The 38 best walking spots in Hot Springs

Interesting park, totally different than any other park I've been to! Cool history, nice little town with historic bathhouses that you can still reserve space and enjoy, nestled in between the hills where the hot spring water flows from. Some good hiking and a nice tower with an elevator to the top with great views of the whole area.

This is a unique National Park. While it’s not the rugged hiker’s paradise that many others are, it has its own special charm. The historic bathhouses are fascinating to see, and the urban setting makes it perfect for a couple’s outing or casual day trip. I hiked the Peak Trail—super easy, though hot in the midday sun—and was rewarded with a beautiful view of Arkansas’s lush greenery from the top. Definitely worth a visit.

I had such a great experience visiting Hot Springs National Park! The mix of nature and history makes it a truly unique place — you can hike beautiful forest trails and then relax in the historic bathhouses. The water is warm, soothing, and perfect after a long walk. Everything is well-maintained, and the atmosphere feels peaceful and welcoming.

I understand protecting our natural resources, but I question the initial intention of the park and what it has become. Set within the town of Hot Springs, there are only 2 bathhouses still functioning. Originally “preserved for future recreation” by Congress in 1832, before National Parks were established, it seems like it was originally intended by as “medicinal”playground for the rich and famous (not surprising) and now, not so much. Still, the springs and history are fascinating and you should at least try one of the open bathhouses if you visit. There is some shopping and a few hiking trails, but not much else.

The Hot Springs National Park unfortunately was closed due to government shut-downs. However, we were still able to access the springs and the trails. The hot springs average around 130F so use caution if you have your small children with you. We had a 5yo & 7yo and they were able to be careful and enjoy touching and learning about the springs. Because the park is integrated within the downtown, it didn’t take long to walk the trail. There’s a lot more trails to hike that we did not do with our youngest kids this trip.

Different kind of Mario Al park. Not a lot of hiking trails, but we did manage to do about 4 miles, uphill for a mile straight, so there are options. There are also roads going to the attractions that the trails end at if you’re not into hiking. One unique thing about this park is the bathhouses that are still operating for a one of a kind spa experience. Cool park, but keep in mind this is an urban area, not the solitary park you may be used to.

Very nice park. We'll maintained. Great views. If your in the area, might as well as checkout out!

Mountain vibes! We trekked the Sunset Trail in Hot Springs National Park on 22nd March 2025 to experience the beauty of the Hot Springs’ mountains. This is the longest trail in this National Park which is moderately challenging because of its length. The trail spans three major roads making it a sort of segmented route: West Mountain, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Stonebridge Road. We began the trek from the Gulpha Gorge campground in an anticlockwise direction. This is a 13.5-mile loop trail type with 2385 ft elevation gain that leads us through town, along roads, and across several other trails. There were large stretches of flat terrain and long, gentle ascents throughout the route. We really liked the characters in the Sugarloaf mountains and Balanced Rock trail. Throughout the trail we found variety of wild flowers and branches with light pink blossoms. With the stunning views, we relished our snack on the Balanced Rock trail. After around 10-mile of trekking we crossed two scenic overlooks to reach the Canyon trail. As the trail descends it leads to the historic town of Hot Springs where we stopped at the hot water cascade to see the area's ancient geological past and some of its famous landmarks including the Arlington Hotel. We then proceeded to the campground via the Upper Dogwood and Gulpha Gorge trails. The Gulpha Gorge trail features good descent and switchbacks. The entire trail is well maintained and properly marked. It took us about 9 hours to finish the trek. Overall, the whole trail doesn’t have much impression on us but we had a good time. Suggestions- 1) Please check the weather forecast and check the trail conditions from the park's website. 2) Start the trek little earlier. 3) Please wear sturdy shoes. Although we didn't use hiking poles on every section of the trail, but we believe it would be wise to have them on hand in case knee support is required. 4) Please bring snack and adequate water for this trek. 5) Please follow the principles of Leave No Trace.

It was a long trail with a nice scenic view at starting point. There are shorter trails as well. It took 8 hours to hime ~16 miles (lost my trail 😂). At a point there was river, where it was fun to walk in ice-cold water in the hot weather. It was really a great fun. Be careful about ticks.

This is a nice trail but it has some steep parts that are not switchbacks; however it isn't too long. We saw several birds including an owl.

Good long hike!! Makes the most of the mountains in the park. We started at the balanced rock trail head instead of grapa gorge. This hike had some strenuous up hill sections as well as some nice long gentle slopes. be warned the the actual sunset trail is only a portion of this hike as sunset trail only runs from west rim look out to grapa gorge campground. This loop takes you through town, along roads, and across a number of other trails to make it a loop. easy to get lost or turned around if you arnt paying attention. Over all a good hike. Lack of clarity on the trails and the long sections along roads and through town is a little lackluster but i think it makes the most of this relatively small national park.

We enjoyed sunset hike! It was pretty, with the occasional view of the valley. I will warn you, the first quarter mile is STEEP and very rocky, which makes it easy to slip, especially on the way down! I wouldn’t bring little kids here, it’s not super kid friendly (I brought my son (8) and he did great, but I also had my daughter (2) and she fell a lot due to the uneven and steep climb. So keep that in mind! If it’s just adults and kids that are a bit older, you’ll have a great time!

Hiked to music mountain, the tallest point in Hot Springs national park along the sunset trail during sunset. The views were amazing and no one was on the trail, it started to cool off and feel nice outside. We were hiking fast to finish before the sun went down. Highly suggested hike

Nice trail for walking, running or family hiking. Watch for horse droppings, as this trail is frequented by riders. Pleasant overlook at the west mountain summit, with benches and railing. Parking sparse but roadside parking available.

Nice peaceful place to walk and just chill. They have chess boards built into tables. If you want to stop and play, bring your pieces. The wheelchair ramp is at the main entrance off bathhouse row. Didn't walk whole trail. It is long and you could spend half a day just here. I think it's cool to do at least once. Also, a great place to relax your feet for a bit from walking bathhouse row. Has a lot of history and plaques to describe importance. Bike rack at side entrance. Regular parking is hard to find on busy days in general in Hot Springs, with this not being an exception

Strolling the Grand Promenade! We liked the self-guided walkway down the Grand Promenade, enjoying Hot Springs National Park's amazing atmosphere, with its blend of natural beauty and historical significance. This place offers views of the historic bathhouses, historic architectures and the thermal springs, which are often covered in green "spring boxes" to preserve them from contamination. Several short historic trails begin from this place. This place has "tufa" formations which were unique to us.

20241002 Nice paved brick trail with many branches that take you to the main strip or additional trails. It was nice to see the roof top of some of the Bathhouses from above. Very dogfriendly.

This location in Hot Springs, Arkansas is a gem. Although it was extremely hot outside, we made the trek going up-and-down the promenade and went up the stairs to take a hike. Yes, the water is actually extremely hot, and it was trickling as we walked by, it was steaming and it looked beautiful. I would really enjoy this area on a cold day. They have benches along the walkways, for people to sit down. We didn't have time to do any of the hot baths but at least we were able to touch the hot water from the spring, and fill up a couple of jumps of water before we left. I would definitely recommend anybody to go here, especially because it is free, but also, because it is absolutely gorgeous.

Nice wide walkway along a cliff overlooking downtown Hot Springs. Very nicely maintained and scenic. Several side trails along the promenade and a few fountains for taking a break. It was very relaxing while I was taking here, it is lovely me a huge long park area for pedestrians. Yes they have benches to sit and relax all along the walkway.

Beautiful place to walk, relax, and enjoy the scenery. Peaceful atmosphere with great photo spots, perfect for a quiet stroll!

An easy walk, very dog friendly. We went in the morning and with all the shade, it was still cool, even in July.

This is an easy hike on wide dirt and gravel trail up and around the Mountain. It offers many scenic views. We were lucky enough to catch a view of a Carolina Wren and Downey Woodpecker. If you are near the Hot Springs area, check it out.

Prettiest place in hot springs!! Multiple places to pull over and look at the view! There's 2 entrances/exits to the mountain I believe, both labeled well! I recommend driving up here right before sunset for the best pictures! Gates close at 10 pm

Well I'm a west ,so I had to conquer the west mountain! It was great at 1377 ft , full of switch backs , also some well maintained trails . Very beautiful scenery and there is no water so remember yourself and dogs and stay hydrated , bring plenty of water. I said moderate because with kids and some ups and downs , for adults it's a great walk .

Had a great experience while walking these trails. Very well maintained and not a hard hike at all!

This is my husband and my favorite hiking trail! It's beautiful, lush, shaded and easy to hike for all levels. You would never know you're in a city.

You've got to love this overlook. It's a spot you've got to come visit. It looks like what I'd imagine the Moon tower from Dazed and Confused to look like there is a stone pavilion where people who come and enjoy 420 or whatever leave their marks. There is a really nice trail along the Ridgeline running parallel with the road. The neighborhood you have to drive through on the way in is really pretty too.

Really nice trail saw a lot of lizards and some robins egg shells.

It’s an easy to moderate trail, 1 mile downhill to the scenic Goat Rock, then you can continue on to other trails or turn around and 1 mile uphill back to parking. We took our dog, and besides the narrow trail when passing fellow dog walkers or families, it was a great experience.

Switchback trail going down from small parking area. They should call it Lizard Rock Trail; saw a few small lizards. Some very nice mossy boulders and rock of different colors. From a creamy white to shell pink and dark gray even black. A mix of native Arkansas trees; Ash, gum, Persimmons, Ponderosa pine and a few species of Oak. We went on a very hot sunny day without water so we only hiked about a mile total. Trail hooks on to others and very well marked. Not many people on a Tuesday afternoon.

Short hike with a small amount of parking nearby, great views from the rock overlook!

Very nice trail with amazing rocks along the trail. This one was hard for an old guy like me. The trail is nicely maintained but in some area is steep. Scenic views can be seen along the way. It is recommended to take proper hiking shoes and plenty of water. This hike was a challenge for me but very rewarding.

Decent wooded trail but minimal views. We did see one deer in the woods. There was a lot of clean natural water for our dogs to drink from while hiking. Plan ahead and go early to find parking. There was plenty at 8am but it filled in quickly as there isn’t many places to park.

Effin good cardio for this trail although we didnt want to trace back the hike since it’s so steep lol.

Cool little trail for a short hike with young kids. Awesome photo spots and views along the trail. Highly recommend

Great view from the top, lots of history on display boards on the lower floor. Also a nice souvenir shop with a mix of gifts from shirts, sweatshirts, ornaments, magnets, shot, glasses, snacks, and so on. It is eight dollars to go to the top of the tower. And it is wheelchair accessible. To get to the tower, you will also take a pretty scenic drive. Enjoy the drive and watch for wildlife. We saw a doe and her two fawns.

Tower provides a panoramic view of Hot Springs and beyond. Stop on the second level to incorporate the history of the Hot Springs and the bath houses. Take time to stop along the way before the tower to enjoy the views. The tower staff were very welcoming.

Beautiful place, all the hot springs are commercialised for hot baths for paid and reserved. Couldn’t see any natural hot springs in the National Park. Very beautiful trails with tree cover. The observation tower/Mountain tower was very beautiful for a Birds Eye view and great outlook points on the way. Nearby is a Marina where boating l, kayaking and water activities which can be a great cool off for the kids and family.

It was a lot of fun hiking up to it from bathhouse row. There is a hiking trail that will go up to the top of the tower and then we took the stairs and rode the elevator down. There's a lot of history when you get up to the top of the tower. There is an admission.

Went here with my mom to over look Hot Springs, Arkansas. The tower has 360° views of the whole town. The tower has 3 floors, 1st floor is the gift shop, 2nd floor is the history of the tower and the town and the 3rd floor is the observation deck. This place does offer military discount for anyone who served or active duty. Cool part about the tower, is the elevators have a glass window leading all the way to the top of the tower so you can look out while going up. FYI one of the elevators does not have a light and only gets lit by the natural light of the glass coming in. Overall, the tower was a cool place to check out.

On a clear day you can see for miles around the Hot Springs area from atop of the Tower. Which we were fortunate to have this beautiful fall day. The only thing that would have made it better was if the fall foliage had been in full force. That's one of the reasons we planned our trip at this time of year. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans for a late fall. All and all, you can't go wrong with a trip to the Springs.

Really enjoyed visiting Hot Springs Mountain Tower. The views from the top were beautiful and totally worth it. The elevator ride up was quick, and there’s a small gift shop and some cool info displays. Great spot if you’re in the area — perfect for a short, scenic stop.

there is absolutely no set parking for the national park or visitor center and museum. just have to drive around and find a spot along the street or in one of the few pay for parking lots. i didn’t find the museum to be very interesting but it was well done and had a beautiful interior and exterior. bathhouse row was neat to walk by but couldn’t imagine myself spending more than the 30 minutes we did in the museum. it was free entry so if you’re in the area and looking for something to do it’s an cool place to stop but definitely wouldn’t go out of my way to visit again.

If you're visiting from out of town, this is one of those places to check out. It offers some history and gives you an insight of how bathhouses ran. Admission was free as my family took a self guided tour. After finishing the tour we even got a nice presentation from park ranger James Byrd. He gave us information about the types of local birds and ended up by giving my kid an activity to work on. There weren't other people who attended his presentation (which was a bit sad), but my family took the opportunity to learn one on one. Overall it's something to check off when you're visiting the area.

My family and I enjoyed stepping back in time and experiencing this beautiful bathhouse in all its splendor. We found it interesting in learning more about the early beginnings of physical therapy and the fascination that many had with what the restorative springs could offer them. It kind of reminded me of the movie “The Road to Wellville.” Definitely needs to be on the bucket list of unique and obscure places to visit if you’re interested in medical oddities.

It doesn't cost. When you walk in. Don't be alarmed. It has security guards. They have cute little badges. Its okay. They are there to give you information. This is kinda weird. It is a visitor building. 3 floors of history for the bath house. Truly it seemed like this could've been a horror movie. It's clean,but knowing what it was and the diseases they had. I didn't touch anything. THE tile and stain glass work is truly amazing. There's abundance of history. They have an elevator or you can climb the steep stairs. On the second level is a trivia room and a movie that plays every 20 minutes about the history of the baths. Anyway its really neatand everyone should do it. I dont think kids should go. They like to touch everything. They wouldn't understand it.

A beautiful look back into the history in Hot Springs. Take some time to walk through the Fordyce Bathhouse whether you do your own self-guided tour, a phone guided tour they offer, or even a tour led by one of the Rangers. I loved all of the stained glass and preserved details of the bathhouse.

The Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center is a beautifully preserved glimpse into the golden age of American spa culture. The stained glass ceilings, vintage gym, and historic bath equipment were fascinating. It’s free, well-maintained, and a great starting point for exploring Hot Springs National Park.

Amazing experience! Felt like being in a time warp. Great information and history made you feel like you were there 100 years ago. Will definitely visit again. Don't forget to go the the third floor to see the gymnasium!

This is pure Arkansas beauty. We're in our late 50s, and the trail was tough because of our sedentary lifestyle, but the views are spectacular. The camping area is always nicely maintained, and it's just an all-around relaxing place to spend some time.

Enjoyed this short hike with my kids! The best part is ending at the campground and allowing the kids to play in the creek!

Hot Springs Creek is full of raw sewage. I know someone that almost lost a hand and his life catching e-coli out of Hot Springs Creek. I caught it out of tributary that runs into Creek and almost died. The city of Hot Springs tore up tributary on my land and paid Cate construction $4500 to fix it and he did nothing. If they had carried out purchase order then everything would flow better. Don't touch anything that creek has run over.

Took an evening hike and a morning run on this one. Many ways to make a 3-6 mile loop using this trail. It’s a bit steep but plenty of switchbacks to make it manageable. If you’re out of shape or from a flat place like us, it might be rough - take it slow and bring some water.

Beautiful and challenging steep trail for an old guy like me. Very scenic and most of the trail is shaded. I encountered deer, lizards, birds, and many kinds of mushrooms. You will also see many types of colorful rocks covered with moss and or lichen. At the top of the trail is a road with a covered seating area made out of huge rocks that helped cool me off before heating back down the trail. At the base you will find running water from a creek to cool off your feet after a long hike.

Nice, quiet trail accessible from Gulpha Gorge Amphitheater. The trail is a bit steep at points, but levels out if you head away from Goat Rock. If you watch carefully you might find an old USGS survey marker in the woods.

Awesome Trail with lot of scenery and difficult trail. The trail goes up and down all along.

This is a very nice campground. There are only 40 spots and they are very close together 🫣 People seem to be arriving and departing from this campground quite often and at all hours. Easy access to the hiking trails.🚶🏻‍♂️🥾 You can actually hike across the mountain to the center of town! Very walkable campground. Pleasant at night. There is a scenic drive that runs right by the campground and is very busy. The noise from the cars is worse the closer you are to that road🙉

Absolutely wonderful place to RV and stay for vacation when visiting Hot Springs, AR. This has to be the best campground spots we've stayed at. Our site was right on the creek with a spectacular view and calm surrounding of the park. The trails that lead right into the hot springs downtown were also very fun to hike and see. We will definitely be staying here again in the future.

Gulpha Gorge is such a beautiful place. The one side with the camping spots is very nice place for you to get in the water. Has picnic tables and clean restrooms. Places for tents and I believe some campers. Very peaceful. I would recommend going there if you are ever in Hot springs. Even on the opposite side of the road is beautiful running water that runs over big rocks. Loved it.

Campsite have full hookups. Showers, restrooms are very clean. Great hiking trails. Only a few miles from downtown Hotsprings. Highly recommend the free museum, tour of an original bathhouse.

Nice campground within Hot Springs National Park. There are spots along the creek which are difficult to get but beautiful. The middle section of the campground seems a little more crowded. Older campground but well kept. It is close to a main road, but during the week nightly traffic was not too bad. We ran a fan and then heard nothing.

Some of the sites were recently paved and are nice. We stayed in three different sites during our five nights stay. Site 39 and 40 were both on the water and we’re reasonable sites. One night we stayed in sight four which is technically a handicap site but was definitely the best of all. During the day, there are some questionable folks that use the day area. One guy was changing his oil, then left his oil behind and drove away. Some young teens were riding their e-bikes pretty fast around the park for a couple of days. The hiking trails of the mountains were really nice and the river was pretty.

The campground is beautiful and well kept. There is no formal check in. The camp host stays most at their camper and only went around the change out tags on campsites. Our campsite was on the water. We thought it was wonderful and it was lovely. The sounds of water helped drown out the nearby roadway. However, many many people have walked through our campsite. Some to climb down the retaining wall into the water. Some just walking their dogs. Everyone that was come through also is staying on a waterfront site. I have a reactive dog and have warned parents and children that she will bite and they still come while we are sitting outside. We camp at least once a month and don’t normally feel this anxious while camping. One family even used the shade of our slide out for their picnic!

We absolutely adored our experience at the bathhouse. We did have to have persistence to call and call and call some more to reserve a private bath as their online booking service did not work. The persistence paid off. The private couples bath was well worth the time. Hot, jetted and peaceful we enjoyed 20+ minutes of serenity, energy and the healing waters in the bathhouse. I enjoyed a cool glass of champagne prior to our bath and that was absolutely lovely. The public baths looked wonderful and inviting as well. Highly suggest the private if you’re able to reserve it.

Great experience! Rachel, the massage therapist was very knowledgeable and provided great treatment. The public bath set up is awesome! Very clean, helpful staff, and rules in place to keep things running smoothly. Men and women's locker rooms available for public pools. 4 different temperature pools for public use. Showers with privacy in locker rooms for before and after using baths. Dryers available for use. Café on site along with a spa. Beautiful spot on the downtown main street. Huge Magnolias.

I loved soaking in the different temperature pools! It was beautiful in there with the domed stained glass. All the employees I encountered were lovely and helpful! We entered as walk-ins and they accommodated us on the spot, told us exactly what to do, and made it a seamless process. Very relaxing!

My husband & I were visiting Hot Springs, Arkansas for a day. We were told that the mineral hot springs were great, so we decided to give it a try. To visit the public pool, we did not need a reservation. There are private pools available at an additional cost, however we found the public pool to be wonderful. The public pools offer a varieties options for temperature, too. There are showers & locker rooms available. The facility is clean, secure, & the staff is friendly. Would highly recommend & would gladly visit again.

I just adore this place… the private bathes are jacuzzi style tubs. We got the aroma therapy bath and we picked out 3kinds of aroma salts in our bath. Staff is super accommodating. There are also 3 small public pools each with a different temperature, to suit your needs. Bring your suit and slipper for the public pools although the establishment has slipper you can buy… Last time I was there I also got a deep tissue massage. Was furnished a locker, a robe and slippers to walk from the bath to the massage rooms. Was a very comfortable experience.

Staff is the only reason to give more stars than deserved. Super friendly, all very good at booking services, explaining, helping. Too bad they have to work in such a run down facility. I would be depressed working there. Staff do their best to make this "spa" like but rotting plaster walls, old decor, old outdoor patio furniture is where you're supposed to relax. We made the best of it. Massages were great, staff managed to fit us in cuz of a cancellation. Next time traveling through we'll skip this and it for spas at home. They got us for a one & done. I had to be honest with family that asked, they won't be coming.

This place is very historical and can feel old and run down. Not as clean as I would expect. The private baths are weird-small room with a spa hot tub (not all of the jets worked). Looks like the pools would have been fun. Very much like a cattle call. If you have never experienced a bathhouse in Hot Springs, this one would be a good one-but don’t expect for more than what it is. A touristy way to cattle people in and out. The experience did not feel tailored to a couples experience at all. $375 for a 90 minute experience that only lasted 75 minutes. You do the math.

Nice hiking area with views from the top. Trails can be steep.

Nice quick deture off the gran promenade.

In a mostly urban national park, this is the neatest natural feature--a series of cascading geothermal waterfalls. There is a pool at the bottom in which you can dip your feet. Beautiful park setting along the Grand Promenade.

This is a full demonstration of the natural hot springs water that wells up from deep within the mountain. It's literally pouring down the mountain steaming hot. During the winter, the steam can be intense. It's interesting to see how the water comes out of the mountain to feel this fountain.

Very nice trail at Hot Springs National park.it was the parks 190year celebration. Was great to be there ...

Beautiful park and loved the natural hot spring. There’s also a great view of the town.

This place was very beautiful place to see so green and beautiful the kids love it very big place

As an avid visitor to our national and state parks, I was impressed with the Hot Springs National Park store. It was the most inclusive store of social identities that I have been too, and we have visited a lot of store parks! In addition, it had a whole section dedicated to local products (which is important to me too). I felt seen and welcomed in this space. It's been several weeks since our visit yet this impression still lingers. I made sure to share my impression with the store clerks too. Our beautiful, diverse country is composed of many stories and peoples AND I appreciate the opportunity to learn these threads (even when unpleasant) that make our national tapestry. Thank you to the folks creating a welcoming space to engage folks in nature and history.

I would highly recommend stopping by this quickly talked and gift shop among the bath houses. This place has all of the merchandise for the national park down to the embroidered robes that you can take home. They offer a different set of stamps for your cancellation books if you are like us and collect them. All the staff was super nice and very helpful and everyone was wearing mask and face shield so you could actually go inside the building. Overall a great experience

Friendly staff and lovely souvenirs!

Bathhouse Row HotSpring We took the tour and it was very interesting, however it was family trip for a day so we did not have enough time to enjoy or experience such lovely architecture and beautiful piece of History in details. But it was great to came-across small piece of American History in this region. It’s great place to walk around and enjoy the real essence of the city. Very well persevered and maintained sites along with beautiful park and natural Hot-water Fountains, which you could easily pointed on the local Map or either get info from Tourist Info Center. Don’t worry about the food choices or meal, there are plenty of options. Recommendations: near by free car parking building behind the street, so better to park and walk around. Do check weather first and wear sneakers, keep bottle of water or light snacks. Enjoy 😊

Cute shop with many bathhouse and hot springs themed items as well as general NPS stuff and some local jewelry too! Lotions, soap, pet bandanas, books, hoodies, shirts, magnets, bathtub themed items, etc.

Such a fun experience. We enjoyed a long girls weekend here. I highly recommend checking out one of the bath houses. They are a bit pricey, but the experience is relaxing.

It is very disappointing that there are several "bath houses" but only 2 of them are truly that. And don't plan on going without making your reservations a few months in advance. No impromptu visits. The trip was nice, but the reason for visiting Hot Springs was to enjoy the "hot springs" and there was not anyway to do so. Not only have they been commercialized, there appears to be no way to enjoy them in nature.

Parking right by the trailhead. Great short hike with views at the top. There's a road along part of it but there weren't any cars when we went early in the morning.

Cute shaded hike. It’s not too long but the incline makes it a nice little workout. We had a group of all levels of fitness and everyone survived with smiles :) Also we only ran into people at the top in the parking lot. We parked in the neighborhood and walked up and then back down.

Starting at Whittington trail head, it is a quick trail up to the top of West Mountain in about 0.9 miles gaining over 430 feet of elevation. A quick detour east 2 tenths along sunset trail gives great views of Hot Springs at the summit overlook. The trail itself is 1.5 miles from Whittington to Prospect.

The trail has been widened and is well maintained without talking away from the fact that it is a woodland trail. I spotted a small turtle right on the trail and I've seen deer many times as well as other wildlife. This is a wonderful place to hike!

Great trail. And at the very top is an excellent view of downtown Hot Springs!

It's not the Rockies but we love it still! It was a very nice walk both ways. We look forward to doing more hikes in the future. It's definitely a well-kept trail and fairly easy for most people to walk. If you're looking for more intense there are other trails in the area for the serious hikers.

Great short trail but steep incline for some cardio exercise. Good views near the top on both sides of the mountain. I love how i can comfortably hike here in shorts and a t-shirt 11 months of the year.

Its a fine hike but not much to see at the top. This place has been getting confused with a different sugarloaf mountain as I hiked up it to verify there is not really any exposed rock or views of water at the top. I also added a video of the top.

This sugarloaf mountain in hot springs is not the cool one seen on Google. The nice sugarloaf mountain is in Heber Springs Arkansas. While on vacation in hot springs I looked up sugarloaf as a local attraction but Google maps took us to a single wide trailer park. I just wanted to give others a heads up.

My first time to see sugarloaf absolutely breathtaking

Great trail, beautiful and wonderful experience!

The view out my living room window. Always awsome.

It sure did live up to the name.

We go up the mountain all the time. It's beautiful up there and you can see for ever there. Take binoculars for a better view of the mountains. There is a restroom 🚻 up there and a place to picnic. Be sure to go up to the observation tower!

Had a great time with high school girlfriends from ‘73. Went to Lookout Tower which was awesome. Even though it was a cool & windy (that day), it was a fabulously fun experience!

My experience was not good in this trail. We came to visit from a different state. This trail has NO scenic point views, poor signage to get to the next trailmark, and by the end of our hiking our car had a broken window someone try to steal stuff from our car. AVOID this trail at any cost, not worth it, not safe!!!

Beautiful

I climbed this mountain once as a kid with my nephew David Browne. I would love to just claim this mountain as ours. Maybe I can move it through the airwaves to myself instead.

Love taking pictures of this mountain from my house

Great place to progress. professional

Wow ! We did the couple private hot springs bath. It was great, private, 20ish minutes, which was more than enough for us and cold cucumber water, and a cold peppermint damp cloth. We really enjoyed it. A private oasis. Staff were also very service orientated and nice.

Went seven or eight times. Had spa experience...except for the Sitz bath! Great massages from experienced staff. A NATIVE AMERICAN gift to ALL!

Very enjoyable trip to this Bathhouse. The public baths consist of a few at slightly different temperatures. Note to bring your own flip-flops otherwise you need to purchase a pair there for $7.

20241002 Just walked by. Didn't see the inside because they are not dogfriendly

This was a true and amazing experience for me! I went for my birthday!! If you want to use the private spa and pool you should call and book at least a week or two advance!! I def plan to go back!!!

Gorgeous former bathhouse that now contains an art gallery. This was a great place to admire art and cool off. Highly recommend stopping in here and checking it out!

Really good and distressing! Great city to spend a weekend

I learned so much about both baseball and gangster activities in the history of Hot Springs. I enjoyed it so much I got a couple books about it here and went back to my room and read them. Such interesting history! The museum itself relies heavily on videos to tell the story. You go from room to room and watch a video then go to the next. Each room tells a different part of the story. They were interesting and filled with local people. There was memorabilia in the rooms as well. But not like most typical museums. I feel like it is more about the stories. Enjoyed!!

The Gangster Museum was an unique experience! Our tour guide was a plus. He was dressed in character, full of energy, and rattling off fascinating stories like he’s been living in that era himself. You could totally tell he loves what he does, and that passion made the tour way more engaging. The photos, artifacts, and vintage details were awesome! Everything from old roulette tables to mugshots of the most notorious mobsters. We learned so much about how deep the gangster ties ran in Hot Springs, and it was way more than we expected! The only thing that dragged a bit were the videos. If you're into history, crime stories, or just want to do something different, this place is a must-see for a super affordable price !

I put no wait to get in because youcan just walk right in, but you may have to wait for a tour to start. It is well worth the money. Lots of very cool and amazing artifacts and information!! I highly recommend going there when visiting Hot Springs!

Its ok. But not really what I expected. Mostly pictures on the walls, etc. and while someone tells you information, the majority are videos. The Gangster Museum is really a history of the city as stranger/gangsters began to vist it and go for entertainment. They do have a few other items to tie it together.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ First-time visitors to Hot Springs and we’re glad we stopped at the Gangster Museum! The tour runs about an hour and a half and mixes live presentation, stories, and videos. Really cool way to learn about the fascinating history of Hot Springs and its ties to the gangster era. We walked away having learned a lot and enjoyed every minute. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in town!

Look into buying tickets prior to showing up. If there is a big crowd it will have limited seating in each rooms. Informational and a great place to buy hats.

This is a solid fun thing to do while in Hot Springs. I really liked the interesting information presented and some cool artifacts or props to look at, many of which you can touch. The people we interacted with were all super nice as well. As mentioned in the reviews, the tour itself is uniquely laid out. You go from room to room, listen to a few minutes of the guide introducing the room, then a video is played (around 10 minutes long), then the guide comes back in and talks for another few minutes. Then you get to look around for a few more minutes before going to the next room. You can spend as long as you want in those rooms reading everything if you wanted to but you may miss the tour guide talking about the next room. Also, each room only has like 10 chairs or so, when there is 20 ish people, so you're not guaranteed a seat while that 10 minute video is played. The only thing is our guide, although nice, wasn't really the best guide for this kind of a tour. You need someone with a loud projecting voice, confident sounding, and funny. Our guide spoke real fast and mumbled parts of it. He wasn't very dramatic either, which is what you want in a tour guide to really bring things to life. I felt like I was listening to a college professor again. The first room is probably the most boringest room and video. It made me think, what did I just spend my money on, but it got a lot better. I think if we had a more engaging/dynamic tour guide this would have easily been a 5 star experience.

I recently visited this winery for a taste testing and had a fantastic time! Our server was absolutely amazing - super funny, helpful, and even offered to take our picture! The wine selection was decent, and while I only found two wines that really stood out to me, I appreciated the opportunity to try several varieties. One valuable takeaway was discovering that muscadine grapes aren't my cup of tea - good to know for future wine tastings! The real gem, however, was the recommendation to try the Southern Club Moonshine Wine (apparently their sister company?). We LOVED every single one of their wines! I'd definitely suggest checking them out. Overall, I'd recommend this winery for their exceptional customer service and the potential to discover some great wines. Thanks for the tasting experience!

My wife and I visited the winery when we were at Hot Springs National Park, and walking the downtown area. We did a tasting of all of their varietals, and really enjoyed them all. Ultimately we picked our 4 favorite and purchased those. The wines are really good, and very reasonably priced.

Great experience! I’m more of a dry wine girl, but I was very fond of a few wines I wouldn’t normally try! They do offer free tastings, which is awesome because then you know exactly what you want to buy! I bought the Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and the Merlot! We walked in with a group of 7 and they let all of us try every wine!

The wines were cheap in taste and our host Hazel was clearly high: rocking back and forth, grabbing at her hair, and starting off into nothing and sniffing something back into her nose. No water was provided to cleanse the palette between tasting different wines to not muddle the flavors, not even when tasting a red after a white and the same glasses were used for each wine— further mixing the flavors. Unprofessional and uncomfortable.

Did a wine tasting by Chris, he did so well! It was so tasty, even the ones that weren’t my favorite were still tasty. They have such good wines here, and great service! We had such a good time! We got the Red, and a white wine!

We took a shopping day down Hot Springs’ Historic Downtown and were happy to accidentally stumble upon this winery! We enjoyed a free tasting of wonderful wine and muscadine hot sauce. Even used indulged in both back at our campsite, per the recommendation of the fella working there. Thanks for showing two Texans a great time!

Great experience these lady's (lori and alicia) was awesome and had a great time with them.

Buckstaff Bathhouse, the oldest still functioning bathhouse (only 2 still operation) in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is a relaxing time. The men are on the first floor and women on the second. You put your stuff in a locker and then wrap yourself in a sheet to get into the private hot tub. From the hot tub you sit in a small porcelain seat with water flowing on your lower back. Then into the steam closet, then they wrap you up like a mummy for a little rest. Then massage if you selected that option. You are naked through the whole thing but they give you a towel to cover yourself. There is a guy who guides you on to each stage. Mason is the guy to do it. He didn’t make it uncomfortable at all. Very relaxing time there; it felt more authentic than the other which was more of a spa type feel.

I had such a wonderful experience! Called early in the day and the lovely young woman informed me they do not take reservations, but I should queue up at 12:30ish for the post-lunch reopen at 1:15. She was right! Heed this advice folks; there are big fans in the lobby to keep you cool. Now, for the services. Ms. LaToya was my goddess from heaven, seeing to all my hot spring water needs! Told her I was recently injured, and she made sure I was treated with great respect and was quite nurturing. If I lived in Hot Springs, I know this lovely woman and I would be friends. But that's the thing about bath houses...they foster a convivial environment. Stephanie's massage was wonderful and flew right by! House mama, Devlin, is quite the character. Chat with her if you have the chance. These women have seen it all. Ms. LaToya, my life is better because I met you. Only sour apple was Mason at the front desk. Advice dude? Lighten up, Francis. This is a fun job with people who are overjoyed to be here. If public-facing isn't for you, perhaps find a gig where you don't have to engage with us pesky patrons. *Photos are from the museum, but pretty close to the actual Buckstaff (cameras are clearly not allowed in the bathing area).

First time in Hot Springs, lovely small town. Loved the traditional bath house (this is not a luxury spa). It’s a toga party, enjoy. The ladies that guide you through are just amazing. Latoya scrubbed me like she was my aunty. She consistently asked if it was ok to touch me, ensure I watched my step, it the temperature was ok. Teresa, in the dressing room, was a delight. Robin, my masseuse, just amazing.

The staff here as tenure and is great. I wasn’t sure what to think when I first got here and I was a little setback but as we went through and Bobby took care of me and Justin and all the other guys, this is an experience I’ll never forget and can’t wait to return to thank y’all very much. I do recommend the deluxe.

First time at a bathhouse. My husband and I are on a long road trip and decided the check out Buckstaff. I did the deluxe package. It was AMAZING and what a deal! Brenda the locker room attendant showed kindness as she walked you through the steps of getting ready for your experience. Latoya was my bath attendant. She was kind and explained the benefits of the bath. Rachel gave me the best message I have had in a very long time. Her hands radiate healing. Ended with a partition hand wax. All for $116 plus I tipped each one. If I could I would go in weekly. I would just have to get my husband to agree to fly me out weekly 😉

Wow, wow, wow! We've never had a hot springs spa before and this was amazing. Tub, sitz tub, vapor cabinet, hot and cold towel session, massage. A lot of ahh, with a little ouch. Soooooooo relaxing.

Loved it!! For an "out of our comfort zone" experience the staff made it easy and enjoyable! Loved Theresa! Would come back just to see her. Aysia took good care of me!! We had private bath treatments and massages.

Hot Springs, Arkansas, is a truly captivating destination that perfectly blends natural beauty, rich history, and surprising culinary delights. It's a place where you can easily spend days exploring, relaxing, and indulging. One of the absolute must-sees is Garvan Woodland Gardens. Nestled on a peninsula on Lake Hamilton, this botanical wonderland is breathtaking in any season. From the stunning Anthony Chapel and the whimsical Children's Adventure Garden to the vibrant seasonal displays of tulips and hydrangeas, every path offers a new vista. It's a peaceful escape that consistently impresses with its meticulous design and natural beauty. No visit to Hot Springs is complete without immersing yourself in Hot Springs National Park. As the nation's oldest protected thermal springs, it's fascinating to learn about the history of "Bathhouse Row" and even experience a traditional soak yourself. Beyond the iconic bathhouses, the park offers miles of scenic hiking trails through the Ouachita Mountains, providing gorgeous views and a chance to connect with nature. You can literally walk from a bustling downtown street into a serene national park – a truly unique experience! When you’re traveling by RV we highly recommend the Finish Line RV park. It’s a gated community very close to everything. And after a day of exploring, you'll want to refuel, and that's where Rocky's Pizza comes in! This local favorite consistently delivers on flavor. Whether you're craving a classic pepperoni or something more adventurous, their pizzas are always fresh, hot, and satisfying. It's the perfect casual spot to unwind and enjoy a delicious meal that feels like a true Hot Springs experience. Hot Springs truly offers something for everyone, making it an unforgettable place to visit. I highly recommend it!

Reminded us of European city with vast number of Victorian style bath houses. Some of them got converted to museums and some into hotels/restaurants. Lively place if you want to visit during fall. Would come back again

TL;DR: The Hot Springs Visitor Center, located in the historic Fordyce Bathhouse, is a beautifully preserved four-story building full of history and exhibits. Accessible with an old-style elevator. The Hot Springs Visitor Center is an incredible glimpse into the history of the area. Housed in the expertly preserved Fordyce Bathhouse, it offers four floors of fascinating exhibits and information about the bathhouse era and Hot Springs’ unique history. Walking through the space feels like stepping back in time, with so much attention to detail in the preservation. For those who can’t navigate stairs, the building features a large, vintage-style elevator, making it accessible for all visitors. It’s a wonderful way to spend some time in Hot Springs and learn more about its rich history!

The city is beautiful with lots of history, but unfortunately for both my wife and I the extreme exhaust noise coming from the trove of immature drivers coming thru the main drag ruin the entire experience and allure of the village. Would not recommend staying at any location anywhere NEAR downtown if you value your sleep. Business owners should be revolting at this excessive noise pollution. We wanted to stay longer but the noise drove us away. Shame.

The visitor center is inside a turn-of-the-century spa nestled in the historic district of the town. It was an interesting tour (self-guided) and very different from the visitor centers of other National Parks. The rangers and park information is all on the ground level. The museum portion of the visitor center is three stories, including the basement. There is an old elevator that still works that you can ride, or you can take the stairs. We were able to drink cooled water from the spring out of a fountain and my dog was able to earn her B.A.R.K ranger certificate here.

Very interesting information and museum-like preservation of the historical setup of the bathhouse. There are multiple floors and an elevator.

I was tired after long day of driving.. A very nice young lady saw that I could use some assistance and offered me a chair , water, cool spot to rest. Her concerns for me were heart felt. I appreciate it and thank my little Hero. ARIEL was a Jewel . I wish more Rangers were that attentive. and considerate. The Park was nice too.

Cedar Glades in Hot Springs, AR is great for getting out in nature for a bit. There are great mountain biking trails, a bmx track, RC aircraft runway, playgrounds for kids, and my personal favorite the "Wildcat" disc golf course. It's also a popular spot for photographers to do portrait shoots. Worth a visit if you're into those sort of things.

Incredible place! My band Expo 70 played the 20th annual Valley of Vapors/Atlas Obscura Ecliptic festival. It was beautiful and well maintained. Amazing playground in the woods!

A Beautiful Skoolieship friendly Place to spend a day... And Home of The Ouachita Highland Games (which are Wonderfully Fun). However, the amenities, at least where we were, lack something to be desired, namely pottable water. Certainly recommend going. (just make sure your water supply is adequate) A very cool place to hike.

It was a wonderful place for the Ouachita Highland Games. The only downside was no building for a restroom. The group furnished Port-A-Potties which are limited space with no place for handicapped people. It would have been nice to have handicapped restrooms in place.

Lots to do and see... Some good jump and pump tracks. Easy mtb bike trails. Restrooms are located close by. Frisby golf also.

Nice park to bike,hike,take the dog for a walk or juat sit and think

This park is way cool, well maintained and very diverse as far as what you can do here. The short but sweet bike course with ramps and challenges is fun! There is a RC / Drone area as well and the trail head is here , oh yeah disc golf too.

Awesome and beautiful trail. Well maintained. Now we don’t have to travel North as far to mountain bike.

My son and I visited the Northwoods waterworks trails in 2023 and had a blast! (Son was 11, I was 38). I’m not a very experienced rider, but I had a great time on the green trails, and an absolute thrill on the blues! I would not recommend the blue trails to inexperienced downhill MTB, as they do have some small jumps and steep downhill portions. The only downside for me is that there’s no lift. It’s quite the steep hike to get to the top with a bike. Others had e-bikes, but we were pushing ours. It was worth the effort once we got to the top, though! Full face helmets, gloves, and padded gear highly recommended for blues (and obviously black trails). Regular helmet should be fine on greens.

Lots of trails with different difficulty levels. Beautiful and peaceful. Would deffinantly recommend. There are also kid friendly trails my 3 year old had a really good time.

Pleasantly surprised by this little space. Great lake views, biking trails, stunning dam and bridge. Definitely a must see especially after a rainfall or in early fall.

This is an EPIC trail system in an incredible environment! Facilities are exceptional, bike repair stations for serious riders. They are in the process of expanding the trails to join downtown, and adding a one of a kind ride across the top of a killer limestone dam from the 1800s!!!

We take hikes several days a week here with our dog. The trails are great! We usually park at the Bull Bayou trailhead, but have also parked at Cedarglades and Waterworks.

Well maintained and marked trail system. Trail rating (skill level) was pretty spot on. Found Cedar Glades to be more XC vs Waterworks area but options for all skill levels in both sections. Loved Blue Jay and Cat's Meow! Fun downhills with optional jump/feature lines.

This is the best vista/view of the mountains at Hot Springs NP. Hiked from North Mountain to Goat Rock then to Gulpha Gorge and back up. Heading up from the Gorge is a little steep but doable. Lots of beautiful nature and interesting geology.

The sunrise was breathtaking and beautiful. Recommended for anyone who wants a good break from the reality.

Lovely mountain views, and spend some time there. It is not recommended to stay for a long time, as the area is quite intense.

Nice trail, and a nice overlook.

This is a nice easy trail. The views are worth the short hike. The pictures do not do it justice.

This was fantastic. We skipped the tower as it seemed to be packed and we'd seen it before and don't remember them charging so much. We enjoyed this spot to ourselves.

The hike and trail is great. But, the rock view point on its own is extremely underwhelming and waste of your time if you are only going there for the view point.

Pretty paved walking area along a creek. There is lots of shade on part of the walk, then full sun on the hilly part. There is a large section with an open grassy area but no picnic tables, so bring your blanket to eat by the creek. There are some lovely art installations along the walk. It was lovely on a 70 degree sunny day. No bathrooms that I ran across.

Nice place to visit, and a few live there. Very clean, wide paved path along the Creek.

Too much raw sewage running into ditch leading up to it. I caught e-coli out of ditch by my house last May and almost died. The city paid Cate construction $4500 to fix ditch and he took the money and did nothing! I signed that they could use some of my property to get in there to build walkway and they carried about 500 to 600 dump truck loads out and in and they made my ditch worse. Michael Hill, engineer, said my ditch would be done right and look good. Like representative Cozart said "it looks like a swamp" and it is. Cate construction did ZERO on purchase order. Be careful. For older people and kids e-coli can be deadly!

I love this trail! It goes throughout Hot Springs and it's beautifully maintained by the city. Wide walking paths, gorgeous scenery with lush trees, and a rocky creek with little waterfalls throughout. Perfect for little ones to play in (supervised of course). Friendly people walking their dogs, entire families riding bikes or just a solo hiker enjoying the views. Wonderful trail, we hike it every time we're there.

Would rate a 4.5 overall. 70% shaded from 9-11 am. Combination of asphalt/concrete, industrial, stream side, through the forest, along and crossing streets, art, power lines, benches, generally flat, wildlife, bathrooms, water fountains, dog friendly, wide trails, etc. Well done, Hot Springs!

Good place to go run. I take my dog there every week. I wish they would hurry up and finish it

I'm so thankful we have a place like this in Hot Springs. I do wish they would be more active on social media. Keeping the public up to date on goings on related to the Greenway. If you ever need pointers, look up the greenbelt in Carrollton Georgia! It's amazing.

It's a nice hike, but beware the first 1/4 mile of the hike is straight up the mountain on a washed out trail. One you get to top it's pretty easy. The rest of the hike was easy/moderate and getting down to balanced rock is pretty steep. Coming down the wash out is even tougher, lots of loose rocks, I recommend the hike because at the end there are some amazing views.

Parking for the trail was easy to navigate to with the guidance of google maps and the maps along the trails in the area. The first part of this trail is a little steep and loose rocks along with leaves on the trail; makes it a little tricky when descending and even more tricky if you have dogs. Once you get past the steep section, the rest of the trail to balanced rock is pretty flat. Beautiful view from the top of the rocks. Worth the short hike.

A quiet hike in the woods with a hidden rock at the end. You can access this trail from the Balanced Rock trailhead. Make sure to head west, across the street from the parking area. The majority of this trail is an easy hike, until you want to get close to the balanced rock. Once you get to the end of the trail and you see a few big boulders that don’t look too impressive, that’s the time to continue down. Getting a good view involves climbing down a steep area to the side to get a better view. If you leave before then, you might wonder why the name Balanced Rock.

Heck Yeah! My ten year old owned this trail, but she is in shape. We saw another family struggling. Bring water, fruit and the right shoes - not a place for your tennis / casual shoes or sneakers and soda pop.

My favorite sunset spot in town. Quiet and beautiful. And some great cardio getting up the hill! Fairly short hike, but kinda steep in the beginning.

Great hike. Need some good boots or shoes, trail has rough spots with lots of loose rocks.

Rocks are kinda cool. Nice hike to get to them.

Spring training for Babe Ruth and a lot of baseball players. They loved the hot springs baths.

The Whittington Trail is across the street from the Historical Marker. It is a very nice, clean trail that completes exactly 1 mile. There are plenty of benches and if you run out of water, you can fill up at the spring fountain for free. Most of the trail is shaded but there's no bathrooms. You will find the trailhead for the West Mountain here as well, also there's an alligator farm, and a shop for the trailhead and Tiny Town building.

Great loop for short runs! Ran tons of miles here while in hot springs for 8 qeeks. Which out for a lady driving a black jeep brand sure, she likes to swerve at runners. There is a shorter, inner, gravel loop also!

Nice piece of history.

Whittington Park is a beautiful place to be and it's right at the base of the mountain so you can drive up to the top and see the entire city from there however there isn't anything at Whittington Park other than a creek that runs through the middle and a walking path on either side there are periodic bridges to cross the creek throughout Whittington Park but it is mostly a walking park and and there really isn't anything too exciting about that unless that's exactly what you're looking for! Lol

Don't miss this review! They have adult dance shoes and leotards.

Cute clothes for kids, great hair bows, prices are very affordable too.

Super nice owner. She was friendly an helpful. Great clothes an hair bows.

I love this place!!! We know it as CRAZY RAGE. LOVE their personal ingraving machine.

All your dancewear and cheer supplies and more

Highly accessible and good scenery.

Great views

Seems like a secret place. We only saw one other couple. Nice and quiet. The walk was very easy. Nice warm up for what we were about to do.

Really enjoyed this nice quiet place & the history shared. Such a beautiful pond and waterfall feature! There's the sunset trailhead across the street, though we didn't have time to do it. The water wheel was really cool to explore as well. We just parked by the rocks & took a quick walk around. There was some trash up by where we parked, please remember to take your trash with you.

The area near the parking didn’t feel very safe. I saw a car that had been broken into, so be careful with your belongings.

Nice drive and scenery. *NOTE - vehicles must not be greater than 30ft long.

Trail was gravel the whole way, no stumps or mud puddles anywhere. However! The signs were broken in places, and the overall layout of the trail was not anywhere I could find. I thought I would be on a 30 minute/half mile to three quarters of a mile trip. I ended up walking over an hour and just over 3.5 miles. Thankfully I had just filled up my water bottle. There are no restrooms, facilities of any kind along these trails. There are benches occasionally. The walk was nice, shaded the whole way because it's heavily woods, but it was not at all what I thought I was getting into. Thankfully I was somewhat prepared, because you should always be prepared for the unknown, but I had no idea what I was getting into. It's not on Google Maps, either, so you can't get an overview of it to have any idea where you are and how much further you have to go.

It's very well maintained. Hilly but very nice. I've not ridden my bike on it yet.