Hot Springs NP Self Guided Driving and Walking Audio Tour

As we continue along North Mountain Drive, take a second to observe the flora around us. What plants do you notice?

Hot Springs National Park is home to a huge variety of unique plants… including some that can thrive near very hot water! If you visit one of the springs, you’ll likely notice a spongy gray material near the spring opening.

We’re now approaching Hot Springs Mountain Tower, one of the absolute must-see attractions in this park.

The observation tower reaches an elevation of 1,256 feet above sea level. From the open-air deck, you can see about 140 square miles of the Ouachita Mountains.

Note: The tour is over 10+ miles long, with more than 40+ audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours per tour to complete.

Experience the natural beauty of Hot Springs with this self-guided driving and walking tour. For the best experience, bring headphones/earbuds for your walking tour.

Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

The Gulpha Gorge Trail. From here, you can take a moderate 1.5-mile roundtrip hike to Gulpha Gorge, where a creek tumbles beautifully down a series of low falls. Although you’ll hike downhill to the gorge, you’ll gain several hundred feet of elevation on your way back. Expect to spend at least an hour on this trail.

In just a moment we’ll reach the trailhead for the Goat Rock Trail. This hike is a moderate two miles and will take about one and a half hours to complete, and leads to the phenomenal Goat Rock Viewpoint, which offers absolutely stunning views of nearby Indian Mountain. In the spring, you’ll also be treated to a spectacular display of wildflowers!

Coming up on our right is Happy Hollow Fountain. In the 1920s, this was the location of Happy Hollow Springs, one of the craziest, most festive spots in town.

If you’d like, you can take a drink from Happy Hollow Fountain! Unlike Noble Fountain, this water comes out at a nice, cool temperature.

We’re approaching the West Mountain Lower Overlook, where we can catch beautiful views of downtown Hot Springs.

I definitely recommend stopping here to take in the views. It’s the second to last overlook of our journey. To visit the overlook, park in the turnout coming up on our right.

Today this is a gift shop. But back in the day, it was the Lamar Bathhouse. And unlike all the other bathhouses up and down this avenue, THIS one had special, extra-long tubs -- perfect for anyone over six feet!

This is one of the best-maintained bathhouses in the park. In fact, it’s one of only two bathhouses where you can still bathe! To hear more, tap Learn More.

But before you settle on a soak, you might still be wondering: Do these waters really cure diseases? Is there something magical about them?

The Fordyce Bathhouse gets its name from Ohio-born businessman Samuel Wesley Fordyce. Fordyce fought for the Union in the Civil War. He contracted malaria during his service and it continued to ruin his health for years afterward. Finally, in 1873, he’d had enough. He came here to benefit from the healing powers of these hot springs.

This green-accented bathhouse is the Maurice, which opened for business in 1912. With a roof garden, therapeutic pool, and modern elevators, this was the most state-of-the-art facility around.

Today, it’s home to the only brewery located inside a national park and the only brewery in the entire world to use thermal spring water in their beer! For details on the brewery, click on Learn More.

Before Hot Springs’ golden age, this was a pretty nondescript service road. Turning it into a fancy Promenade was an attempt to connect the extravagant bathhouses with the wooded slopes of this mountain.

Another prominent feature of the park in the early 20th century was celebrities. That’s right: This little city in Arkansas was a great place to spot some stars. Especially baseball stars!

This is the first hospital in the entire country to treat both Army and Navy patients. The idea for the hospital started with Senator John Logan, who visited Hot Springs in 1882. He imagined a medical facility where veterans from multiple military branches could all receive effective, affordable treatment. And he believed that Hot Springs would be the ideal location.

When you reach the end of the Grand Promenade at Reserve Street, look for the small courtyard with the fountain. Walk over to the fountain and pause.

This is Noble Fountain, which is fed by a thermal spring. If you’d like, you can actually take a drink from this fountain!