Land of Liberty Explorers

Park History

The hot spring waters that flow from the western slope of Hot Springs Mountain have always been revered for their perceived healing properties. Native Americans called the area the Valley of the Vapors. Jean Emmanual Prudhomme was the first European-American settler of modern Hot Springs in 1807. He lived in the area for about two years before returning to Louisiana. Fur traders Issac Cates and John Perciful arrived soon after. Perciful built cabins for visitors. The Quapaw ceded the land to the federal government in 1818. Arkansas became a territory in 1819, and its legislature asked the federal government to create a reservation to preserve the area. The first bathhouses were established in the 1820s. Congress created the Hot Springs Reservation on April 20, 1832 – the first time the federal government acted to preserve public land. In 1880, the reservation was set aside for recreational use. In the early 1900s, baseball spring training was held in Hot Springs so the players could take advantage of the healing waters. In 1921, Congress changed the name from Hot Springs Reservation to Hot Springs National Park. Today the park encompasses the remaining Bathhouse Row bathhouses: Lamar, Buckstaff, Ozark, Quapaw, Fordyce, Maurice, Hale, and Superior. The park also maintains several hiking trails on Hot Springs Mountain and a campground at Gulpha Gorge.

Bathhouse Row

Today, the Fordyce Bathhouse serves as the park’s visitor center and museum. It is the largest bathhouse on Bathhouse Row and also the first to go out of business in 1962. It has been fully restored. We enjoyed the museum, especially the restored gymnasium.

Buckstaff and Quapaw still operate as bathhouses. Buckstaff offers tradition bath services while Quapaw is more like a series of hot spring pools. The Lamar Bathhouse closed in 1985, but today it serves as the Parks Service’s Bathhouse Row Emporium offering various spa products. The Hale Bathhouse has been restored as a luxury hotel. The Ozark Bathhouse serves as the park’s cultural center with gallery space for the artists-in-residence. The Maurice Bathhouse is vacant and available for rent. Our favorite bathhouse is Superior – its been turned into a brewery! We enjoyed a glass of Beez Knees – a blonde ale made with honey and basil, a root beer float, and a giant soft pretzel.

Grand Promenade

The Grand Promenade was one of our favorite spots in the park! It is a .5 mile paved walkway behind Bathhouse Row. It was installed so bathers could easily experience nature between baths. It is fully accessible with a ramp located behind the Fordyce Bathhouse. The Grand Promenade is lightly forested and offers views of the Bathhouses, the historic Arlington Hotel and the Army-Navy Hospital.

Hiking on Hot Springs Mountain

Hot Springs National Park’s hiking trails and the Grand Promenade are dog friendly! Our dog, Liberty, loved hiking around Hot Springs Mountain. We used the portions of Hot Spring Mountain Trail, Gulpha Gorge Trail, Goat Rock Trail, and Upper Dogwood Trail to make a loop around the mountain. We particularly liked the view from Goat Rock!

**After completing this hike, we were ravaged by oak mites. We recommend doing this hike in long sleeves and pants, and showering immediately upon completion.

Garvan Woodland Gardens

This amazing garden is owned and operated by the University of Arkansas’s Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. The gardens are open to well behaved dogs for a $5 fee, and Liberty was happy to join us. We loved strolling through the garden and especially enjoyed the waterfalls, bridges, and model train. Do not miss Anthony Chapel!