Size: 5,554 Acres
Year Established: 1921
Annual Visitors: 2.16 Million
Firearms Information in Hot Springs National Park
People who are allowed to bear weapons in accordance with federal, state, and local laws may do so in this in Hot Springs National Park.
Before visiting the park, you are responsible for familiarizing themselves with and abiding by all local, state, and federal firearms regulations. You can check out http://www.asp.state.ar.us/divisions/rs/rs_chl_law.html#law for more information on Arkansas firearm policies.
Signs are posted at all park entrances reminding visitors that firearms are not permitted in any federal buildings.
Hunting in Hot Springs National Park
Make sure you have a plan before heading into the woods in search of that trophy buck. Hunting in the Ouachita National Forest is permitted with the appropriate licenses and tags. However, hunting is not permitted in Hot Springs National Park.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission may be found online at https://www.agfc.com/en/hunting/, where more details on the state’s hunting laws and regulations can be found.
Additional Information About Hot Springs National Park
The Paleo Indians, who bathed here 14,000 years ago, called it the “Valley of the Vapors” because steam rises from the ground.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Americans called it “the Nation’s Health Sanitorium” and went to the park’s wellness centers to “quaff the elixir,” hoping that the silica-rich water would heal them of everything ranging from gout to metal poisoning.
Even though this idea has been debunked for a long time, the 43 thermal springs in the tiny park still draw people who want to relax in the soothing waters.
Seven hundred thousand gallons of 145F water rises through cracks in sandstone a mile below the Ouachita Mountains. It allows people to soak in one of the fancy spas on Bathhouse Row or sweat it out in a sauna cave.
Best Time to Visit Hot Springs National Park
The best time to visit Hot Springs National Park between the months of September to November.
Visitor Fees
All of Hot Springs National Park is free to the public.
Interesting in visiting multiple National Parks this year?
Consider the America The Beautiful Annual Park Pass.
This annual park pass to gets you and some friends into all U.S. National Parks for $80.
They also offer Senior, Military, and other discounts.
Visitor Centers
Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center
Address
369 Central Avenue
Hot Springs, AR 71901
Phone Number
(207) 288-3338
Hours of Operation
Daily 9:00 AM–5:00 PM