by President Andrew Jackson, Hot Springs became the first area to come under federal protection, beating Yellowstone by forty years, before the debut of what we now call the National Park Service.

History

Bathhouse Row consists of about eight buildings, built in the early 1900s and used as health spas for hundreds who came to the area in service of a cure. The springs were first used by Native Americans who came to the area for the rocks native to the area used to create weapons. The springs, which used to bubble up across Hot Springs Mountain, came out of the springs at about 147 degrees Fahrenheit.

As others discovered the area and found the springs, wooden bathhouses were built across the mountain to offers amenities and shelter. As it become more popular and business began to boom, the early bathhouses were replaced with more luxurious buildings. The springs were capped in the late 1800s to ensure safe water for those who paid to bathe at the houses.

The bathhouses, which now make up the Row, were built in the early 1900s to replace the older, fire-prone buildings. With an eye to attracting the famous and wealthy, the buildings were often elaborate with marble, artistic touches, and even billards tables. Each building has its unique architecture and history. Two remain as bathhouses where you can partake of the relaxing services. The Buckstaff offers the most authentic to the historical services while the Quapaw has a more modern take.

Visiting

Start your tour of the area at the Fordyce Bathhouse, now the Park headquarters. Your first stop should be at the Ranger counter to pick up a Junior Park Ranger book. Even if you are not exactly a “Junior,” this informative booklet guides you through the exhibit and at the end, you can answer a few questions to become a Junior Park Ranger, complete with an oath and cool badge. The wooden badge is totally worth it and can be the beginning your collection of NP badges!

The museum includes a short film and multiple exhibits showing the path of the spring water as it seeps into the earth and returns so hot. You can also walk through the former baths and locker rooms. Don’t miss the displays with frightening looking medical devices used to treat various illnesses. It is a wonder people weren’t electrocuted! Sadly the inequality of men versus women is on display as you compare the men’s and women’s locker rooms. The men enjoyed a lovely art-filled area, compared to the plain women’s side.

Next door to the Fordyce, the Lamar Bathhouse is now the Park shop where you can pick up several souvenirs and get your Park stamp.

Other bathhouses are leased out to private businesses. The Hale House is a luxury hotel where you can stay and enjoy the thermal waters right in your room. The Ozark offers a lovely porch and various art exhibits. But our favorite is the Superior Bathhouse which now houses the only brewery located inside a National Park and the only one to use thermal water to brew its beer. Superior Bathhouse Brewery has done a great job of taking care of this historic building while offering yummy food and great beer. We highly recommend this as a great way to end your day or take a break from sight-seeing!

Before leaving the Row, walk up the steps between the buildings to walk along the Promenade. This is a gorgeous walk built for the Victorians to exercise and mingle. The wide path is paved with tiles and offers benches and tables with checkerboards painted on. Bring along your own checkers or ask at the Fordyce.

Outdoors Fun

Rising feet above the Row is Hot Springs Mountain. This is great spot to find a view of the town, picnic or take a hike. With multiple trails, you can find a variety of lengths and difficulty. You can start your hike from the Promenade behind Bathhouse Row or at the Arlington Hotel. For less incline, drive up Hot Springs Drive and park either near the Pagoda or Observation Tower and start from there. For a fee, you can also go up the Tower for an incredible view of the area.

From the Pagoda, try the Hot Springs Mountain loop for a great walk and view from all sides of the mountain. Goat Ridge gives you a pretty outcrop from which to see the other mountain areas. In fall, these hikes and outlooks would be lovely.

Not far from the National Park, you can also access several other great trails including those off Cedar Glades trailhead. These trails are especially great for mountain biking. And for those who like long hikes, the Sunset Trail is a great opportunity.

The lakes around Hot Springs offer more opportunities to get out in nature. The three inter-connecting loops at Lake Catherine State Park allow you to create a hike that fits your schedule and ability. The State Park also has a great campground and areas to put in a kayak or SUP. Lake Ouchita, further west, is also a great spot for hiking or water sports. A nice bonus is the State Parks do not charge an admission fee.

Additional Fun Spots

Hot Springs has a number of things to do outside the Park. If you are there at the right time of year, they have a lovely horse race track. The younger visitors or those young at heart might enjoy Magic Springs Water and Theme Park. It wasn’t open yet when we visited in spring, but based on our view of the roller coaster, it looks like it has thrilling rides. Speaking of kids, they also might enjoy petting a small alligator at the Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo. We met someone who worked there and were impressed by teh work they are doing.

Hot Springs is also well situated as a base for some day trips to Little Rock, where you can find the State Capital, the William Clinton Presidential Library and a great craft beer scene. We were also impressed with all they have done along the river to create bike paths and parks as well as the restaurants along the main road. If you head north, you can visit a few of the small towns of Northwest Arkansas including Conway and Dardenelle. Just taking AR 7 north through the Ouachita Mountains takes you along a lovely, winding road with green forests and wildflowers or lovely fall colors depending on the time of year.

A Few Favorites

For a fairly small town, Hot Springs has a surprising number of restaurants and bars. Perhaps a leftover from the days when gangsters ran the streets and illegal gambling funded the growth of the town. Clearly the money helped to fund the gorgeous buildings, many of them sadly now vacant. With their architectural features and special details, the buildings themselves warrant a closer look.

One things to watch as you visit in Hot Springs. We found restaurants and stores to often be closed on weekdays as they were open on weekends so be sure to check their hours. But the good news is that it is also very pet friendly on the trails and in many restaurants.

Food

Best Cafe – Speaking of history and architecture, this was once a motor inn. The new owners have renovated the rooms to make them more modern while maintaining the adorable features. But the part that I really enjoyed was the cafe which serves an incredible breakfast menu. They have unique spins on old favorites making it worth the visit!

Superior Bathhouse – While mentioned earlier, this deserves a special call out. Not only is it cool that it is the only brewery in a National Park, but it is also really good. The beer selection is impressive and tasty, the atmosphere is fun, and the food is terrific! Make sure to try the burger, truly one of the best ever! And they have a great patio with live music sometimes.

Grateful Head Pizza – There were a few spots for pizza, but Grateful was our favorite. Awesome crust and yummy toppings, it was a bit off Central Avenue but had a great patio.

Bella Luna – When you want a bit more upscale dinner or great place for a date-night, this Italian restaurant was delicious. Closer to the lake than downtown, it was worth the trip.

Steinhaus Keller – When you want German food and beer, you think Hot Springs, right? Well, you should. This was authentic German food and plenty of beer choices with a small but cute patio.

Bubba Brews – When you want to have a drink or meal while looking at the lake, this is a great spot. The food is good with large portions, you might consider sharing especially if you want dessert. They brew their own beer and their list is extensive, not to mention inexpensive so it is good for an afternoon on the water!

Beverages

Red Light Roastery Coffee House– You know coffee houses are important when you are on the road. This spot was tasty with great people behind the counter. This is also a great spot for catching up on work or email as they have great wifi. Sit inside or outside on the huge porch.

Waters Hotel – This hotel has a rooftop bar and restaurant with an incredible view of the bathhouses. Stop in for a drink!

Other Fun

Off-Roading – If you enjoy taking your Jeep or ATV off-road, then this campground and off-roading park is going to delight you. Miles of trails with a variety of difficulty keep Hot Springs Off-Road Park entertaining.

Campgrounds

Hot Springs Off-Road – We stayed here during our Camp Carpe Diem event and it was a huge success with folks, especially the Jeepers who enjoyed the trails. They were working on getting sewer so the sites would be full hook-up, but they did all include electric and water. Wifi and cell service is spotty around Hot Springs and fairly bad at this campground. If you must work, make sure to bring along Starlink and stay in the spots out of the trees. Spots 61 – 69 offer the clearest skies.

Lake Catherine State Park – We didn’t stay here, but did drive through it and would stay here if we only had two weeks to stay in Hot Springs. It was a lovely park with large spots and views of the lake.

Leisure Landing – This is a bit quirky of a Park, off the lake. It looks a home that had a large yard and turned it into a campground. Super convenient to many spots, it was a great place to stay while we were researching Hot Springs. The spots are a bit tight, but it is very clean and quiet.

Gulpha Gorge – Part of the National Park, this Park looked to be able to handle large rigs and small. There is even a trail from it to the Hot Springs Mountain for those who like a good hike.

Final Fun

Hot Springs is one of those spots that doesn’t often come up as a key destination, but we found a lot to recommend it. It is very easy and convenient to get to with major highways nearby, but retains its small town feel. Weekends can get a bit busy during peak season especially down on Central Ave where the bathhouses are located, but those are good times to get out to the Lakes.

One of the reasons we were in the area was to host Camp Carpe Diem. As part of that weekend, we wanted everyone to enjoy the National Park so we created a scavenger hunt. It was great fun to watch the photographs pour in so if you want to try it yourself or create one of your own, check it out here.

Overall, we say that adding Hot Springs to your journey is well worth the time. As one of Arkansas most storied and colorful towns, you will find a great wealth of history, architecture, nature and beauty!