Hot Springs National Park

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Hot Springs National Park, and honestly I found it to be crowded and touristy. We arrived late on a Saturday afternoon in the fall to a very crowded town.

There is lots of hiking and we did not allow enough time to explore that side of the park. Less time-consuming is the mountain drive that has a view at the top and we did do a tour along the Hot Springs Mountain Drive before heading to our campground for the night.

The next morning, before the crowds arrived, we took a walk through town while everything was steaming.

The Grand Promenade is a pretty brick path that was the main walking path for visitor’s to the bathhouses.

Bathhouse Row was the most interesting feature for me. There are about 9 remaining historic bathhouse buildings. Two are still in use as bathhouses (which would be fun to visit another time), one is a gift shop, and another the Park Visitor’s Center.

We were fortunate to catch the morning light at a great moment, and all the buildings were lit really nicely as we strolled along Central Ave.