Visiting Hot Springs, Arkansas
Unique Attractions Include Mineral Baths and a Diamond Mine
Oct 29, 2009
Call it America’s first spa. Arkansas’s Hot Springs National Park was founded 175 years ago to protect the 47 mineral springs that flow from the southwestern slope of Hot Springs Mountain. The oldest of America’s national parks, and definitely the most unusual, Hot Springs is anchored by Bathhouse Row, a series of ornate bathhouses built at the turn of the 19th century. U.S. Presidents, rum-running gangsters, and folks suffering from rheumatism and gout visited the grand bathhouses to soak in the 143-degree healing mineral waters.
Fast-forward to the present. Bathhouse Row is now a National Historic Landmark, and two bathhouses are still open to the public for soaking, massage, and other treatments. The park is located in downtown Hot Springs, so it's easy to take a soak, grab lunch, and pop into a gallery or two. Here's what to see and do in Hot Springs National Park and the surrounding area.
Soak in the Mineral Spas at Hot Springs
To get the real Hot Springs spa experience, soak in the traditional Buckstaff Baths, built in 1912 and part of famous Bathhouse Row. As a spa indulgence, it couldn’t be cheaper: $55 buys a soak and a 20-minute Swedish massage, plus some time in the Vapor Cabinet (with your head in the cabinet or sticking out.)
Set in a c.1922, Spanish Colonial-style building, Quapaw Baths & Spa feels more like a day spa, with services to match. Soak in a shared pool, a private bath, or a tub built for two, and choose among several types of massage, including hot stone and the Quapaw 4 Hand Massage, where two therapists work together to unknot those muscles. Quapaw also offers facials and body treatments.
Stay at Turtle Cove Resort Spa
For a spa experience that’s a little less historic and a tad more posh, there’s another option: Turtle Cove Spa at the Mountain Harbor Resort, 25 miles west of Hot Springs on Lake Ouachita. No healing waters here, but this spa offers all the usual spa treatments, plus an only-in-Arkansas option: A crystal energy balancing massage, using heated and polished Arkansas quartz crystals. For those who aren't into spa-ing, or have had enough, the resort offers rental boats and fishing trips. Guests stay in log cabins with fireplaces and outdoor hot tubs. It's delightfully rustic-chic.
Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro
Feeling energized? Drive out to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, a 37-acre site to dig for gems in the rough. On second thought, book that massage after the diamond dig! This is the only public diamond-producing site in the world, and it's finders-keepers. To get into the mining mood, explore remnants of old mining ventures.
Check Out Downtown Hot Springs
Just steps from Bathhouse Row, downtown Hot Springs is worth a look. Victorian storefronts house eight blocks of shops, galleries, and restaurants. Start at the 100 block, known as Antique Row, and end at the 800 block, where the art galleries are. For an overview of the city, take the elevator to the top of Hot Springs Mountain Tower, a 216-foot observatory. Take in panoramic views of Hot Springs, the Ouachita Mountains, and the surrounding Diamond Lakes area.
Hiking at Hot Springs National Park
Besides bathing, the park offers more than 30 miles of hiking trails, color-coded according to difficulty level. Thirsty after hiking? Fill up a water bottle at one of the fountains that dispense water from the cold springs. It's odorless and flavorless.
Hot Springs is not your typical national park, but it's worth checking out for its interesting history as the first American spa. The park is within walking distance of the city's genial downtown area, and it's not far from Crater of Diamonds State Park, another favorite Arkansas attraction.
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