Nestled in the Ouachita Mountains just west of Little Rock, Hot Springs Arkansas sits among the rolling hills and wooded country side of the “Natural State”. Hot Springs is a town of about 40,000 at the base of Hot Springs Mountain which is famous for a series of natural springs that deliver more than 500,000 gallons of heated mineral water daily to the surface from an underground aquifer. The area was preserved as a National Park in 1921 and later became a mecca for neo-classical bath houses offering mineral baths as medical treatments through the 1930’s. Today, Bathhouse Row is preserved as a National Park and a National Historic Site offering visitors a view into Arkansas’ gilded age past. In October Chris and I visited Hot Springs. This was our first time visiting Hot Springs and we will be back. For all the really great things to see and do in Hot Springs, we learned a day trip was not the best way to see the town. Here is our experience.
Our stop in Hot Springs was not a planned part of our travel. We were returning to Texas from our two week adventure across Indiana and New Jersey when we found ourselves with extra time on the return trip. When we departed New Jersey our plan was to only drive across to Harrisburg, PA and stop over night in Pennsylvania’s capitol. An early fall snow storm changed that plan, however, and we were forced to push south quickly changing our destination from Harrisburg, PA to Harrisonburg, VA – nearly 200 miles ahead of our planned stop. This push to escape the snow gave us extra time on our return journey which left us wondering where we should stop for a day trip. Chris and I had a day trip to Little Rock in August and we also stopped in Memphis, so our minds turned to a day trip in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Hot Springs is a beautiful town. Particularly as the green leaves of summer turn red and amber announcing the arrival of autumn. The rolling hills surrounding the town were draped in the colors of fall. Morning sunlight shown over the hills to the east and bathed the red, orange, and amber leaves in warm sunlight creating a colorful display. We pulled into town and found Bathhouse Row – the collection of ornate bathhouses built in the 1920’s to serve up the warm elixir of mineral waters bubbling up to the surface from the various springs in the hillsides surrounding town.
Pulling a camper into the center of town helped us learn our first lesson about Hot Springs – there are few places to park if your pulling a camper or driving an RV. This is not actually a new lesson for us, we have gone many places where parking for RV’s was an afterthought. Usually, when we are confronted by such a situation, Chris or I will pull our camper down a side street a couple of blocks and find on street parking or an open parking lot walking distance from our destination. In Hot Springs we tried this trick and found ourselves driving down a narrow street marked “narrow mountain road – vehicles over 30 feet prohibited”. When pulling a camper or driving an RV, this is not really a good sign to see.
After solving our parking problem we headed down to Bathhouse Row and learned our second lesson about Hot Springs – you must have reservations. Chris had a great idea about taking a mineral bath and enjoying part of the day soaking in the spa comforts of at one of the Bathhouses. We stepped inside the foyer of one of the ornate and historic buildings along Bathhouse Row expecting to be welcomed with open arms and shown to our 140 degree Fahrenheit bath. We soon found out that all appointments on this particular Sunday were booked. Our plans were dashed.
This left us with only one option remaining in our stop in Hot Springs – a tour of the Fordyce Baths, the Hot Springs National Park visitors center. Finally, we were successful! Here Chris and I enjoyed walking through the restored 1920’s building with ornate stained glass windows and sculpture. The clean lines of the neo-classical architecture, polished marble, and shiny fixtures throughout demonstrated just how posh these surroundings must have been to visitors seeking relief from ailments such as rheumatism, syphilis and kidney disease. Thoughful interpretive elements placed throughout the visitors center tell the story of the ornate bathhouse during the height of Hot Springs as a health retreat and its transition into a town of modern spas and recreation.
Overall Chris and I found Hot Springs to be a lovely town with lots of activities and places to visit. Unfortunately, because we made an unplanned stop here, we were not able to enjoy the full experience. Without a doubt we will return to visit Hot Springs to enjoy a bath, hike in the hills surrounding town and stay nearby in a campground. When we do visit again, we will be sure to write up part two of our visit and share even more photos! Chris and I are already looking forward to that trip into the Arkansas mountains.
