The oldest federally protected park in the United States, Hot Springs National Park has dozens of natural hot springs and preserves the beautiful historic Gilded Age-era bathing houses on Bathhouse Row.
There are many remarkable things about Hot Springs National Park, located in the heart of Arkansas. The second-smallest of all American national parks, at-first-sight-unassuming Hot Springs has a legitimate claim to the status of ‘oldest national park in the U.S.’
Although Yellowstone is generally considered the oldest national park in the world, the fact remains that the Hot Springs Reservation, established by President Andrew Jackson in 1832 and the predecessor of Hot Springs National Park, is almost half a century older.
So, while Yellowstone might be the first official “national park” bearing that name, the Hot Springs Reservation was the first-ever park created federally by an act of the United States Congress.
The Hot Springs Reservation—basically the same area as modern-day Hot Springs National Park—is older even than the very idea of “national parks”.
That, however, is not the only thing that distinguishes Hot Springs from essentially all other American national parks. Additionally, this is one of only two parks that lies in the middle of a town.
The town of Hot Springs originated around a collection of 40+ natural hot springs, heated by geothermal energy. Humans have used them to treat physical ailments for thousands of years.
Native Americans visited the “Valley of Vapors” for many millennia before the first European explorers showed up in the area. The first one to arrive was Hernando de Soto, a Spanish Conquistador who went for a wash in the springs in 1541.
American explorers Dunbar and Hunter also passed through and stopped in Hot Springs on their expedition after the Louisiana Purchase by Thomas Jefferson in 1803. Only a handful years later, in 1807, the first actual American settlers arrived.
The natural hot springs’ alleged healing powers have attracted people for many generations, including Prohibition-era gangsters and mobsters like Al Capone, resulting in the construction of various bathhouses and spa buildings. The current Bathhouse Row, a National Historic Landmark District, dates from between 1912 and 1922.
This is a very small park and one day is plenty of time to explore everything it has to offer. In 24 hours, you can easily hike some of its trails, stroll on Bathhouse Row and the Grand Promenade, see an actual hot spring (almost all of them are now covered) and even enjoy a spa treatment.
Don’t forget to stop by the Superior Bathhouse Brewery, the only craft brewery within a U.S. national park. This is also the first brewery in the world to use thermal spring water as its main ingredient.
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Highlights of Hot Springs National Park
You don’t need more than a day and a night to explore Hot Springs. (The Gulpha Gorge Campground is nice and there are several hotels in Hot Springs town as well.) This park is extremely small and exceptionally walkable.
The main touristic focal points are Bathhouse Row and the Grand Promenade, which parallel one another and feature respectively the historic bathhouses and many of the hot springs.
- Hot Springs Mountain Tower
- Bathhouse Row with its eight historic bathhouses, including the fascinating visitor center in Fordyce Bathhouse
- Grand Promenade with the ‘Open Spring’ behind Maurice Bathhouse and, especially, the ‘Hot Spring Cascade’ at Arlington Lawn
- Superior Bathhouse Brewery
Accommodation Near Hot Springs National Park
Located in the northern part of the city of Hot Springs, the national park is in an urban area home to several accommodations. The park itself has the Gulpha Gorge Campground and Hotel Hale (which is in a historic bathhouse), while the surrounding city offers a wealth of other accommodation options.
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Useful Info
Location: Central Arkansas
Nearest Town: Hot Springs
Area: 8.7 square miles (5,550 acres)
Annual Visitors (2022): 2,646,133
Features: Numerous natural hot springs, historic bathhouses
Top Attractions: Bathhouse Row, spa treatments, Hot Springs Mountain Tower, the Grand Promenade, hot springs
Popular Activities: Bathing and relaxing, camping, hiking, picnicking
Suggested Stay: 1 day / 1 night
Campground: Gulpha Gorge Campground (40 sites)
More Information: National Park Service
(Somewhat) Nearby National Parks:
Situated in central Arkansas, Hot Springs is pretty far from any other national park in the United States. In fact, the nearest park, Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, is almost 500 miles (800 kilometers) northeast from Hot Springs.
This is why this park is usually not a part of any national parks road trip. However, crosscountry drivers will find that Hot Springs makes for an ideal, refreshing and relaxing stop.
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