Hot Springs National Park

Year Established: 1921
Annual Visitors: 2.16 Million
Size: 5,554 Acres

Best Time to Visit Hot Springs National Park

September to November

If you are planning to visit more national parks, check out our complete list of all US National Parks.

Best Experiences in Hot Springs National Park

• Bathhouse Row
• Hot Springs Mountain
• Quapaw Bathhouse
• Buckstaff Bathhouse

A Brief History

The Paleo Indians, who bathed here 14,000 years ago, called it the “Valley of the Vapors” because steam rises from the ground.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Americans called it “the Nation’s Health Sanitorium” and went to the park’s wellness centers to “quaff the elixir,” hoping that the silica-rich water would heal them of everything ranging from gout to metal poisoning.

Even though this idea has been debunked for a long time, the 43 thermal springs in the tiny park still draw people who want to relax in the soothing waters.

Seven hundred thousand gallons of 145F water rises through cracks in sandstone a mile below the Ouachita Mountains. It allows people to soak in one of the fancy spas on Bathhouse Row or sweat it out in a sauna cave.

Hot Springs RV Camping

If you are looking for nearby RV camping options for Hot Springs National Park or in Arkansas, consider checking out our other post:

• Best RV Parks in Arkansas
• Best RV Resorts in Arkansas
• How to Conserve Water in Your RV
• How To Plan An RV Trip
• Dependable RV Water Fill Stations

Visitor Information

Fees

All of Hot Springs National Park is free to the public.

Contacting Hot Springs National ParK

Phone Number

(207) 288-3338

Visitor Center

Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center

Every day, people can go to the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center and Museum. Federal buildings hold 100 people at a time, and everyone who goes inside must wear a face mask. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., park rangers are on the porch to answer questions and give information.