Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, USA - map, photos and visitor information

Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas is built around a downtown street as well as wooded hills. Bathhouse Row is the starting point for a museum visit, a paid thermal bath, or a walk toward the forest trails. Choose those experiences separately: park admission is free, but bathing services and overnight stays have their own costs. There are no outdoor thermal pools where visitors can soak.

Highlights in Hot Springs

• Fordyce Bathhouse: Explore a former bathhouse that now serves as the park museum and visitor center.
• Bathhouse Row: See historic buildings with different modern uses, including bathing facilities, dining, and lodging.
• Grand Promenade: Walk the paved route behind Bathhouse Row, with benches and interpretive stops.
• Wooded mountain trails: Leave the downtown sidewalks for interconnected trails on Hot Springs, North, and West mountains.

Know before visiting the baths and trails

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Take heat and thermal water seriously

Carry water when leaving Bathhouse Row for a hike. Forest trails can be steep and uneven, even close to town. Watch the forecast for thunderstorms, wear shoes with traction, and check for ticks after walking through vegetation. Leave wildlife alone and keep food and waste secured.

NPS reports Legionella bacteria in some thermal-water samples and identifies inhalation as the concern, especially for susceptible visitors. Its notice does not identify ordinary bathing or drinking as the current concern. Read the park's thermal-water guidance before bathing if this could affect you, and discuss medical concerns with your clinician. The park's history as a health resort is not evidence that bathing will treat an illness.

Use food-grade containers that can withstand hot water when collecting from designated jug fountains. Do not treat a display spring as a bathing pool.

Share trails and protect the springs

Dogs can use all park trails on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Pets cannot enter federal buildings, including the visitor center. Keep them attended, remove their waste, and carry water for them. Hot pavement and a parked car can be dangerous in summer.

Do not feed squirrels, birds, or other wildlife. Stay on established routes rather than cutting across vegetation near the springs. Historic bathing equipment is part of a museum collection, not a facility for visitor use.

Book the experience you actually want

All 40 Gulpha Gorge campsites require an advance Recreation.gov reservation. The standard booking window extends up to six months ahead. Accessible sites have a shorter release window; contact the visitor center if you need to plan further ahead. The campground instructions explain site limits and booking arrangements.

Buckstaff offers traditional bathing for visitors age 10 and older. Quapaw offers thermal pools and spa services for visitors age 14 and older. Contact the chosen operator about availability, prices, and appointment rules. A campsite reservation does not include a bath, and a park visit does not require booking a bathing service.

Finding Bathhouse Row and the trail areas

Start at Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center, 369 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901. It is in the downtown area rather than behind a conventional park entrance station. Street parking and the garage at 128 Exchange Street are metered. Allow for the walk to the museum and the busy Central Avenue crossing.

Pick up a paper trail map at Fordyce or use the official trail guide to choose a starting point. Hot Springs and North Mountain trails connect with access near the bathhouses, mountain drive, and campground. West Mountain trails have separate approaches from Whittington Park and Canyon Trailhead.

Nearby parks around Hot Springs

• Lake Catherine State Park: A separate drive from downtown leads to 1200 Catherine Park Road in Hot Springs.
• Lake Ouachita State Park: Reach this lake park at 5451 Mountain Pine Road, near Mountain Pine.

Combine history with a walk outdoors

Begin with the Fordyce museum if you want to understand the buildings before choosing a bath. Its displays cover historic bathing routines, equipment, and the use of water in earlier medical practice. The restored interior helps explain why this urban landscape became a protected place.

The Grand Promenade is a half-mile paved route behind the bathhouses. It provides a shorter outing with seating. For a forest walk, choose a manageable combination of the mountain trails and check how the return route connects to your starting point.

Sunset Trail is a larger commitment: NPS describes about 10 miles one way, with connecting trails needed for a longer circuit. Do not mistake the name for a short downtown evening stroll. Plan a section or a full route with daylight, water, and transport in mind.

A thermal bath is another distinct activity. Families with children below the bathing facilities' age limits can still visit the museum and walk the park. Check business schedules before organizing the entire day around a treatment.

Restrooms, water, camping, and accessibility

Fordyce has basement restrooms and water, an elevator serving its floors, and wheelchairs available to borrow for museum use. Bathhouse Row has paved walks and benches. Ramps reach the Grand Promenade behind Fordyce and at the north end near Fountain Street; there is no ramp at the south end near Reserve Street. Review the park accessibility details before selecting an approach.

Designated jug fountains provide spring water without charge. Carry water for the trails rather than assuming each route has a fountain. Whittington Park has seating, but no restrooms.

Gulpha Gorge accommodates tents and RVs. Sites have electric, water, and sewer hookups, a picnic table, and a grill. They are not pull-through sites. The campground has modern restrooms and showers accessed with the code in the reservation information.

Hotel Hale operates in the former Hale Bathhouse. Other bathhouses contain food or retail businesses. Use the bathhouse and tower hours page to reach the relevant operator. The historic building name does not necessarily mean that bathing is available inside.

About Hot Springs National Park

From a federal reservation to a national park

Indigenous people used the area's novaculite stone for tools long before the resort town developed. Federal protection began with Hot Springs Reservation in 1832. The national park designation followed in 1921. Bathhouse construction and later reuse shaped the street visitors see today, while Fordyce changed from a working bathhouse to a museum.

Forest habitats beside the city

Rocky wooded slopes and creek valleys support white-tailed deer, groundhogs, chipmunks, and squirrels. Dense vegetation can make animals difficult to see. Look quietly from the trail and use binoculars rather than approaching. The downtown setting does not remove the need to watch for snakes or protect food from wildlife.

Contact Hot Springs National Park

Visitor information: 501-620-6715. Mail goes to Hot Springs National Park, 101 Reserve Street, Hot Springs, AR 71901. Use the official contact page for email inquiries. The Fordyce visitor entrance is on Central Avenue, separate from the mailing address.