Hot Springs

After a stressful evening of driving through the narrow and winding backroads of the mountains of Arkansas, we finally arrived at our small roadside motel. The next morning dawned cool and crisp, and we were excited to explore the famous resort town of Hot Springs.

Hot Springs, Arkansas, is a city located in the Ouachita Mountains and is home to Hot Springs National Park, the oldest national park maintained by the National Park Service. The history of Hot Springs dates back to the 18th century when Native American tribes, including the Quapaw, used the hot springs for their medicinal properties. In the 19th century, Hot Springs became a popular destination for wealthy travelers who believed in the therapeutic properties of the hot springs.

The hot springs and bathhouses continued to draw visitors to Hot Springs throughout the 20th century. In 1921, Hot Springs National Park was established to preserve the natural resources of the area and to provide a public park for the enjoyment of visitors.

We were up early, and the national park office wasn't open yet. We parked at one of the free downtown parking garages, then took a walk up and down the charming downtown streets of Hot Springs. The streets were lined with cafes, souvenir shops, and trendy bars. It's a really cool town!

At the end of the street, you'll see the famous Arlington Hotel. The hotel is one of the iconic landmarks in Hot Springs and the most famous hotel in town.

While we waited for the national park office to open so that we could tour the historic bathhouses, my wife and I took a walk along the Grand Promenade, a half-mile bricked walking path in the hills of Hot Springs that runs just behind and above the historic Bathhouse Row. It was a cool morning, and steam was rising from the pools and springs around town.

There are also fountains around town where visitors can taste the famous healing waters of the hot springs. Of course, I had to try it!

I didn't enjoy the hot water that much, but I did really like it when it had been cooled off, and before leaving the town I joined a line of local folk who were filling up empty gallon jugs with the water so that I could top up my tumbler for the upcoming drive.

Bathhouse Row is the most iconic stretch of street in Hot Springs. It's a National Historic Landmark, and one of the best-preserved stretches of Gilded Age architecture in the United States.

Home to eight historic bathhouses which are now preserved as part of the National Historic District, Bathhouse Row hosts the national park office, the Bathhouse Emporium, the only brewery in the nation to use mineral spring water for their beers, and more.

The park visitor's center, located in Fordyce Bathhouse, opened at 9am, and we went inside to collect the stamp for our national park passports and to take the free self-guided tour of the preserved historic bathhouse. This particular bathhouse closed in 1962, and the last bathhouse resort closed in the 1980s before they were bought up and renovated by the National Parks Department.

In its heyday, Hot Springs was the resort of the rich and famous. The famed healing waters attracted people from all around the world. 

The bathhouses were a place of luxury, and as you walk through the quiet halls of the old bathhouse - now a national park museum - you can feel how exclusive it must have been. Stained glass windows adorn the halls, and everything seems to have been made for Victorian-era luxury.

Besides bathing in the hot springs, visitors would sunbathe on the upper patios of the resort, undergo a number of interesting 19th century "health" treatments (such as electro massage, light therapy, etc.), and sit in a luxurious parlor where they would sip chilled spring water beneath a spectacular stained-glass ceiling.

There was even an old-fashioned gymnasium.

The most impressive room was the bathing area itself. There were private bathing stalls where visitors could relax in peace, and a luxurious common area where visitors could relax and converse.

Because a good portion of Hot Springs National Park is located downtown (and much of it indoors), Hot Springs NP is considered to be one of the most accessible national parks in the country. It's fascinating to visit.

We wanted to see the outdoors portion of the park as well, which was located in the woods just behind Bathhouse row. There are camping grounds, hiking trails, and more, and while it's one of the smaller national parks in the country, it's also one of the more visited.

 

We drove up a winding road through the park to the top of a hill where we could see the sprawling hills of the wild Arkansas landscape stretching out for miles.

Before leaving Hot Springs on the way to our next destination, we stopped in at Mr. Whiskers, a local institution, to sample the official state dish of Arkansas: fried catfish!