Hot Springs

NOT your typical National Park Visit

Hot Springs National Park (#272) is a unique destination with a rich cultural past.

The grand architecture of the historic bathhouses is equally matched by the natural curiosities of ancient thermal springs, mountain views, incredible geology, forested hikes, and abundant creeks – all in the middle of town. It is actually the oldest National Park, set aside as a Federal Reservation in 1837. People here take serious issue with Yellowstone. It also has the distinction of being the site where the first National Park Service Ranger was murdered in the line of duty, by bootleggers, in 1927.

We camped at the Gulpha Gorge Campground, our 7th time actually camping in a National Park Campground, in a site right on Gulpha Creek! It’s still COLD (13^o one night), but starting to warm a bit. We managed to see the highlights of Hot Springs National Park in 3 days, including:

Exploring the Hot Springs National Park, Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center, with 3 floors of exhibits and a bit in the basement, too.
Experiencing the Traditional Hydrotherapy Treatment at the Buckstaff Bathhouse. (See Steps 1-6 hidden in the captions of the pictures below.)
Walking along Bathhouse Row and on the Promenade behind, seeing all the Springs and Fountains of thermal water around town, touching and drinking some of that water
Visiting Hot Springs Mountain Tower, driving to West Mountain Summit & hiking on Sunset Trail, hiking to Goat Rock on North Mountain.
Drinking the only beer/rootbeer in the World utilizing thermal spring water as the main ingredient, from the only brewery in a National Park, at the Superior Bathhouse Brewery

First Hot Spring we saw
Hot Springs NP Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center & Museum, where we spent an afternoon
Fordyce Bathhouse VC Exhibit-Tub like the ones we soaked in for 20 minutes (Step 1) at the Buckstaff Bathhouse
Fordyce Bathhouse VC Exhibit-Sitz Bath & Vapor Cabinet like the ones we sat in for ~5 minutes each (Steps 2 & 3) at the Buckstaff Bathhouse
Fordyce Bathhouse VC Womens’ Pack Room (for laying on of Hot Towel Packs, Step 4 for us at the Buckstaff), note the stain glass windows…fanciest room on the Womens’ Side
Fordyce Bathhouse VC Mens’ Bath Hall (Womens’ is just a Hall)
Fordyce Bathhouse VC Mens’ Bath Hall Ceiling (Better than the Womens’ Pack Room Windows!)
Fordyce Bathhouse VC Exhibit outlining the remaining Bathhouse Row-we went in 4, 7, 10, 11
Gail drinking warm thermal water at a fountain around town
Buckstaff Bathouse, where we did our Hydrotherapy Treatment (Steps 5 & 6) were a 20 minute Swedish Massage and a Parafin Treatment for our hands).
Superior Bathouse Brewery, where we dined 2 afternoons
Superior Bathouse Brewery
Lamar Bathouse, now the Hot Springs National Park Emproium, Mark entering to do a little shopping
View from North Mountain Tower, including Looooong Shadow of the Tower