![]() They also appreciate the park's attractions in the middle of town, like Bathhouse Row and the Grand Promenade. Past visitors suggested taking on the 2.6-mile Sugarloaf Mountain segment of the Sunset Trail, which includes a short spur trail to the Balanced Rock that rewards hikers with one of the most stunning views in Arkansas. Both these areas offer short, interconnected trails, while the approximately 10-mile Sunset Trail provides a more challenging trek for experienced hikers. A majority of the trails are concentrated between the Hot Springs and North Mountain trails as well as the West Mountain Trails. Additionally, numerous trails weave throughout the park. The park's thermal waters are its primary draw, and visitors can still soak in the historical establishments lining Bathhouse Row, including the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center and the Buckstaff Bathhouse. We would stay at Treasure Isle RV Park again.Given that Hot Springs National Park shares a name with the nearby town, it should come as no surprise that the 5,500-acre park serves as the main attraction in Hot Springs. This RV park also had a pool which always makes Penguin happy. This park was on the Ouachita River and there were some very nice RV spots right on the river but we didn’t splurge for one of those. So where did we stay as we explored Hot Springs National Park? We found another good deal through Passport America so we stayed at Treasure Isle RV Park. The stairs were outside which was unexpected but really nice because you got to see Hot Springs in the background as you hiked down and a cool breeze.Īfter Hot Springs Mountain Tower we decided we wanted to do some more hiking so we hiked Hot Springs Mountain Trail to Honeysuckle Trail. We decided we would get some extra steps and take the stairs down. ![]() It was breezy and cool on the outside observation deck and that was a nice surprise as we were pretty hot and sweaty from our hike. ![]() We took the elevator up and the view of downtown Hot Springs was picturesque. Our NPS pass got us a discount so don’t forget your NPS pass! It was only $5/ea to go up to the observation deck with the discount. It was a tough hike but we made it to Hot Springs Mountain Tower. The trails through Hot Springs National Park begin right behind the visitor center. I didn’t expect a bathhouse to have a Gymnasium. My favorites included the Fordyce Spring in the basement where you can actually see the hot water spring and the fact that quartz crystals were added to this feature to give it more sparkle, the intimidating machines used for therapeutic exercise and the Gymnasium. I recommend walking through the Fordyce Bathhouse as it is very interesting to see how things were and imagine spending the day at the bathhouse. Per the NPS website, the Fordyce Bathhouse “was considered to be the best.” It is now the Hot Springs National Park visitor center and gives visitors a glimpse into what this bathhouse was like during its operation from 1915 to 1962. Our first stop was the Fordyce Bathhouse. Maybe they didn’t see the free parking signs? Fordyce Bathhouse I was surprised to see how many people were paying to park in the lot right in front of the free parking garage. Just follow the signs once you are in downtown Hot Springs. There is a free parking garage on Exchange Street, one block west of the Hot Springs National Park visitor center.
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