Hot Springs National Park — Attraction in Hot Springs

Though our stop in Hot Springs, Arkansas, was brief—just a quick detour on our drive from Little Rock to Houston—it left us eager to return and uncover more of this charming little town’s magic. With limited time and a goal to reach Houston by dark, we couldn’t dive into all that Hot Springs has to offer, but what we did experience was more than enough to make it a memorable pitstop. Take this review as a snapshot of a fleeting visit, one that still managed to capture the town’s allure. After an overnight stay in Little Rock, we set our sights on catching a National Park site along the way, and Hot Springs National Park proved the perfect spot to stretch our legs. Our main focus was the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, a short but scenic drive from downtown that gave us just enough time to soak in the town’s stunning architecture. The bathhouses and surrounding buildings exude a timeless elegance—likely from the 1920s or ‘30s, I’d guess—radiating a beauty that’s hard to miss, even from a quick drive-by. It’s a teaser of what awaits those with more time to explore. The road up to the observation tower felt a bit uncertain at first, winding through quiet stretches that had me second-guessing our route. But passing friendly hikers and fellow travelers reassured us we were on the right path—and oh, was it worth it. At the top, we were greeted by breathtaking, sweeping views of rolling hills stretching endlessly across the horizon. I’d forgotten my binoculars (much to my oldest child’s dismay), but even without them, the vista was awe-inspiring. A National Parks Pass or veteran status scores you a discount on the tower admission—well worth it—and applies to the gift shop too. The ride up in the wide-open elevator is slow but delightful, with a large window framing the scenery as you ascend. At the summit, a charming little museum awaits, filled with bite-sized historical nuggets about Hot Springs’ golden era. Step outside, and the observation deck delivers panoramic perfection: miles of lush hills on one side, and on the other, a bird’s-eye view of the town’s architectural gems below. Even with some buildings under maintenance during our visit, their beauty shone through—testament to a town clearly built with care and pride. If you go, bring binoculars; the views deserve every detail you can catch. Back in town, we hit a couple of snags. Traffic was a minor hassle, and parking was the real challenge. With four kids in tow and a tight schedule, we didn’t have time to navigate the limited spots—mostly pay-to-park or a short walk from the main attractions. It’s not that the parking isn’t worth it (I’m sure it is for a longer stay), but for us, it wasn’t practical this time. We opted to keep moving, though the bathhouses called to us from afar. In the end, our family adored this quick stop. The observation tower was right up our alley—scenic, manageable, and memorable—and it gave us a taste of Hot Springs’ unique blend of nature and history. We didn’t get to linger in the bathhouses or stroll the streets, but what we saw was enough to convince us: this little town is a hidden gem worth a longer visit. For travelers passing through or planning a deeper dive, Hot Springs offers something special—just don’t forget those binoculars!

This version enhances the appeal by emphasizing the highlights (stunning views, historic charm), smoothing out the flow, and framing the challenges (parking, time constraints) in a way that feels relatable rather than off-putting. It’s inviting to both spontaneous road-trippers and those planning a more leisurely stay. What do you think? Any...

The city if Hot Springs is about to open a walkway park off TV Hill on the 10th of October. There are a couple of things that they are hiding. One is the tributary that runs under the first small bridge toward town off TV Hill that has not been fixed. Cates Construction got paid to deepen this and widen to 15 feet and he did nothing. He was paid $4500 to fix this and did nothing. It is dammed up to the point of people walking across rock that has dammed it up. The BIG problem is I caught e-coli out of tributary in May of 24', and almost died in ER and symptoms have hung with me almost a year. I will have some that will be forever, but lucky to be alive. I know a young man that got in Hot Springs Creek and almost lost his hand and the Dr. said his life. My therapist spend days in hospital with e-coli and thought she was going to lose her life. I had no idea what was wrong when I had to go to ER and thought for the first time ever, I was going to die. When e-coli was detected 24 times the amount in Lake Catherine, I started researching and I fit every symptom there was. The problem with finding why you are dying, and it is not a regular test and the idiot Dr. I went to said there was only one test and that was too much trouble and I found that was a feces test. After being exposed and you never know when that will be, that the symptoms do not show up 3 to 5 days after being exposed. This tributary has so much raw sewage rolling into it during almost every rain. Since this tributary is dammed up, especially on the Hot Springs property side, puddles of water stand and very possibly has e-coli in each and misquotes are breeding in those, which also carry disease. I AM ASKING EACH OF YOU TO CONTACT YOUR COUNCIL PERSON AND GIVE THEM THIS INFORMATION AND ASK THAT THIS DITCH BE FIXED TO FLOW. I HAVE CONTACTED SO MANY AGENCIES IN THIS STATE AND NO ONE WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. DON'T LET THEM RISK YOUR FAMILY'S LIFE BY IGNORING. THEY HAVE IGNORED ME FOR 3 YEARS, BUT FOR A YEAR I HAD TO BACK OFF EMAILS , BECAUSE I WAS SO SICK. I LET HS USE MY LAND TO ACTUALLY GET IN AND OUT FOR 18 MONTHS TO BUILD THIS WITH THE PROMISE THAT THE DITCH WOULD LOOK GOOD AND BE DONE RIGHT. HS TORE IT UP AND THEY PAY TO FIX IT and as you can see not fixed. LOOK AS YOU CROSS BRIDGE TO SEE WHAT I HAVE DEALT WITH FOR YEARS. THE PICS BELOW ARE SOME OF THE OVERFLOWS NEAR THIS TRIBUTARY. THIS DITCH PRACTICALLY DOES NOT EXIST ON THIS SIDE OF THE STREET AND SEWAGE LIDS FROM OTHER SIDE ARE FLOWING IN HERE FOR 24 HOURS AT A TIME. THINK OF BIG RAINS THAT HAVE OVERFLOWED OVER WALKWAY THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE ON. I NEED THE PUBLIC HELP ON THIS. OUR REPRESENTATIVE WAS TREATED RUDELY WHEN HE TALKED TO CITY MANAGER ABOUT THIS. HE SAID IT LOOKED LIKE A SWAMP AND IT IS. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME. Pics are1. Ditch flat on HS property, not flowing 2. Sewer lid leaks behind my property, close to tributary 3.sewer water from #2 goes almost to walkway. 4. Misquote den in tributary. 5.Horrible manhole leak and within a few feet of Hot Springs Creek. Leaked for 2 years and smelled for over 2 blocks, before walk way. 6. Just one place asphalt already giving way months ago, water, just flowing, out of tributary dug out huge holes in dirt...

Not what you expect when you think of a National park-but it’s unique. The only National park to be situated in an urban area-you don’t have to worry about losing cell signal or wifi in this national park. The downtown area is neat with lots of shops, restaurants, and museums-as well as the two bathhouses. I recommend stopping at the Fordcye visitors center early on in your visit (or read up on the history of the park beforehand, but I think the visitors center is cooler-and free) so you understand why the park is the way it is. Also you can knock out the best things to do in the park within a day if you’re pressed for time. If you want to relax a little more 2-3 days is the perfect amount of time here. The other awesome part of this park is the blend of urban and nature-the park boasts over 20 hiking trails and while it was too hot during our July visit to hike a whole lot-there are many shady, easy/moderate trails that you can explore without getting too overheated-just hike early in the morning. On the trails we saw several small herds of deer which was really cool. The park is busy on the weekends during summer but the crowd wasn’t overwhelming. I do kind of wish we had gone in the spring as it looked like there would have been many cool little water spots on the trails but during summer they were all dry. If you want more of a nature vibe I would highly recommend staying at Gulpha Gorge Campground-absolutely beautiful, great place to wade in the creek even in the summer, and you can literally hike from the campground to the center of town (please note that 0.8 mile of the only trail to get there is up a cliff so it’s uphill switchbacks the entire first part and is a moderate hike).

Overall, it’s not a blow you away National park like Yosemite or some of the others. I wouldn’t travel a crazy long way specifically to see it but if you are in a nearby state or somewhat close it’s worth the visit. It’s got historical vibes, lovely architecture, and some beautiful views. It’s probably the best park for people who want to visit a national park but aren’t really into the nature and hiking and outdoor activities thing. And a good park for easy/intermediate hikers and moderate nature lovers.

*Don’t miss Fordcye spring in the basement of the Fordcye museum it was my favorite thing to see in the urban area. *We loved the hike up to the mountain tower, however, the elevator is a bit expensive and you only spend like 5-10 minutes at the top but the 360 view is really neat. Some in my party thought it was worth it, others disagreed and said the free views from the hike and around the base of the tower were just fine. *Bathhouses were cool if you have never been to a mineral or hot spring before but if you have this one is fun but not terribly necessary. (Warm mineral springs in Florida had better results regarding the healing...