Nature Travelers
Contact Us​
  • Welcome
  • About
    • About Us
    • About NatureTravelers.com
  • Our Travels
    • USA Travels Overview
    • 31 Days In Iceland
    • 15 Days In The Galapagos >
      • Galapagos Resources
    • 28 Days In South Africa
    • 43 Days In Costa Rica
    • Travels In Canada
    • Cruises
  • Travel Journals
    • USA Journal
    • Iceland Journal
    • Galapagos Islands Journal
    • South Africa Journal
    • Canada Journal
  • Photo Galleries
    • USA Photo Gallery
    • Iceland Photo Gallery
    • Galapagos Islands Photo Gallery
    • South Africa Photo Gallery
    • Costa Rica Photo Gallery
  • Future Travels
  • Welcome
  • About
    • About Us
    • About NatureTravelers.com
  • Our Travels
    • USA Travels Overview
    • 31 Days In Iceland
    • 15 Days In The Galapagos >
      • Galapagos Resources
    • 28 Days In South Africa
    • 43 Days In Costa Rica
    • Travels In Canada
    • Cruises
  • Travel Journals
    • USA Journal
    • Iceland Journal
    • Galapagos Islands Journal
    • South Africa Journal
    • Canada Journal
  • Photo Galleries
    • USA Photo Gallery
    • Iceland Photo Gallery
    • Galapagos Islands Photo Gallery
    • South Africa Photo Gallery
    • Costa Rica Photo Gallery
  • Future Travels

Visit To Hot Springs National Park - Arkansas

11/11/2006

1 Comment

 
We went to Hot Springs National Park because ... well, that's what we do. We go to National Parks whenever we are in the area of one. We knew nothing about this park and, while we learned a lot, it wasn't what we expected from a National Park. 
Picture
Hot Springs National Park - Arkansas

I have to admit that we really didn't know anything about Hot Springs.  All I knew was that there is a Hot Springs National Park, and we intend to visit as many National Parks as we can.

And on this bright, clear day - about 20 degrees cooler than the last two days - a hot bath in the springs' mineral waters sounded good.  So we decided to just go see what this National Park was all about.

We headed out and decided to drive a longer route through Hot Springs Village which is a separate town north of Hot Springs.  We knew Arkansas Highway 7 through the village turned into Central Avenue in downtown Hot Springs.

We then followed signs to the Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center.  They took us right into downtown Hot Springs.  From what I had read, I was confused about the relationship between the city of Hot Springs and the National Park.

Is the city actually within the National Park?  Surely the park just borders the city and the Visitor Center is just within the city.  Right?  Wrong!

Here is the best summary I could find from the City of Hot Springs website:

History

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas is the only American city nestled within a national park. That is because the United States government recognized its uniqueness and gave it protected status in 1832 as the first Federal Reservation. It became a National Park in 1921, and the City of Hot Springs was officially incorporated in 1876.

Hot Springs’ legacy springs from the thermal waters that are its namesake. There are 47 hot springs which, for thousands of years, have issued forth from the southwestern slope of Hot Springs Mountain at a temperature of 143 degrees F and a rate of nearly a million gallons a day. The waters, having traveled through many layers of filtering rock on their way to the earth’s surface, have been found to be nearly 100% pure.

Traveling back in time to the year 1541, when the Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto arrived in Hot Springs and drank the thermal waters, he discovered what the native American Indians had experienced as long as 10,000 years ago. This Valley of the Vapors, nestled in the Ouachita Mountains, was a place of peace where various tribes would put aside their differences and gather to enjoy the mysterious springs. Since then, visitors have come for healing, rejuvenation, and recreation.

World-famous Bathhouse Row, consisting of eight architecturally unique, turn-of-the-century bathhouses in the heart of the downtown historic and arts district, is supervised by the National Park Service. One of the bathhouses, the Fordyce, currently operates as a beautifully restored museum where visitors can learn more about the colorful history which shapes Hot Springs to this day.

 

We did not know the above until after we arrived in the downtown area.  That's why it seemed so strange to us to be driving on city streets looking for the Visitors Center.

We ended up driving past the parking areas and drove up the windy Hot Springs Mountain road to the Hot Springs Mountain Tower.  It sits on top of the mountain which is the source of the 47 hot springs and rises up an additional 216 feet for a view of the town and surrounding Ouachita Mountains.

This shot was taken from the open air top level.

 

 

Since it was cold and windy on that level, we moved down one level to the glass-enclosed section for this photo.

 

 

There was a lot of information about the history of the area and some "Myth vs Reality" information.

We drove back down the mountain noticing the numerous trails and lookouts.  It was a good drive on a pretty autumn day.

Back in town we parked in the free city parking garage.  This shot of two bathhouses, the Buckstaff and Ozark, and the old Army-Navy Hospital was taken from the garage.

 

 

The following photos are of three of the eight bathhouses on Bathhouse Row.

The Ozark.

 

 

The Quapaw.

 

 

The original entrepreneurs just built tents over the various springs and charged travelers.  Later, they upgraded to wooden shacks.  But forest fires and the moisture from the springs kept destroying the bathhouses.

Eventually sturdier materials were used to construct the eight bathhouses currently on Bathhouse Row.  However, the bathhouses couldn't keep up with the rising costs of their opulence and went out of business.  Only the Buckstaff is still operating.

The Fordyce, below, is now the National Park Visitor Center, and the only one we actually got to see.  The Buckstaff was closed this afternoon for Veterans Day.

 

 

We went inside and watched the short film history of the area.  Then we took the self-guided tour.

This was a typical bath.

 

 

Here is a hydrotherapy room.

 

 

This statue of DeSoto and an Indian Maiden is the center of the mens' baths.  It's actually a fountain depicting the maiden assisting the explorer with a sip from the springs.

 

 

This stained glass ceiling is over the statue.

 

 

The mens' parlor opened up into a common area.

 

 

On the other end of the common area is the ladies' parlor.

 

 

In addition to the "healing" properties of the hot baths, physicians and therapists recommended exercise.  So the Fordyce also had a gymnasium.

 

 

There was also a weight machine room that Linda thought looked much like a torture chamber with the primitive equipment.

The mens' massage area showcased some of the electrical equipment that was used in massages - also a little scary.

Here is a ladies' massage area.

 

 

And a beauty parlor.  These bathhouses didn't miss a thing for the comfort of their guests in their heyday.

 

 

In the basement, the hot spring for this bathhouse was displayed - a little hard to see in the dark basement.

 

 

Behind the Fordyce is a "display spring".

 

 

All the other springs have been capped to prevent contamination.  It was good to see at least one open spring with the steam coming off.

There were also fountains and various outlets throughout the downtown where people were filling up plastic jugs with hot mineral water.

Of course, if you didn't bring a jug, the downtown vendors were more than happy to sell you one.

By now we were hungry, so we went to the Magnolia.  All the trees between the bathhouses and road, Central Avenue, are magnolias. 

After lunch, we went back out in search of a place where we could get a Hot Springs bath.  The Buckstaff was closed for the day and all the other bathhouses on Bathhouse Row were being renovated.

Apparently, the federal government is in the process of renovating all the bathhouses for historical value and they will lease them to businesses to run.  Since 2007 is the 175th anniversary of Hot Springs becoming a federal reservation, I'm guessing they hope to have some leases in place next year.

There are lots of places around town to get modern spa services at modern spa prices. But we just wanted the experience of a good ole fashioned Hot Springs bath.  I knew that three hotels offered the service - the Arlington, the Downtowner, and the Austin.

We walked into the Arlington, but the bathhouse reception area turned Linda off.  We walked further to the Downtowner which was better.  But they didn't have any openings for another few hours.

We did learn that the 143 degree water from the springs is piped into a holding tank where it is allowed to cool to 100 degrees for the bath.  Having owned a hottub in the past and knowing my limit was about 104, I had wondered about that.

I also wondered how all these places proved that the water used is actually from the springs. I didn't get an answer to that question, but we were assured that it is only spring water that comes through the pipes.  I presume somebody makes sure the bathhouses are not "cheating".

Anyway, the Downtowner price of $39 included a bath, a steam, hot towels, and a massage.  It was a good deal, but we couldn't decide if we wanted to stick around that long.  A drive back after dark on the country roads after a relaxing bath and massage was probably not a good idea.

We were disappointed none of the bathhouses on Bathhouse Row were open for business.  After stepping into a few shops along Central Avenue, we ultimately headed home.

So, this National Park is unlike any we have ever visited. And I'm still not sure why it's a National Park instead of a National Historic Park or one of the other federal facility designations. It's certainly not a nature-lover's type of park. 

1 Comment
mercedes benz over link
11/17/2021 11:08:44 am

please do more research because this isn't telling me entering about benefits nor challenges

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Interests - Backpacking
    Interests - Bird Watching
    Interests - Boat Tours
    Interests - Caves
    Interests - Fishing
    Interests - Hikes
    Interests - Paddling/Float Trips
    Interests - Scenic Drives
    Interests - Waterfalls
    Interests - Wildlife - Alligators/Crocodiles
    Interests - Wildlife - Bears
    Interests - Wildlife - Beavers
    Interests - Wildlife - Bighorn Sheep
    Interests - Wildlife - Bison
    Interests - Wildlife - Coyotes
    Interests - Wildlife - Deer
    Interests - Wildlife - Dolphins/Porpoises
    Interests - Wildlife - Eagles
    Interests - Wildlife - Elk
    Interests - Wildlife - Javelinas
    Interests - Wildlife - Manatees
    Interests - Wildlife - Moose
    Interests - Wildlife - Mountain Goats
    Interests - Wildlife - Otters
    Interests - Wildlife - Owls
    Interests - Wildlife - Prairie Dogs
    Interests - Wildlife - Pronghorn
    Interests - Wildlife - Seals
    Interests - Wildlife - Whales
    Interests - Wildlife - Wolves
    National Conservation Areas
    National Conservation Areas - Red Rock Canyon
    National Monuments
    National Monuments - Bandelier
    National Monuments - Chiricahua
    National Monuments - Grand Staircase Escalante
    National Monuments - Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks
    National Monuments - Vermilion Cliffs
    National Monuments - White Sands
    National Parks
    National Parks - Acadia
    National Parks - Arches
    National Parks - Badlands
    National Parks - Big Bend
    National Parks - Bryce Canyon
    National Parks - Canyonlands
    National Parks - Capitol Reef
    National Parks - Carlsbad Caverns
    National Parks - Cuyahoga Valley
    National Parks - Everglades
    National Parks - Glacier
    National Parks - Grand Canyon
    National Parks - Grand Teton
    National Parks - Great Basin
    National Parks - Great Sand Dunes
    National Parks - Great Smoky Mountains
    National Parks - Hot Springs
    National Parks - Isle Royale
    National Parks - Joshua Tree
    National Parks - Lassen Volcanic
    National Parks - Mammoth Cave
    National Parks - Mesa Verde
    National Parks - North Cascades
    National Parks - Petrified Forest
    National Parks - Redwood
    National Parks - Rocky Mountain
    National Parks - Saguaro
    National Parks - Theodore Roosevelt
    National Parks - Voyageurs
    National Parks - Waterton Lakes (Canada)
    National Parks - Yellowstone
    National Parks - Yosemite
    National Parks - Zion
    National Preserves
    National Preserves - Mojave National Preserve
    National Wildlife Refuges
    National Wildlife Refuges - Ash Meadows
    National Wildlife Refuges - Bosque Del Apache
    National Wildlife Refuges - Laguna Atascosa
    National Wildlife Refuges - Okefenokee
    State Parks
    State Parks - Adirondack NY
    State Parks - Anza Borrego CA
    State Parks - Dead Horse Point UT
    State Parks - Del Norte Coast Redwoods CA
    State Parks - Goblin Valley UT
    State Parks - Hocking Hills OH
    State Parks - Jedidiah Smith Redwoods CA
    State Parks - Kodachrome Basin UT
    State Parks - Palo Duro Canyon TX
    State Parks - Patrick's Point CA
    State Parks - Prairie Creek Redwoods CA
    State Parks - Quoddy Head ME
    State Parks - Valley Of Fire NV
    States - Alabama
    States - Arizona
    States - Arkansas
    States - California
    States - Colorado
    States - Florida
    States - Georgia
    States - Kentucky
    States - Maine
    States - Michigan
    States - Minnesota
    States - Montana
    States - Nevada
    States - New Hampshire
    States - New Mexico
    States - New York
    States - North Dakota
    States - Ohio
    States - South Dakota
    States - Tennessee
    States - Texas
    States - Utah
    States - Washington
    States - Wyoming

    Archives

    September 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    March 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    January 2015
    June 2014
    May 2014
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    May 2012
    August 2011
    July 2011
    March 2011
    January 2011
    October 2010
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    January 2009
    November 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    March 2008
    February 2008
    October 2007
    July 2007
    June 2007
    May 2007
    February 2007
    November 2006
    March 2006
    October 2005

Thanks for visiting and we hope you enjoy our website.

Contact Us

Nature Travelers  •  Howard & Linda Payne  •  Howard@NatureTravelers.com  •  www.NatureTravelers.com

All content, photos, and videos - Copyright © Nature Travelers.  All Rights Reserved.
Website Designed by: WCWDesigns