Hot Springs National Park

Hot Springs National Park is located in Hot Springs Arkansas about 55 miles southwest of Little Rock.

Hot Springs National Park can accommodate RV campers, tents and pop-ups at the campground in Gulpha Gorge. It is located about 2 miles northeast of downtown Hot Springs.

Site Review:

There are 45 sites at the Gulpha Gorge campground all with full hook-ups, paved pads, picnic tables and campfire rings/grills at each site. All sites cost $34US per night.

Some of the best sites are along Gulpha Creek. We had site #25.

Securing a Site:

All sites at the Hot Springs National Park campground are non-reservable. They are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. The campground is small and does fill up quickly. We visited before Memorial Day in May and the park was probably about 85% full each night. I would expect that after Memorial Day the campground would be full every night and the closer to summer the earlier the sites would fill up each day.

Each site has either a campfire ring or a camp grill but not both.

While all sites do have a paved pad, some sites have a very obvious slope- especially those in the middle of the campground.

Privacy also varies from site to site. We had a site with a tree and greenery separating our site from the neighbours but some sites are much more tightly spaced. If you have a choice I would recommend the sites along the creek closer to the amphitheatre, though at this park it might be a case of you get what you get, if you get a site at all. 

The comfort stations have only flush toilets and sinks. There are no shower facilities at all.

There is no store and there is nowhere to purchase ice or wood. Talk to the campground hosts on sites #1 or #2 and they will tell you how to go about acquiring these items.

The Gulpha Gorge campground is located directly beside the AR-7 spur road. This is a fairly busy road so if traffic noise is an issue I would avoid sites located on the east side of the park if possible.

Paying for Sites:

First, you find a vacant site that you would like to occupy for your visit. Then proceed to the camper registration cabin. Here you will find a kiosk that resembles an ATM machine. Just follow the instructions to receive the receipt that you will then clip to your campsite post. 

The beauty of a non-reservation system is that once you have acquired a site you can extend your stay daily if you choose to do so- up to a max of 14 days per year. Checkout time is noon.

Activities:

Water. That is what attracts people to Hot Springs and it has for hundreds of years. Some believe that the temperature and the trace minerals give the water therapeutic properties. 

In 1877, the US government took active control of the area and by 1921 Hot Springs became the nation’s 18th national park. The monumental bathhouses built along Bathhouse Row furnished with the latest equipment of the day catered to crowds of health seekers.

Buckstaff Bathhouse:

The Buckstaff Bathhouse has been in continuous operation since it opened in 1912 and is the only bathhouse on Bathhouse Row that provides the original therapeutic bathing experience.

1. First, you have a 20-minute soak in a tub full of Hot Springs water (you are in your own private stall- you are not bathing with other people) Your individual attendant is very discreet about covering you in a sheet when transferring you to other areas.
2. You are moved to a table where you are covered in hot towels soaked in the Springs water. 
3. The next step is a 10-minute sit in the steam boxes.
4. Then it’s the sitz bath. You are covered in a sheet and sit in this sink-like tub. An attendant assists you. While this does look awkward I will say that it really helped to loosen up the tight muscles of my lower back.
5. There’s the warm needle shower next.
6. Finish off in a private room for a 20-minute massage. The entire experience was slightly more than 1 1/2 hours and cost $83 USD. Women and men are separated and go to different areas of the facility.

Fordyce Bathhouse:

The Fordyce Bathhouse opened in 1915 and was hailed as the most luxurious bathing establishment in town. It closed in 1962 but has been beautifully restored as the park Visitor Centre.

Here you can watch an orientation video and then tour the courtyard, gymnasium, and bathing areas recreated as they were in the early 1900s and discover what “taking the waters ” was all about.

A stroll down the Grand Promenade is a “must-do” for all park visitors. While most spring water is piped to various bathing sites you can still see it flowing from the hillside at the display springs near the Maurice Bathhouse.

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Hiking:

The park offers 26 miles of hiking trails through pine-oak-hickory woods. 

The Sunset Trail is the longest trail at Hot Springs National Park, covering approximately 10 miles. Visitors usually break the hike up into 3 sections. The first section is about 2.9 miles in length and traverses West Mountain. It is the most popular.

Scenic Drive:

You can access some picturesque areas via a scenic drive. There are 2 drive loops to choose from- Hot Springs Mountain Drive which lies east of Central Avenue and the bathhouses; its counterpart is West Mountain Drive which is West of Central Avenue.

Hot Springs Mountain Tower:

Hot Springs Mountain Tower is 216 ft. tall and from the top it overlooks 140 miles of Arkansas countryside including Hot Springs National Park and a portion of the Ouachita Mountains.

Admission is $8USD for visitors 12 years and older.

Facts about Hot Springs National Park:

1. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Hot Springs was the capital of Major League Baseball. Several teams held their spring training in the area. Babe Ruth hit a mammoth home run here that measured 573 ft. (Baseball’s first 500+ ft. drive)
2. William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, grew up in Hot Springs.
3. Hot Springs was considered neutral territory for gangsters like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano from Chicago and New York who would come down to enjoy the baths and the illegal gambling. The Ohio Club is the only remaining saloon of the original illegal casinos that is still open.

Things To Know:

1. Leashed pets are permitted.
2. There is no swimming nor are there any water activities at Hot Springs National Park.
3. Biking is not permitted on the trails but is permitted on the roads.
4. There is a 14-day camping limit per year.
5. Pay close attention when using the Kiosk to pay for your site. All transactions are final and there are no refunds. Errors cannot be reversed.
6. There are fountains where you are permitted to fill your own jugs with water directly from the Springs for personal use and is free of charge. A look at the map will point out where the fountain spots are located.
7. You can hike from the Gulpha Gorge campground into Hot Springs via the Dead Chief Trail. It will take you approximately an hour and there are many uphill and downhill sections.

IMO:

I enjoyed the Hot Springs area for a short visit. I enjoyed trying out the baths at the Buckstaff Bathhouse and learning about the history of the area. The campground was not spectacular by National Park standards. The sights and the hiking are not anything I would travel exclusively to the area to experience. It really is all about the waters and while I don’t know if there is any validity to the claims of healing properties I do know that I felt really good after experiencing them for myself.

I would recommend Hot Springs National Park as an RV Place to Go for a short stay. It is definitely worth checking out.