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Natural Monuments

Hot Springs National Park Historic Baths walk

Natural Monuments

Hot Springs National Park Historic Baths walk

Highlight • Historical Site

Hot Springs National Park Historic Baths walk

Name: Hot Springs National Park Historic Baths walk
Rating: 2

Recommended by 6 hikers

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Location: Hot Springs, Garland County, Arkansas, United States

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Best Hikes to Hot Springs National Park Historic Baths walk

5.0

(2)

hikers

1. Hot Springs Mountain loop – Hot Springs

10.6km

03:06

300m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

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2. Gulpha Gorge Campground – Hot Spring Cascade loop from Hot Springs

22.5km

06:43

690m

Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Hard

4.5

(2)

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3. Hot Springs Mountain Tower – Goat Rock Overlook loop from Hot Springs

7.32km

02:10

210m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

Tips

Jamie S.

June 23, 2025

The Hot Springs National Park Historic Baths Walk takes you past the iconic bathhouses that made this area famous. Running along Bathhouse Row, the paved route winds through the heart of downtown Hot Springs, where you’ll see early 20th-century buildings like the Fordyce, Buckstaff, and Quapaw, each with its own story in the park’s long spa tradition. Interpretive signs and restored architecture offer a glimpse into the era when this was a major health destination. It’s a short, accessible walk and you can still step inside for a soak, just as visitors did a century ago.

Olaf 1/Ω

November 20, 2019

Here you can stroll along old bathhouses and see hot water coming out of the earth in some places.

Translated by Google •

🕊️ 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒓

January 27, 2016

Go here in winter to avoid all crowds and enjoy grand old-style bathouse treatment with natural hot water in the crisp air.

"Hot Springs Reservation was initially created by an act of the United States Congress on April 20, 1832 to be preserved for future recreation. Established before the concept of a national park existed, it was the first time that a piece of land had been set aside by the federal government to preserve its use as an area for recreation.

The hot spring water has been popularly believed for centuries to possess medicinal properties, and was a subject of legend among several Native American tribes. Following federal protection in 1832, the city developed into a successful spa town. Incorporated January 10, 1851, the city has been home to Major League Baseball spring training, illegal gambling, speakeasies and gangsters such as Al Capone, horse racing at Oaklawn Park, the Army and Navy Hospital, and 42nd President Bill Clinton. The area was made a national park on March 4, 1921. It is the smallest national park by area in the United States, the oldest park maintained by the National Park Service.

Following 8,000 years of use by indigenous peoples, European Americans discovered and appropriated the springs. They have used the hot spring water in therapeutic baths for more than 200 years to treat rheumatism and other ailments. While this was a reservation, the area developed into a well-known resort nicknamed The American Spa; it attracted not only the wealthy but indigent health seekers from around the world.

The park includes portions of downtown Hot Springs, making it one of the most accessible national parks. There are numerous hiking trails and camping areas. Bathing in spring water is available in approved facilities at extra cost. The entire Bathhouse Row area is designated as a National Historic Landmark District that contains the grandest collection of bathhouses of its kind in North America, including many outstanding examples of Gilded Age architecture. The row's Fordyce Bathhouse serves as the park's visitor center; the Buckstaff and Quapaw are the only facilities in 2015 still operating as bathhouses. "

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Springs_National_Park

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Elevation 210 m

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Sunday 21 December

15°C

7°C

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Max wind speed: 13.0 km/h

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Location: Hot Springs, Garland County, Arkansas, United States

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Hot Springs National Park Historic Baths walk

1. Hot Springs Mountain loop – Hot Springs

2. Gulpha Gorge Campground – Hot Spring Cascade loop from Hot Springs

3. Hot Springs Mountain Tower – Goat Rock Overlook loop from Hot Springs

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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