Indigenous peoples of Arkansas, the Quapaw, Caddo, Choctaw, and Cherokee, referred to this place as Valley of the Vapors.
In 1818 the Quapaw ceded the land and Hot Springs, Arkansas has been known for many reasons to European settlers. It was the childhood residence of Bill Clinton, home to Major League Baseball spring training, and haven for speakeasies and gangsters like Al Capone in the 1920s. Most famously, the area is known for its healing waters which flow from Hot Springs Mountain, part of the Ouachita Mountain range wherein lies Hot Springs National Park.
It is the only national park within a city-limit, extremely accessible, and a must while visiting The Natural State.
Bathhouse Row
Hot Springs has been a well-known resort area since the 1800s and is the historic heart of the American Spa. Its Bathhouse Row is a National Historic Landmark District, with a collection of the grandest bathhouses in North America that are a prime example of Gilded Age architecture. Fordyce Bathhouse serves as a visitor center and museum for the national park, a living memory Golden Age of Bathing.
Its ornate exterior was built in renaissance revival style, inspired by European spas. Inside, explore an elegant Edwardian Era bathhouse, watch movies, and read about how the water is heated, the believed health advantages, and segregated bathhouses during Jim Crow era. 
Bath halls were separate for men and women. The men’s hall was more luxurious with a stained glass ceiling creating an underwater atmosphere.
The men’s massage and mechano-therapy rooms were equipped with some frightening antiquated looking devices.
In the ladies hall the hydrotherapy room had an electric bath – shockingly there is no record of death by electrocution there.
In the basement you can see the actual Fordyce spring which has been an attraction to visitors since 1915,
find a geology lesson, and see the mechanical room with holding tanks, pumps, and pipes.
You can book a spa treatment at two of the bathhouses on the avenue. A traditional experience is available at the Buckstaff Bathhouse, the sole survivor from the original spas, which has never closed since its establishment in 1912.
Find a more modern day spa experience at the Quapaw Baths and Spa which pays homage to the lasting influence of the natives.
Superior Bathhouse has transformed into a brewery, a different way to experience a historic bathhouse.
There are many restaurants, stores, and colorful murals dispersed along the bustling Central Avenue.
Grand Promenade
Parallel to the main drag is a serene yellow and red brick road that feels a world away from the cars below.
Stroll down the path that is half a mile in length leading to scenic hot springs.
Read the historical plaques to learn about how this area once was or bring some game pieces and sit to play at the checkerboards creating new memories.
Be sure to quaff the elixir, there are water fountains and areas to fill up a jug.
Adjacent to the promenade are many paths that delve into the woods. A walk on the Peak trail is half a mile in length, so a one mile walk round trip, gaining a bit of elevation. As you near the summit, the Observation deck comes into view.
The tower is 216’ and has views of the Ouachita Mountains for hundreds of miles.
There has been a tower here since 1877 and this is the third one to stand at this location. You can also drive up to this point; perhaps bring a picnic to enjoy the splendid scenery.
Hiking
The park has 26 miles of trails to explore, a popular option is the Sunset trail.
It covers over 10 miles, but does not loop entirely. You’ll have to hike out and back on a section of it, or walk through the streets of the city to close the loop depending on how much mileage you would like to cover. The trail follows the ridge of West Mountain, over the summit of Music Mountain – the highest point in the Zig Zag Mountain Range and also the park. In spring there were so many colorful and new to me wildflowers.
There was a stunning marbled black and white warbler, a first in my books.
Hummingbirds were feeding in the tube flowers, flitting around so quickly as they do.
The scene is mostly forested, but there are some views that peek out along the way.
Be cautious if you are completing more than one section of the trail as there are a few road crossings. Balanced Rock was the highlight of the hike, don’t miss it! You’ll find it at the end of a short unmarked spur, at the time I visited there was a large rock arrow pointing you in the proper direction – but don’t count on it always being there. Know where to turn via the map to solidify seeing this attraction. The huge rock sits precariously on top of another boulder, as though it could slide right off at any time!
There are other rocks that have slipped into a crevice, dangling as well.
Best off all is the magnanimous vista, surely the best on the entire trail with its lush hillside and hazy horizon that spans for miles.
Good to know:
+There is no entrance fee for the park
+ You can’t swim in the natural springs, the temperature of the water is 143 degree (F)
+Camping is available at Gulpha Gorge Campground