Hot Springs National Park
As the oldest federal reserve in the United States, Hot Springs has a lot to offer. Situated in Arkansas, this national park is somewhat of an indulgence. Not only can you enjoy forested hikes and mountain views, but there are also ancient thermal springs where you can relax.
The famous Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs also consists of eight bathhouses built between 1892 and 1923. This area was also designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1987.
Hot Springs National Park is home to lovely hikes like the Sunset Trail, which offers fantastic views of the Ouachita Mountains.
VISIT Hot Springs National Park:
Park Details
Hot Springs National Park was established on April 20, 1832, and has a total area of 5,549 acres (9 square miles, or 22 square kilometers).
| Address | 369 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, AR, 71901 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 501-620-6715 |
| Hours | Trails open 24/7 |
| Entrance Fee | Free |
| Learn More | Official Website |
When to Visit: Weather vs. Peak Visitation
Hot Springs National Park is the 39th most visited park in the country.
We crunched 30 years of historical weather and/or park service data to find the best months to visit Hot Springs National Park. We looked for the optimal temperatures, the least amount of snow and rain, and stayed away from peak visitation months if we could help it. All this data then helped us paint a picture as to what the absolute best time to visit Hot Springs National Park is.
Our data shows the best months to visit Hot Springs National Park are September, March, April & November.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Visits | 62,618 | 75,786 | 128,516 | 145,067 | 311,165 | 363,083 | 382,406 | 192,985 | 144,841 | 148,573 | 118,176 | 89,668 |
| Precipitation | 74 | 74 | 98 | 80 | 92 | 58 | 54 | 51 | 67 | 85 | 93 | 93 |
| Avg Temp | 51 | 55 | 63 | 73 | 81 | 88 | 92 | 92 | 84 | 74 | 62 | 52 |
| Max Temp | 66 | 70 | 77 | 84 | 91 | 95 | 100 | 100 | 94 | 86 | 76 | 67 |
| Avg Temp | 35 | 38 | 45 | 54 | 63 | 70 | 74 | 73 | 66 | 56 | 45 | 37 |
| Min Temp | 18 | 21 | 27 | 37 | 47 | 60 | 66 | 64 | 50 | 39 | 29 | 20 |
Hot Springs National Park Road Trips
Many family vacations consist of stringing one or more national parks together during a week-long trip. Creating these types of trips is our specialty! Here are the road trips we've created where Hot Springs National Park is visited.
| Trip Name | Trip Miles | Trip Days |
|---|---|---|
| Gateway Arch, Ozarks to Hot Springs | 719 | 7 |
Other Nearby National Park Sites
From national monuments, to historic sites to seashores and more, here are the other parks closest to Hot Springs National Park.
| Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site | 46 mi |
| President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site | 66 mi |
| Fort Smith National Historic Site | 96 mi |
| Arkansas Post National Memorial | 103 mi |
| Buffalo National River | 120 mi |
| Pea Ridge National Military Park | 145 mi |
| Poverty Point National Monument | 160 mi |
| Wilson's Creek National Battlefield | 181 mi |
| George Washington Carver National Monument | 186 mi |
| Vicksburg National Military Park | 196 mi |
Nearby Campsites & RV Parks
If you are looking to pitch a tent or park an RV at a campsite near Hot Springs National Park, here is a list of the closest campsites in the surrounding area. They all have slightly different amenitites, so its best to check them all out instead of just chosing the first on the list.
| Name | Details | Miles Away |
|---|---|---|
| Gulpha Gorge - Hot Springs National Park | Hot Springs, AR more | 1 miles |
| Cedar Glades Park | Hot Springs, AR more | 2 miles |
| Stephens - Lake Ouachita | Hot Springs, AR more | 9 miles |
| Lake Ouachita State Park | Mountain Pine, AR more | 9 miles |
| Lake Catherine State Park | Hot Springs, AR more | 9 miles |
| Brady Mountain - Lake Ouachita | Hot Springs, AR more | 13 miles |
| Lena Landing - Lake Ouachita | Hot Springs, AR more | 15 miles |
| Cedar Fourche - Lake Ouachita | AR more | 17 miles |
| Iron Springs | Jessieville, AR more | 17 miles |
| Crystal Springs - Lake Ouachita | Hot Springs, AR more | 17 miles |
Nearest Ski Resorts
For those of you who are the diehard outdoors type, visiting a national park on a ski trip can be quite the adventure. Here are the ski resorts within 100 miles of Hot Springs National Park:
None Found.
Nearest Airports
When visiting a National park, many people are faced with either a very long drive across country, or a much shorter flight. For those of you looking to fly into Hot Springs National Park, we've listed the closest airports in the area.
Large Airports
A large airport has scheduled major airline service with millions of passengers per year. This type of airport always accepts international flights. Here are the closest large airports to Hot Springs National Park.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis International Airport | MEM | Memphis, TN | 178 mi |
| Tulsa International Airport | TUL | Tulsa, OK | 197 mi |
| Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport | DFW | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | 255 mi |
| St. Louis Lambert International Airport | STL | St Louis, MO | 328 mi |
| George Bush Intercontinental Airport | IAH | Houston, TX | 340 mi |
| Kansas City International Airport | MCI | Kansas City, MO | 343 mi |
| Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport | MSY | New Orleans, LA | 352 mi |
Medium Airports
A medium-sized airport has scheduled regional airline service. This type of airport may or may not accept international flights. Here are the closest medium-sized airports to Hot Springs National Park.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memorial Field | HOT | Hot Springs, AR | 3 mi |
| Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field | LIT | Little Rock, AR | 49 mi |
| South Arkansas Regional At Goodwin Field | ELD | El Dorado, AR | 90 mi |
| Texarkana Regional Webb Field | TXK | Texarkana, AR | 91 mi |
| Fort Smith Regional Airport | FSM | Fort Smith, AR | 94 mi |
| Boone County Airport | HRO | Harrison, AR | 121 mi |
| Mid Delta Regional Airport | GLH | Greenville, MS | 138 mi |
Credits: Campground data provided by USCampgrounds.info. Map shapes from CartographyVectors. Weather data from NOAA. Airport data from OurAirports.com. Images from Unsplash, Flickr and Parks&Trips. All data has also been updated and augmented by Parks&Trips.