Hot Springs National Park has been on my list for a while, of places I wanted to visit. I first learned about Hot Springs National Park, when watching a documentary on President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He advocated for thermal hydrotherapy as it was thought at the time to aid certain sicknesses or aftereffects of diseases like polio. Polio largely affected many individuals including FDR himself in 1921.
After watching that documentary, I pictured many small ponds that were about the size of swimming pools and many people wading through the pools of water. For this reason, Nathan and I actually took our swimwear and were ready to go to Hot Springs. We arrived when it was very chilly out, nearly 32 degrees, we drove a loop around the town to get our bearing’s and drove to the top of a small range of mountains, the Ouachita Mountains. We parked in the woods; busting out the Yeti we ate a very early lunch and picnic. At the top of the mountain was an observation tower (an upgraded fire tower now used for tourism). You can go to the top off the tower for a fee of $13 and your National Park Pass will not get you into the tower for free unfortunately.
We drove down the mountain road and it took us straight into town. There is no entry fee into the park as it is not like Zion or Bryce, where there is a gate to drive through to get in because the National Park is just the entire town. I recommend getting there early. We got there around 9:00 am and the single parking garage in downtown was already basically full. We visited in early March so I would not consider that peak visitor season and still had quit a few visitors.
The buildings that belonged to the NPS were all on same street and were all bath houses. To my disappointment there was not public hot spring soaking options. You are able to reserve a spot in only one of the eight original bath houses. The rest of the bath houses have been turned into art rooms, gift shops, and other uses for the NPS.
We walked through several buildings and walked up the hill to the Grand Promenade to see one of the main of the main Hot Springs. A natural spring bubbles up from the ground. Since this spring was on a hill it created a hot waterfall and all the hot water pooled at the bottom of the hill. Even if there had been an option to soak in it like a hot tub it would have been far too hot for that. I could only put my hand in the water for a few seconds. In the town were several fountains that had hot water coming out of them and you could see the steam coming off them. If you stood close enough, you could get a free facial steam.
A couple buildings were under renovations, and we did not have the opportunity to walk through everyone. We were there about five hours and felt as though we saw everything that we were interested in. Within the National Park we walked around town and came to Kollective Tea and Coffee, where I got a hot mocha latte and Nathan got a hot chocolate. Lastly, we swung by the Mountain Valley Spring Water and bought several cases of water, and we were on our way.
I want to mention a place we did not stop at but think you should definitely swing by. The Anthony Chapel, it is located at Garvan’s Woodland Gardens on the campus of University of Arkansas. If and when we drive through there again, we will definitely be stopping there.
Audrey Hikes a Lot 