# Hot Springs: 2 Days of Bathhouses, Springs and Ouachita Overlooks

Source: https://driftkin.app/trips/hot-springs-2-day-bathhouse-row-and-mountain-overlooks · Fact-checked against official sources · Updated 8 Oct 2026

**Quick answer:** This is a 2-day Hot Springs National Park itinerary. Day 1: Bathhouse Row, the springs and the tower; Day 2: Mountain drives, Goat Rock and a spa soak. Best months: March to May and September to November. Difficulty: easy. Budget: $$.

Soak like it is 1912, then climb above the Row for the view

Two easy days in America's smallest urban national park: walk Bathhouse Row, touch the thermal springs, soak at a historic bathhouse, and climb Hot Springs and North Mountains for Ouachita views. Good barbecue and a brewery built on thermal water round it out.

- National park: Hot Springs, AR
- Length: 2 days
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best months: Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Budget: $$

## Highlights

- Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center and museum
- Touch the thermal water at the Hot Water Cascade
- Walk-in soak at Buckstaff Bathhouse
- Peak Trail (0.6 mi one way, about 400 ft gain) to Hot Springs Mountain Tower
- Goat Rock Trail and North Mountain overlooks
- West Mountain summit loop
- Modern spa soak at Quapaw
- Beer brewed with thermal spring water

## Why visit Hot Springs

Hot Springs works differently from most national parks: the main attraction is a row of bathhouses on Central Avenue, and the trails start behind the buildings. Two days is enough to see the whole thing at an unhurried pace, and the easy rhythm is the point: walk, soak, hike a little, eat well, repeat.

The park exists because of the water. Congress first protected the springs in 1832, and the Row of grand early-20th-century bathhouses is what came next. Only two of them, Buckstaff and Quapaw, still let you actually get in the water; the others are a museum (the Fordyce), a park store (the Lamar), a brewery (the Superior), a hotel (the Hale) and buildings still waiting on new uses. There are no outdoor soaking pools in the park, but there are plenty of free places to touch and even drink the thermal water.

Day 1 stays in the valley. You start at the Fordyce Visitor Center, wander to Display Spring and the Hot Water Cascade, stroll the brick Grand Promenade, and eat barbecue before a walk-in soak at Buckstaff. In the late afternoon, the Peak Trail climbs 400 feet in 0.6 miles to the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, a 216-foot concession-run tower with a deck at 1,256 feet, and you walk (or, if legs say no, drive) back down to dinner at Superior Bathhouse Brewery.

Day 2 gets you out into the Ouachitas. Drive Hot Springs Mountain Drive and the North Mountain Loop for overlooks, then hike the Goat Rock Trail at its end, then swing to West Mountain for a summit loop with a view back over the Row. After lunch at Eden in the Hale Bathhouse, finish with a spa soak at Quapaw, a visit to the park store, and a bottle of thermal water from the Noble Fountain.

Two planning notes shape everything: Tuesday closures (Quapaw and Superior list themselves closed then, and McClard's website lists no Monday hours) and Sunday afternoons (Buckstaff has no afternoon session). Start on a Wednesday if you can and every stop lines up as written.

## Hot Springs 2-day itinerary, day by day

### Day 1: Bathhouse Row, the springs and the tower

Spend the day on the valley floor and the first rise above it: the museum bathhouse, the springs you can touch, barbecue for lunch, a walk-in soak, and a steep short climb to the tower for the afternoon light. Dinner is a short walk from your hotel.

#### Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center and Museum (9:00 AM)

Start where the story starts. The Fordyce was a working bathhouse, and the park has kept its gym, hydrotherapy rooms and stained-glass-topped bathing hall on display, so you can trace the route a 1900s bather would have taken from cooling room to hot pack. Grab a Junior Ranger booklet here if kids are in tow, and ask the rangers which programs are running that day.

- Time needed: About 60 minutes

Place: Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center and Museum · 369 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901 · Hours: Typically daily 9:00 am-5:00 pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day · https://www.nps.gov/hosp/index.htm

#### Display Spring and the Hidden Springs of Bathhouse Row (10:00 AM)

Just behind the Maurice Bathhouse, a spring fissures out of the hillside into a shallow pool, ringed with moss and blue-green algae. It is one of the few places where you can see the water surface instead of piped plumbing. The 'Hidden Hot Springs' self-guided walk (about a 1-mile loop, 1-2 hours) strings together Display Spring, Hot Springs Creek, Magnesia, Big Iron and Arsenic springs, and Happy Hollow if you want the full history lesson; today, take just the first few stops.

- Time needed: About 20 minutes here; the full walking tour is 1-2 hours

Place: Display Spring · Hours: Open-air; Grand Promenade area 5:00 am-10:00 pm daily

#### Hot Water Cascade on Arlington Lawn (10:20 AM)

The largest visible spring in the park pours out of the hillside beside the Grand Promenade, slides under the path and drops down a rock face into two pools. The water emerges around 143 degrees F but has cooled enough to touch by the time it reaches the pools, so this is where you meet the thermal water with your own fingertips. Bring a camera for the pools.

- Best time: Any daylight hour
- Time needed: 15-45 minutes

Place: Hot Water Cascade

#### Grand Promenade Stroll (10:50 AM)

A brick-paved, 8-foot-wide terrace runs behind Bathhouse Row, tucked into the hillside with the bathhouse rears on one side and the wooded slope on the other. It is 0.5 miles one way with a gentle grade; it is also the junction where the Peak, Oertel and Tufa Terrace trails branch off, which sets you up for the afternoon. Walk it south to north to end near Arlington Lawn or vice versa, and peek at the Shell Fountain on the Stevens Balustrade on the way.

- Time needed: 30-60 minutes; 0.5 mi one way

Place: Grand Promenade National Recreation Trail · Hours: Typically 5:00 am-10:00 pm daily

#### Lunch at McClard's Bar-B-Q (11:45 AM)

A family-run barbecue joint that dates its start to 1928, when Alex and Alice McClard ran a tourist court, gas station and diner and, by the restaurant's own telling, ended up with a barbecue recipe traded for an unpaid bill. Now in its fourth generation of family ownership, it sits a short drive from Bathhouse Row on Albert Pike Road. Check current hours before you go; the website lists Tuesday-Sunday hours only (no Monday hours) and a Sunday closing time that varies, and Sunday closing time varies.

Place: McClard's Bar-B-Q Restaurant · 505 Albert Pike Road, Hot Springs, AR 71901 · Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 11:00 am-7:00 pm; Friday-Saturday 11:00 am-8:00 pm; Sunday 11:00 am-varies; Monday closed (per restaurant website, retrieved 2026-09-29) · https://mcclards.com/

#### A traditional soak at Buckstaff Bathhouse (1:30 PM)

Hot Springs is a bathing town, and Buckstaff is the classic way to do it. It opened in 1912 and has never fully closed since; it remains the traditional bathing experience. Expect a whirlpool mineral bath, steam cabinet, sitz bath and hot towel packs, with massage as an add-on, all on a walk-in basis with no reservations. There are no outdoor soaking pools anywhere in the park, so this is your one soak on the Row for this trip (or trade it for Quapaw on Day 2). Arrive by 2:45 pm for the afternoon session; on Sundays only the morning session runs.

- Best time: Afternoon session on Monday-Saturday
- Time needed: About 60-90 minutes

Place: Buckstaff Bathhouse · 509 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901 · Hours: Monday-Saturday 8:00-11:45 am and 1:15-3:00 pm; Sunday 8:00-11:45 am; arrive by 11:30 am or 2:45 pm (per bathhouse website, retrieved 2026-09-29) · https://buckstaffbaths.com

#### Peak Trail up Hot Springs Mountain (3:00 PM)

From the middle of the Grand Promenade, the Peak Trail climbs the mountain toward the tower: paved at first, then gravel. It measures 0.6 miles one way with roughly 400 feet of gain (644 to 1,044 feet elevation) and a 12.6% grade, so it is short but steep. It is a good post-soak leg-stretcher and the quickest route to the summit, where a picnic area and overlooks await.

- Distance: 0.6 mi
- Elevation gain: 400 ft
- Difficulty: Moderate

Place: Peak Trail · Peak Trail trailhead, Grand Promenade (Bathhouse Row), Hot Springs, AR 71901

#### Hot Springs Mountain Tower (3:45 PM)

A 216-foot concession-run tower on the summit with an elevator to an open-air upper deck at 1,256 feet above sea level. The view covers about 140 square miles, taking in the whole park and part of the Ouachita Mountains. The enclosed lower deck has air conditioning and history exhibits; a gift shop is at the base. Parking is free, so if the Peak Trail sounds like too much, you can drive up Hot Springs Mountain Drive (it starts at the end of Fountain Street) and skip the climb.

- Time needed: 1-2 hours; about 60 minutes on this plan

Place: Hot Springs Mountain Tower · 401 Hot Springs Mountain Drive, Hot Springs, AR 71901 · Hours: Seasonal; see tower website. Final tickets sold 30 minutes before closing · https://hotspringstower.com/

#### Dinner at Superior Bathhouse Brewery (6:15 PM)

The 1916 Superior Bathhouse now houses a brewery that uses the park's thermal spring water to make its beer; it is the only brewery in a U.S. national park and the only one in the world to use thermal spring water. It is a dinner-and-a-pint ending to a day of walking the Row, right on Central Avenue. Hours and menu change, so confirm before you go; its website lists Tuesday as closed.

Place: Superior Bathhouse Brewery (in the historic Superior Bathhouse) · 329 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901 · Hours: Sunday-Monday and Wednesday-Thursday 11:00 am-9:00 pm; Friday-Saturday 11:00 am-10:00 pm; Tuesday closed (per brewery website, retrieved 2026-09-29) · https://superiorbathhouse.com

#### Overnight at The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa (8:00 PM)

The recommended base: a 1920s double-towered hotel at the north end of Bathhouse Row, so the Row, the Cascade and the Promenade trailheads are all on foot. The hotel's site lists standard rooms from $129, dining options including the Venetian Dining Room, a lobby coffee shop, and a thermal bathhouse; some rooms have hot springs mineral water piped into a private tub.

Place: The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa · 239 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901 · https://www.arlingtonhotel.com

### Day 2: Mountain drives, Goat Rock and a spa soak

Get up onto the ridges before the day warms up: North Mountain overlooks, the Goat Rock Trail, then West Mountain's summit loop. Lunch in the Hale Bathhouse, a modern soak at Quapaw, and a last stop for souvenirs and thermal water.

#### Hot Springs Mountain Drive and North Mountain Loop (8:30 AM)

Built as a carriage road in the 1880s, this switchbacking drive begins at the end of Fountain Street off Central Avenue and climbs to a picnic area, the Pagoda overlook and the tower. Continue onto the North Mountain Loop, which has three overlooks in all (starting at the tower), with mostly north- and east-facing views, then rolls down again to Fountain Street. Take it early, when the light is soft over the ridges; the road is open to vehicles from 8:00 am.

- Best time: Morning
- Time needed: About 60 minutes with overlook stops

Place: North Mountain (Hot Springs Mountain Drive and North Mountain Loop) · Hours: Park summit roads open to vehicles 8:00 am-10:00 pm

#### Goat Rock Trail (9:30 AM)

From the overlook at the end of North Mountain Loop, the trail leaves south of the parking area and drops through novaculite rubble and flowery glades with views toward Indian Mountain and east Hot Springs. The rock bars across the path are a trip hazard and the tread turns uneven and rocky further along; below huge novaculite boulders a signed stairway climbs about forty feet to the Goat Rock viewpoint. Sturdy shoes recommended. Turn around when you have had enough; the round trip is roughly double the one-way distance.

- Distance: 1.1 mi
- Elevation gain: 181 ft
- Difficulty: Moderate

Place: Goat Rock Trail · North Mountain Overlook, North Mountain Loop, Hot Springs, AR 71901

#### West Mountain Drive to the Summit Loop (11:00 AM)

The mirror image of the morning: enter from Prospect Avenue or Whittington Avenue and climb to the Summit Loop, where three overlooks await. The first looks back over Bathhouse Row and the former Army-Navy Hospital; the second has a historic trail shelter and picnic tables; the summit looks south toward the Trap Mountains and Lake Hamilton and shows off a novaculite outcrop, a rock the Caddo used for tools. West Mountain trails are typically less traveled.

- Time needed: About 45 minutes

Place: West Mountain (West Mountain Drive)

#### Lunch at Eden, Hotel Hale (12:30 PM)

Eden occupies the Hale Bathhouse, which dates to 1892 and is the oldest visible structure on Bathhouse Row. Options are listed for brunch, lunch and dinner there. The hotel says reservations are recommended and lists no lunch hours, so call ahead to confirm lunch service; if it is not offered that day, Superior or the Arlington are nearby fallbacks.

- Reservation needed

Place: Hotel Hale (Hale Bathhouse) · 341 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901 · https://www.hotelhale.com

#### Soak at Quapaw Baths & Spa (2:15 PM)

Where Buckstaff is old-school, Quapaw under its big dome is the modern spa: thermal pools, private baths and a steam cave (the operator's site says it is currently closed). Book ahead; the operator lists a roughly 2-hour package at $150 | $275 (confirm what each price covers when booking) and no services for under-14s. Its website lists Tuesday as closed.

- Reservation needed
- Time needed: 2 hours for the entry package

Place: Quapaw Bathhouse (Quapaw Baths & Spa) · 413 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901 · Hours: Wednesday-Monday 10:00 am-6:00 pm; Tuesday closed; hours may vary (per operator website, retrieved 2026-09-29) · https://quapawbaths.com

#### Bathhouse Row Emporium and a jug of thermal water (4:25 PM)

The park store, run by Eastern National, sits on the first floor of the Lamar Bathhouse at the south end of the Row, just past Buckstaff; it is open daily 9 to 5. Afterward, fill a bottle at one of the free thermal spring fountains: drinking the water is encouraged, and the Noble Fountain sits at the south end of the Grand Promenade on Reserve Street. Bring a bottle, or a jug for the road.

- Time needed: About 25 minutes

Place: Bathhouse Row Emporium (Lamar Bathhouse Emporium) · Lamar Bathhouse, south end of Bathhouse Row, Central Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901 · Hours: Daily 9:00 am-5:00 pm · https://www.nps.gov/places/lamar-bathhouse-emporium.htm

#### Dinner: your pick (6:00 PM)

Circle back to whichever option above you missed (McClard's Tuesday-Sunday, Superior most nights) or book the Venetian Dining Room at the Arlington through OpenTable; hours were not verified.

## Where to stay in Hot Springs

### Hotel Hale

A nine-suite boutique hotel in the historic Hale Bathhouse on Bathhouse Row, with a large soaking tub in each suite fed by hot springs mineral water. Rates are not published on the pages reviewed; book through the hotel.

Place: Hotel Hale (Hale Bathhouse) · 341 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901 · https://www.hotelhale.com

### Gulpha Gorge Campground

The park's only campground sits on Gulpha Creek a short drive from downtown: 40 sites, all with full hookups (30/50 amp, water, sewer), a picnic table and grill. Tents are allowed. Reservations are made on Recreation.gov, up to 6 months ahead.

Place: Gulpha Gorge Campground · 305 Gulpha Gorge Road, Hot Springs, AR 71901 · Hours: Campground open year-round; day-use areas sunrise to sunset · https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/247559

## Where to eat in Hot Springs

### Venetian Dining Room at the Arlington

The historic dining room in the Arlington's 1924 structure, with veranda seating with downtown views; reservations via OpenTable per the hotel. Hours not verified.

- Reservation needed

Place: Venetian Dining Room, The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa · 239 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901 · https://www.arlingtonhotel.com/dining

## Hot Springs travel tips

**Getting there and around.** The park is inside the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas. The Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center is at 369 Central Avenue. The park is fee-free (fees data shows no entrance fee). Bathhouse Row is walkable; the summit drives and Goat Rock are best by car.

**Seasons.** Spring and fall are typically the comfortable hiking seasons; summer can be hot and humid, which makes the shaded Promenade, tower and bathhouse indoor time helpful. Check the forecast; park hours can change in severe weather.

**Reservations and closures to plan around.**
- Buckstaff baths and massages are walk-in only; arrive by 11:30 am or 2:45 pm for the sessions, with no afternoon session on Sundays.
- Quapaw asks you to book ahead and lists Tuesday as closed; no services under age 14.
- Superior Bathhouse Brewery lists Tuesday as closed; McClard's website lists no Monday hours. Confirm hours the day before.
- Bring layers for cool mornings, water and sturdy shoes; the summit trails are rocky and uneven. Dogs must be leashed and are not allowed inside federal buildings such as the Fordyce.

**Water.** Drinking from the thermal fountains is encouraged, and free water is available at the jug fountains. Whittington and Happy Hollow are cold-spring fountains.

**Current conditions (as of 2026-09-29).**
- Park alerts list a burn ban in the park (dated August 15, 2026); only gas and charcoal grills are allowed in the campground and picnic areas.
- The Maurice Bathhouse is the only unoccupied historic bathhouse on Bathhouse Row, so it is not a visitor stop; it is expected to become available for commercial leasing.
- Fordyce Visitor Center is scheduled to be closed November 26, 2026, December 24-25, 2026 and January 1, 2027.
- Hot Springs Mountain Tower's seasonal hours vary; its own site currently shows 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and $13 general admission (an older park page lists $10). Confirm on the tower's website.
- Quapaw's site currently says its steam cave is closed. Its site lists a package as '$150 | $275 - 2 Hrs'; the price columns are not labeled in the text reviewed, so confirm what each covers when booking.
- Gulpha Gorge Campground is $34 per night, reserved on Recreation.gov.

## Hot Springs trip FAQ

**How many days does this Hot Springs itinerary take?**

2 days to cover Hot Springs National Park. Day 1: Bathhouse Row, the springs and the tower; Day 2: Mountain drives, Goat Rock and a spa soak.

**When is the best time for Hot Springs?**

The best months are March to May and September to November.

**What are the highlights of this Hot Springs itinerary?**

Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center and museum; Touch the thermal water at the Hot Water Cascade; Walk-in soak at Buckstaff Bathhouse; Peak Trail (0.6 mi one way, about 400 ft gain) to Hot Springs Mountain Tower; Goat Rock Trail and North Mountain overlooks.

**Where should you stay for Hot Springs?**

This itinerary suggests Hotel Hale (Hale Bathhouse) and Gulpha Gorge Campground. Check current rates and availability before you book.

**Where should you eat on this Hot Springs trip?**

Places this itinerary uses or suggests include McClard's Bar-B-Q Restaurant; Superior Bathhouse Brewery (in the historic Superior Bathhouse); Hotel Hale (Hale Bathhouse); and Venetian Dining Room, The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa. Opening hours change, so confirm before you go.

## Sources

- [National Park Service: nps.gov/hosp](https://www.nps.gov/hosp/index.htm)
- [NPS: Become a Hot Springs Junior Ranger](https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/junior-ranger-activities.htm)
- [NPS: Visit Display Springs](https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/visit-display-springs.htm)
- [NPS: Visit the Hot Water Cascade](https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/visit-the-hot-water-cascade.htm)
- [NPS: Grand Promenade National Recreation Trail](https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/grand-promenade-national-recreation-trail.htm)
- [McClard's Bar-B-Q: history](https://mcclards.com/)
- [McClard's Bar-B-Q: contact and hours](https://mcclards.com/contact-mcclards-bbq.htm)
- [OpenStreetMap contributors (geocoding and routing)](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright)
- [Buckstaff Baths: appointments and hours](https://buckstaffbaths.com/appointments-and-hours)
- [NPS: Buckstaff Bathhouse](https://www.nps.gov/places/buckstaff-bathhouse.htm)
- [NPS: Soak in the Springs](https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/soak-in-the-springs.htm)
- [NPS: Hike the Peak Trail to the Hot Springs Mountain Tower](https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/hike-the-peak-trail-to-the-hot-springs-mountain-tower.htm)
- [Hot Springs Mountain Tower official site](https://hotspringstower.com/)
- [NPS: Hot Springs Mountain Tower](https://www.nps.gov/places/hot-springs-mountain-tower.htm)
- [NPS: Ride to the Top of Hot Springs Mountain Tower](https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/ride-to-the-top-of-the-hot-springs-mountain-tower.htm)
- [Superior Bathhouse Brewery official site](https://superiorbathhouse.com/)
- [NPS: Superior Bathhouse](https://www.nps.gov/places/superior-bathhouse.htm)
- [The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa official site](https://www.arlingtonhotel.com/)
- [The Arlington: dining](https://www.arlingtonhotel.com/dining)
- [NPS: North Mountain](https://www.nps.gov/places/north-mountain.htm)
- [NPS: Goat Rock View Point](https://www.nps.gov/places/goat-rock-view-point.htm)
- [NPS: Goat Rock Trail](https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/goat-rock-trail.htm)
- [NPS: West Mountain Novaculite Outcrop](https://www.nps.gov/places/west-mountain-novaculite-outcrop.htm)
- [NPS: West Mountain](https://www.nps.gov/places/west-mountain.htm)
- [Hotel Hale official site](https://www.hotelhale.com/)
- [Hotel Hale: Eat in Eden](https://www.hotelhale.com/Dining2.html)
- [NPS: Hale Bathhouse](https://www.nps.gov/places/hale-bathhouse.htm)
- [Quapaw Baths & Spa official site](https://quapawbaths.com/)
- [NPS: Quapaw Bathhouse](https://www.nps.gov/places/quapaw-bathhouse.htm)
- [NPS: Lamar Bathhouse Emporium](https://www.nps.gov/places/lamar-bathhouse-emporium.htm)
- [NPS: Drink the Water](https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/drink-the-water.htm)
- [NPS: The Bathhouse Row Emporium](https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/shopping-in-the-park.htm)

Distances and drive times are typical figures without live traffic; toll amounts are estimates. Confirm opening hours, fees, permits and closures with the park or business before you go.

Plan this trip in the DriftKin app: https://driftkin.app/trips/hot-springs-2-day-bathhouse-row-and-mountain-overlooks