State Parks and National Parks

Hot Springs National Park's fame grew from the late 1800s through the 1930s when train travel transported thousands of health seekers, from the wealthy to athletes to the ordinary. (Franklin D. Roosevelt visited in 1936 but resorted to Warm Springs, Georgia.)

The Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center in the former Fordyce Bathhouse offers audiovisual programs, 24 refurnished rooms, a bookstore and exhibits. Visitors can seek relief in the thermal baths at the Buckstaff Bathouse on Bathhouse Row and nearby hotel bathhouses.

The 5,500-acre park sits in the eastern portion of the Ouachita Mountain range. It occupies five mountains and surrounds the north end of the city of Hot Springs. Those who want to experience the natural beauty of the park can stay at the campground, enjoy scenic drives and hike 26 miles of trails that cut through the wooded, mountainous terrain.

For a bird's-eye view of the park and city, take a ride to the top of the 216-foot tower atop Hot Springs Mountain.

Photo credits in order: Courtesy of Hot Springs National Park. Courtesy of Hot Springs National Park. Photo by Gail Sears, courtesy of Hot Springs National Park.