Hot Springs National Park
Hot Springs, Arkansas4.7 (16,033 reviews on Google)
Hot Springs National Park, in Arkansas, lies 0.26 straight-line miles from drivable pavement at Cedar Street. Described as a viewing site rather than a soak on the operator's own site. The listed water temperature is 143°F. There is no entry fee and amenities on file include camping, restrooms, pet friendly and food on-site.
At a glance
Water temp
Above 110°F — risk of burns; test before entering
NPS: thermal water emerges at an average 143°F (https://www.nps.gov/hosp/learn/nature/hotsprings.htm)
Verified
Road required
Any car
Unverified
Getting there
Short Walk
Unverified
Camping on site
Not indicated
Unverified
Cell service
Not confirmed
Information verified: — roads and policies change without notice.
Conditions at the spring
What we can actually confirm
Every attribute shows its source. Where nothing confirms it, we say so rather than guess.
Vehicle needed
Not confirmed
Getting to the water
0.26 mi from the nearest road, Cedar Street (straight line)Camping on site
Not indicated
Development
Sightseeing Only
The water
Hot Springs National Park: common questions
Can you soak in the hot springs at Hot Springs National Park?
Not outdoors. The National Park Service says the water comes out of the ground at about 143°F and there are no outdoor soaking opportunities in the park. Two bathhouses on Bathhouse Row have the thermal water piped in and let you fully submerge: the Buckstaff Bathhouse (509 Central Avenue, ages 10 and up) and the Quapaw Bathhouse (413 Central Avenue, ages 14 and up). Both charge for baths and set their own rates and hours.
Sources: nps.gov (1), nps.gov (2), nps.gov (3)
Is Hot Springs National Park free?
Yes, the park itself is free: there is no entrance fee and no charge for the brochure, junior ranger program or ranger-led tours. The jug fountains dispense thermal water free of charge, and you can touch the water at the Hot Water Cascade and the Display Spring for free. Baths at the Buckstaff and Quapaw bathhouses cost extra, and camping at Gulpha Gorge is $34 a night.
Sources: nps.gov (1), nps.gov (2), nps.gov (3)
Tips before you go
Practical notes from operators, land managers and published sources — plus reviews written here.
No outdoor soaking: NPS says the thermal water comes out of the ground at about 143°F and there are no outdoor soaking opportunities in the park. To get in the water, use one of the two Bathhouse Row bathhouses the springs are piped into: the Buckstaff (509 Central Ave, ages 10 and up) or the Quapaw (413 Central Ave, ages 14 and up). Both charge and set their own rates and hours. Sources: https://www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/thermal-springs.htm , https://www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/soak-in-the-springs.htm , https://www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/hours.htm
Free to see, touch and drink: the park has no entrance fee. You can touch the cooled water at the Hot Water Cascade on Arlington Lawn (the largest visible spring in the park), the Display Spring behind the Maurice Bathhouse and the Promenade Seep behind the Quapaw, and the park provides spring water free at its jug fountains, such as those on Reserve Street in front of the Libbey Memorial Physical Medicine Center and the NPS Administration Building. Sources: https://www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/fees.htm , https://www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/thermal-springs.htm
Start at the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center and Museum, 369 Central Avenue, which has restrooms and water. Downtown parking is metered on the street or in the Exchange Street Parking Garage at 128 Exchange Street. Dogs are welcome on a 6-foot leash on Bathhouse Row and the park's 26 miles of trails but not inside federal buildings. Sources: https://www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm , https://www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/fordyce-bathhouse.htm , https://www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/index.htm , https://www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/pets.htm
Camping is at Gulpha Gorge Campground, 305 Gulpha Gorge Road off US 70B on the east side of town: 40 sites, all with full hookups (30/50-amp electric, water, sewer), $34 a night, reservation required on Recreation.gov up to six months ahead. Campers get modern restrooms and showers; stays are capped at 14 consecutive days. Sources: https://www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/campground.htm , https://www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/fees.htm
NPS notes that Legionella bacteria have been found in some thermal-water samples; the risk is from inhaling the water, and NPS says the concern does not lie with bathing or drinking. Source: https://www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/thermal-springs.htm
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