Photographed and Written by Gwendolyn Call
When you think of Arkansas, you may not think of a must-see destination. But we are here to change your mind. There’s a reason why more than two million tourists visit every year. You can immerse yourself in art and culture in museums or escape to hikes, waterfalls and lakes. The diversity of Hot Springs will keep any traveler with any agenda happy. Plus, it’s packed with history. With the ability to build your plan for solo travel or families, we know you’ll love your visit.
Be sure to download your FREE PDF copy of the Top 10 Things to do in Hot Springs, Arkansas by clicking here! And join in on the fun as Randy, Caly and Gwendolyn talk about Hot Springs on the RVD Podcast by clicking here!
10. Drink the Water – Water from the hot springs is Hot Springs National Park’s primary resource. Congress first protected the hot springs in 1832 and intended for the community to use the water. Thousands of visitors highly endorse the excellent quality of the hot springs water and fill bottles to take home. Drinking the hot springs water is perfectly normal, even encouraged.
9. Downtown Shops and Fun – Downtown Hot Springs is one of the most intriguing downtown areas ever seen. The mix of having a National Park at your fingertips, hikes and restaurants alongside shopping is fantastic. You can start your day with breakfast, hop over to the National Park for a tour, enjoy walking around shopping then make your way to one of the bathhouses. We highly recommend Grateful Head Pizza for dinner, then ending your night at one of the many local sweet shops.
8. The Quapaw Bathhouse – Once ready to take the plunge and soak, we highly recommend the Quapaw Bathhouse, one of two locations where visitors can soak in the thermal springs. Quapaw offers private baths, public pools and modern-day spa services. The Quapaw Bathhouse opened in 1922. It’s the most extended building on Bathhouse Row and an experience unlike any other. The thermal springs are piped directly into this bathhouse, offering users an authentic water experience.
7. The Display Springs – The Display Springs is one of the few open-air springs accessible in the park. In the 1930s, after decades of being covered by a grate, the Display Springs were uncovered to show thermal springs in their natural state. Scientists in the 1970s determined that the time it takes one water particle to rain, flow down the rock layers, be heated at depth and return to the surface via the fault line is more than 4,000 years! The roughly four dozen springs produce more than 700,000 gallons of water daily at an average temperature of 143 degrees Fahrenheit—readily the hottest springs east of the Rocky Mountains.
6. The Promenade – The Grand Promenade is a National Recreation Trail that runs parallel to the Bathhouse Row, behind the bathhouses. It’s about a half-mile long and made entirely out of brick. The inspiration for its design came from the Prado, a pedestrian walkway in Havana, Cuba. It is also a great place to walk and offers many benches, tables and a table for playing chess. If you enjoy photography, this is a great location to capture pictures.
5. Lake Catherine State Park – Arkansas is home to the Diamond Lakes: a group of five lakes known for their pristine and sparkling waters. Lake Catherine State Park is one of them and is a stunning destination for all four seasons. Spring and summer are popular times for swimming, hiking and fishing, but fall also attracts visitors for the changing colors of the leaves. The best part about this park is you can camp here and enjoy all the hikes. Other park amenities include trails, playgrounds, horseback riding stables, a marina and a visitor’s center.
4. Ouachita National Forest – This National Forest is a paragon of beauty and tranquility, stretching 1.8 million acres between Arkansas and Oklahoma. You’ll be amazed by hills, lakes, streams and all its natural beauty. Sightseeing is the most popular activity in the park, but it will be up to you to decide how to explore. Trek on foot; hop on a mountain bike; put the pedal to the metal on an ATV. You can even rent a saddle for a horseback ride along the hills. Many outdoor adventures include camping, boating, fishing and hunting.
3. Superior Bathhouse Brewery – Located within Hot Springs National Park, this is the first brewery built inside a National Park and one of the old bathhouses. The architectural design is impressive. With a huge outside area, this is a welcome spot for your furry friends and kiddos. It also has another distinction, using thermal spring water in its drinks and dishes. The taste stands out and is crisp, delicious and unlike anything that you’ve had before. The brewery serves alcoholic beverages along with classic pub fare menu items. It was all delicious.
2. Bathhouse Row – Sliding into the springs is as simple as visiting Bathhouse Row, a series of eight historic bathing houses along the hills. The Bathhouse Row you see today consists of eight bathhouse buildings that were constructed between the years 1892 and 1923. Just simply walking by each to admire the architectural design is astounding. Bathhouse Row is the most extensive remaining collection of early 20th-century bathhouses in the United States, making this a must-see. This area and the Grand Promenade were designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1987.
1. Hot Springs National Park – You can’t visit Hot Springs without visiting the National Park. This is one of the most unique National Parks we’ve seen, and it’s situated in the heart of downtown Hot Springs. Formed by deep, high-pressure currents flowing through the rock of the Ouachita Mountains, they date back thousands and thousands of years and are said to have healing properties from their minerals and their temperatures. The National Park has something for everyone, from bathhouse tours to the Junior Ranger Program for the kids. It’s packed with history and science.
Below are some of the fountain locations for your enjoyment:
In front of the Libbey Memorial Physical Medicine Center on Reserve Street—suitable for filling jugs
In front of the National Park Service Administration Building on Reserve Street—suitable for filling jugs
Between the Hale and Maurice Bathhouses on Bathhouse Row
The Noble Fountain on Reserve Street at the south entrance of the Grand Promenade
The Dripping Spring between the Hale and Maurice Bathhouses
The Shell Fountain on the Stevens Balustrade between the Fordyce and the Maurice Bathhouses
As you can see, Hot Springs, Arkansas, is a fun-filled city where you can indulge in everything from thermal baths to mountain climbing to eating delicious food and drinking.
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