Hot Springs National Park
Hot Springs National Park in the Middle of Town?
Our visit to Hot Springs National Park brings us to our 34th National Park since we started rving over 2 years ago. We love visiting our national parks and are still on the mission to visit all 64.
This national park is a little unique since it is in the middle of town, unlike other parks that are normally the middle of nowhere. There is so much water which is what attracted so many people to the town, the poor and the rich alike love the relaxing feel and healing of the thermal waters.
Nicknamed “The American Spa,” Hot Springs National Park today surrounds the north end of the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas. There are gift shops, coffee shops and restaurants up and down Bathhouse Row.
We enjoyed lunch at a dog-friendly spot at Superior Bathhouse Brewery. The only brewery in a National Park and the worlds first the utilize the thermal spring water as their main ingredient
Bathhouse Row is the largest remaining twentieth-century bathhouses in the United States. These large beautiful buildings are amazing! Dated as far back as the 1830s designated as a historically designated as an “architectural park.”
The thermal waters were used as a therapeutic aid, comparable to European spas of the time. We didn’t have time to “take a bath” at one of the Bathhouses since we had Maggie with us. We plan on going back to this park in the future to enjoy it more.
Hot Springs National Park Facts
- The National Park covers a total area of 5,550 acres
- Hot Springs was made a national park on March 4, 1921
- The lowest elevation found in Hot Springs is 415 feet at Bull Bayou
- The highest elevation found in Hot Springs is 1,405 feet on Music Mountain
- There is no entrance fee for Hot Springs National Park
- The spring water flowing from Hot Springs Mountain is quite safe to drink. The National Park Service has several places where visitors can fill their own bottles with the water.
Gulpha Gorge Campground
This is the only campground in the Hot Springs National Park we arrived late on Thursday so we had to stay overnight at Walmart. Only one Walmart in town allows for overnight camping. Call ahead to make sure it is allowed.
We got up bright and early on Friday to get to the park to grab a site. The campground fills up fast especially on the weekends, so arrive early if you can. There are 43 sites costing $30 per night. We enjoyed our stay at the nice wooded campground.
Amenities include Running water, flush toilets, grills, and picnic tables, dump station. All sites have full hookups: 30 and 50 amp electric, water, and sewer connections.
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