Long-renowned for its therapeutic waters, Hot Springs National Park was originally set aside as Hot Springs National Reservation in 1832, during the administration of President Andrew Jackson.
It is by-far our oldest “protected area”, and at only 5,500 acres, it is our second smallest national park. Upon visiting, one quickly realizes, no other park in our system is anything like it.
Guide to Hot Springs
Hot Springs National Park
This unique park provides a portal through which visitors can experience the late 19th-century town of Hot Springs, Arkansas, where Central Avenue, known as Bathhouse Row, is lined with luxurious bathhouses. This Euro-styled Appalachian retreat rewards weary travelers with “healing waters” which flow from hot springs in the Ouachita Mountains into the rural town’s spas.
In the late 1800s, nearly 50 separate springs that delivered an estimated 700,000 gallons of hot water per day, were capped and the 143° degree F water was piped into bathhouses that “sprang up” on the street below. Soon the “Hot Springs on the Washita” as the village was referred to back east, became a popular health-conscious retreat offering luxurious services to high-profile celebrities in upscale spas.
Today, a couple of these bathhouses still provide services much the same as they did nearly 150 years ago. A relaxing stroll down Bathhouse Row will introduce the common visitor to a number of spas, bars and eateries that combine to provide the cure for many an ailment, at least for a few hours…
Where is Hot Springs?
Hot Springs is located in west central Arkansas, about 45 miles southwest of Little Rock, a few miles north of Interstate 30. An exit from the interstate onto State Route 270 leads motorists to the junction with State Route 7, which leads north, straight into the town of Hot Springs.
The park surrounds the northern region of the town of Hot Springs and includes the main drag through the north part of town. Most of the historic bathhouses are situated right along Central Avenue, also known as Bathhouse Row. The park also holds about five thousand acres of wooded terrain in the surrounding hills, in which guests will find scenic drives and a few hiking trails.
Exploring Hot Springs
Obviously, the star attraction in this park is the hot springs. However, an unfamiliar first-time visitor may be dismayed to find that there are no open outdoor hot springs here that are suitable for soaking. All of the springs here were capped and piped to commercial bathhouses long ago. Don’t be too bummed however, the bathhouses provide a really cool way to get your soak on…
The highlight of Hot Springs National Park is Bathhouse Row, a series of eight opulent bathhouses which were constructed between 1892 and 1923. During the town’s heyday, these lavish establishments welcomed the rich and famous, including athletes, politicians, movie stars and several well-known organized-crime figures.
As the decades of the twentieth century passed, a slow and steady decline in spa popularity forced many of these businesses to close their doors. In the following years, the once-great spas of Hot Springs, Arkansas began to crumble, and fall into dangerous disrepair.
Slowly, the desire to rebuild and preserve these historic structures took hold, and today, Bathhouse Row looks as good as ever. The beautiful architecture of these buildings is on full display, welcoming visitors with healing waters, historic facilities and old-fashioned spa treatments.
Fordyce Bathhouse
This is the largest of the bathhouses built on the Row, offering more than 28,000 square feet of space. Guests at the Fordyce once enjoyed a number of spa services, as well as a fully equipped gymnasium for athletic pursuits.
Built in 1915 at a cost of more than $212,000, the Fordyce would eventually become the first of the bathhouses to go out of business, closing its doors in 1962.
The structure underwent extensive restoration in the 1980s, and today is home to the park visitor center. In addition to its purpose as a visitor center, the remainder of the building houses a museum, which provides an authentic view into the bygone days of the classic spa.
Buckstaff Bathhouse
The classy Buckstaff Bathhouse is impossible to miss. This impressively styled bathhouse holds the distinction of being the only spa to have operated continually since its opening in 1912. Even during the slow decades, as other businesses folded, the Buckstaff maintained the ability to hold its doors open for business.
Today, this establishment offers a menu of old-fashioned spa and bathing experiences. From thermal soaks to hydrotherapy sessions and massages, the Buckstaff offers it all, in a classic setting that has not changed in more than a century. Check out their website for a full menu of their services.
Quapaw Bathhouse
The Quapaw Bathhouse is one of two currently operating bathhouses where guests can soak in the thermal springs. The bathhouse offers both private baths, or public pools of varying temperatures, in addition to modern spa services including massages and skin treatments.
Opening in 1922, the Quapaw is the longest structure on the Row, built on the site of two previous bathhouses, the Horseshoe and the Magnesia. The Quapaw operated through many slow decades before closing in 1984.
The spa reopened in June of 2008, and is a perfect place to grab a quick, affordable soak & shower during a visit to Hot Springs National Park. See their website for a complete menu of services and prices.
Ozark Bathhouse
Completed in the summer of 1922, the Ozark Bathhouse was designed to be a budget conscious structure. Built for a mere $93,000, this 14,000 square foot bathhouse catered to the middle class spa visitor, and lacked many of the more impressive features advertised by its more opulent neighbors.
The Ozark closed its doors to spa visitors in 1977, but is now home to the Hot Springs National Park Cultural Center, which features a gallery that displays artwork from the park’s Artist in Residence Program, as well as other exhibitions.
Lamar Bathhouse
The Lamar Bathhouse opened in 1923, making it the youngest bathhouse on the Row. This bathhouse held the distinction of offering a range of tub sizes that were designed to accommodate various body types and heights.
The Lamar Bathhouse was named in honor of Lucious Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, a U.S. Supreme Court Justice from Mississippi, who was also served as Secretary of the Interior during the middle 1880s.
Today, the Lamar is home to the park’s historical archives, research library and museum collections, as well as a small book store, the Bathhouse Row Emporium.
Superior Bathhouse
Originally opened in 1916 as an 11,000 square foot spa, the Superior Bathhouse is today home to the Superior Bathhouse Brewery. This unique business holds the great distinction of being the only brewery inside a U.S. National Park, as well as the world’s first brewery to use thermal spring water as the main ingredient in its beer.
The Superior was built at a low cost of only $68,000 and its basic brick architecture differs noticeably from the Spanish and Victorian motifs of neighboring spas. As the smallest of the Row’s bathhouses, the Superior had the lowest rates in town and offered only basic services, such as hydrotherapy and massage.
Hale Bathhouse
The oldest of the remaining bathhouses, the Hale Bathhouse was completed in 1892. Named for early bathhouse entrepreneur John Hale, the current structure is at least the fourth building to use the Hale name.
This unique spa features a basement that houses a tiled hot spring enclosure, built as a sort of sauna in 1917. The Hale also enjoys an underground connection to a thermal cave which was carved out of the mountain and was originally used as a steam room in the 1890s. The Hale suspended service in 1978.
Today, the Row’s oldest bathhouse once again welcomes guests, now as the Hotel Hale. The Hale is a historic boutique and luxury hotel, which advertises a mid-century modern style, and offers a central location to base operations during a visit to the park.
Maurice Bathhouse
Opening for business in 1912, the Maurice Bathhouse was an up-scale operation that offered a full range of services. With 23,000 square feet of space, the Maurice included numerous spa rooms, a gymnasium, a roof garden, twin elevators and several staterooms, as well as a third floor lounge that boasted a large stone fireplace and a stained glass skylight.
If these features weren’t enough, the 1930s saw the construction of a full size therapeutic swimming pool in the basement, making it the only bathhouse on the Row to offer a pool.
The Maurice closed in 1974, and has yet to find a willing participant to oversee its restoration, so its doors remain closed as of the early 2020s. It is currently available for commercial leasing however, so if you have any desire to bring this classic structure back to its former glory…
Hot Springs Mountain Tower
Guests who want to get a good view of the park and its surrounding area should head on up to the summit of Hot Springs Mountain. A relaxing drive up through the forest brings motorists to the mountain tower, which rises 216 feet above the mountain summit, to place viewers on an observation deck, at an elevation of 1,256′ above sea level.
From this point, visitors can view the entire park, as well as the town of Hot Springs, the Ouachita Mountains and some 140 square miles of wooded Arkansas countryside. The tower is operated by a concessionaire, and a small gift shop is found adjacent to the ticket counter. Check their website for hours and schedules.
Whittington Park
Named for early Hot Springs resident and proprietor Hiram Abiff Whittington, this area was at one point home to a forested park that featured two small lakes, rental boats, tennis courts, pavilions and lakeside trails designed for carriage rides.
The lakes were not natural, and proved unsustainable over the course of time due to the fluctuation is seasonal water flow, which often left them as small, stagnant swamps. They were soon done away with, in favor of an area landscaped with trees, flowers and an array of natural flora.
Today, this small area of the park offers a quiet, shaded retreat from the bustle of town. The Whittington Trail provides a short 1.2 mile pathway around the park, and the Mountain Top Trail leads up the north slope of West Mountain to access the trails at its summit.
Playtime in Hot Springs
Visitors may be surprised to find that there are a few outdoor activities that can provide a quick get-away during a park visit.
Despite its small size and urban base, Hot Springs National Park is home to 26 miles of hiking trails. Some lead through easy-to-navigate terrain just a short distance from Bathhouse Row, while others venture a bit further into the hills of the Ouachita Mountains.
The surrounding area has witnessed the development of a number of mountain biking trails, some of which are straight legit! The Northwoods Mountain Bike area is definitely worth a ride or two while you’re in the neighborhood.
For a complete guide to the outdoor activities in the park, check out the Hot Springs Activities Page.
Public Fountains
Today, many still embrace the powers of these waters simply by drinking water. Numerous public fountains are available throughout town for filling water containers and the water is absolutely delicious. Drink water!
NPS – Hot Springs – Public Fountain Locations
Park Junkie Verdict
I’ll admit it… my first visit to Hot Springs National Park led to an immediate WTF?
It was 1997… I was 22 years old and my girlfriend and I were on a road trip, during a move from Yellowstone back to the Everglades. Along the way, we were touring every single national park located anywhere near our meandering 3-month-long, 12,000 mile route back to Florida.
As we approached Hot Springs, I half-expected to pull into a town full of naked hippies frolicking in natural hot springs all around the hills… I wondered if I would ever leave such a place…
Upon pulling into town, I quickly realized my expectations were in no way connected to reality. This happened a lot during those years…
But anyway, I really didn’t understand the significance of a park that was built on the premise of commercial enterprise and the removal of natural springs in favor of opulent bathhouses that charged money.
I was poor, really poor. I certainly had NO money to explore the commercial springs. At that point, I don’t even think most of the spas in operation today were even open to the public, except of course, the Buckstaff. But we certainly had no money for such a nice place.
So we left town in a flash, without doing anything more than stopping at the visitor center to get the park unigrid map, which by this point had became a collectible in my park stuff.
It was nearly 20 years before I pulled back into Hot Springs. I had a few more coins at that point, and decided to purchase a $20 soak at Quapaw Baths, partially because the price included a hot shower.
I enjoyed my time in the public tub, met some cool people and left the spa quite content with my time there. I hiked to Goat Rock, toured everything I could, and stayed at the Gulpha Gorge Campground, which by-the-way, is the only national park campground to be located within walking distance of a strip club… Often referred to as a “gentleman’s club”… I didn’t find it to be that exactly… I digress…
Nevertheless, I enjoyed my visit to Hot Springs, and have been back two times since. I always cruise into the Quapaw for a quick soak, and find my way to the trails in order to put in a few miles before jumping back into my rig, in order to put in another 300 miles or so that day.
I don’t consider the park to be a great destination park, but it could be nice for a weekend getaway. There are plenty of bars and restaurants that can keep one busy while in town, and the recent development of the Northwood Mountain Bike Trails extends the array of possible activities.
So yeah, I’ll be back to enjoy a soak on my next drive through Arkansas…
See ya there…
Guide to Hot Springs
Relevant Links
National Park Guides
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