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The
thermal waters that give Hot Springs its name are some of nature's most
miraculous features. The 47 "hot springs" along the forested southwestern
slope of Hot Springs Mountain gush forth nearly a million gallons of 143-degree
water every day - whether the weather has been wet or dry. The naturally
pure water then is used for |
| thermal bathing and massage and also is avidly
consumed as drinking water from free public springs in the downtown area.
The water has been carbon-dated and determined by scientific testing
to be the result of rainfall that fell in the Central Arkansas forests
4,000 years ago and seeps slowly down through the earth's crust until it
becomes superheated by heat from the earth's core and then gushes rapidly
to the surface in Hot Springs. Although drugs have replaced the thermal
waters as a specific treatment for arthritis and other diseases, the healing
effects of the relaxation and good feeling brought about by the miraculous
hot springs remain popular worldwide.
-- Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission
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Hot Springs has always been a special place. President
Andrew Jackson made Hot Springs the first Federal Reservation in 1832,
the first piece of America protected for future generations. Hot Springs
was, in essence, America's first national park.
Hot Springs is America's favorite spa, a world-famous resort built
around the thermal waters. In the beautifully restored National Park
area, you'll experience the |
| architectural treasures of the bathhouses,
Victorian buildings, art and sculpture galleries.
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| Hot
Springs National Park is the smallest and oldest of the parks in the National
Park System, dating back to 1832, when Congress established - 32 years
ahead of Yellowstone - the first federally protected reservation in the
nation's history. Hot Springs Reservation - which was renamed Hot Springs
National Park in 1921 - originally was created by Congress to protect the
47 naturally flowing thermal springs on the southwestern slope of Hot |
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| Springs Mountain.
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Although it's compact, you'll discover plenty to keep you busy during
your sojourn through the National Park, which is located right in the heart
of Hot Springs' Historic Downtown District.
Begin
your visit with a stop at the opulently restored Fordyce Bathhouse right
in the middle of World |
| Famous Bathhouse Row. You'll be transported back
to a different time when Hot Springs literally "Bathed the World." Guided
and self-guided tours through this marvelous edifice will give you a quick
understanding of where the thermal waters come from, how they are used
and how the federal government supervises the use of the 800,000 gallons
of hot water that gushes uninterrupted from the earth every day.
At the southern end of Bathhouse Row you may relax and let the world
go by at the Buckstaff Bathhouse, which is operated under the supervision
of the Park Service in much the same manner as the other bathhouses in
their heyday.
There are display springs that let you feel just how hot the water really
is (143 degrees Fahrenheit), and the beautiful cascade of thermal water
at the northern end of Bathhouse Row lets you dip your feet in the thermal
waters as you relax and enjoy the beauty of Arlington Lawn Park.
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A twisting scenic drive up Hot Springs
Mountain behind the bathhouses takes you to breathtaking Hot
Springs Mountain Tower, where you'll be whisked by elevators to the top
and a spectacularly beautiful view of the city, mountains, forests
and lakes that surround Hot Springs 40 miles in all
directions |
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On
the northern side of the mountain is lovely Gulpha Gorge Campground,
which offers camping amenities in a cool and tranquil natural setting on
the banks of Gulpha Creek. An extensive 26-mile network of hiking trails that range from the easily
negotiated Grand Promenade to some challengingly rugged |
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mountain treks
crisscrosses the park.
Hot Springs National Park - it has something for everyone.
-- Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission |
For more pictures of
Hot Springs, click here. |
