Hot Springs National Park: A Second Visit, A Different Experience ♨️

Our first stop on our Southwest road trip was Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas.

Now, this wasn’t actually our first time visiting Hot Springs. We had been here before, but our experience was very different. When we visited during COVID, the historic buildings were closed, so we never got the chance to really experience what makes this park so unique.

This time, we were excited to come back and actually explore Bathhouse Row, learn the history, and see what we missed the first time around.

And let me tell you… this stop was so much more interesting because of it!

Bathhouse Row: More Than Just Beautiful Buildings

When most people think of National Parks, they picture mountains, waterfalls, and hiking trails. Hot Springs National Park is a little different.

This park is all about history.

The heart of Hot Springs is Bathhouse Row, a collection of historic bathhouses that once attracted visitors from all over the country hoping to experience the famous thermal waters.

Walking along Bathhouse Row was like stepping back in time. The architecture is beautiful, but the stories behind the buildings are what really make this place special.

One thing I highly recommend: don’t miss the ranger-led tour!

This was one of the highlights of our visit. Our ranger shared so many details about the history of the bathhouses, the people who came here, and what life was like during the height of the “American Spa” era. It was the kind of information you would completely miss just walking around on your own.

The tours are a great way to bring the history to life and make the stop so much more meaningful.

Did We Soak in the Hot Springs?

This was one of the questions we got asked most!

The answer: no.

I really wanted to experience a traditional soak, but because we were traveling with our boys, we decided it wasn’t the right fit for our family this time.

The bathhouses that offer soaking do have age requirements. For example, Buckstaff requires bathers to be at least 10 years old, while Quapaw requires guests to be 14 or older for soaking.

Our boys technically could have met some requirements, but between schedules and the type of experience we wanted as a family, we decided to spend our time exploring instead.

And honestly? We still had plenty to do!

Don’t Miss the Cold Water Springs

One of our favorite little discoveries was filling up bottles with the natural spring water.

Make sure you bring a reusable bottle (or even a jug if you want more)! There are several places around town where you can fill up with the spring water.

It was such a simple thing, but it became one of those little memories from the trip that we’ll always remember.

The Brewery Restaurant We Didn’t Have Time For

One of the hardest parts of a road trip is knowing you can’t do everything.

While walking through town, we passed the Superior Bathhouse Brewery and it looked so good! The atmosphere was fun, the food looked amazing, and it definitely went on my mental list of “places to try if we come back.”

But we were trying to stick to our itinerary and had more miles to cover, so we made the responsible decision to keep moving.

(Which is probably good because we already had plenty of snacks packed in the car anyway. 😂)

First Road Trip Lesson Learned

Of course, no adventure is complete without learning a few things along the way.

Our first lesson came pretty quickly:

📝 Note to self: Car adaptor frying pans are a BUST.

I had visions of heating up easy lunches on the road, but after waiting forever just to warm up one piece of pizza, we quickly realized that plan was not going to work.

At least it gave us a good laugh… and eventually became a whole blog post about the things we bought that worked and the things that definitely did not. 😂

Hot Springs Take Two?

I’m actually really glad we got the chance to come back and experience Hot Springs after our first visit was limited. It reminded us that sometimes revisiting a place can give you a completely different perspective.

Hot Springs may not have the dramatic views of some of the other parks we visited on this trip, but it has something special—a story.

And after all, that’s what this trip was about: seeing amazing places, learning something new, and making memories together.

One National Park down… six more to go! 🚗🏜️

Safe travels and happy memory making!l

Kayla