Hot Springs

"Where can I get eggs benedict?" asked the lady in line at the Park Ranger desk at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas.

This may be the only National Park where that question does not raise an eyebrow. In fact, it generated several recommendations for brunch options on this particular Sunday. And, admittedly, the question I posed may also have seemed strange at the Forsythe Bathhouse Visitor Center.

"Where can we find woods and hiking trails?"

Hot Springs is one of the most unusual National Parks we have visted. A town with restaurants, shops and historic bathhouses cuts right in the middle of it. It's called Bathhouse Row, and you can book appointments for mineral baths and spa treatments in these ornate 1910's buildings.

Behind the bathhouses is the Promenade, a paved walkway where you can feel the heat from the 140-degree hot spring water. Here, you can also read about the history of Hot Springs, where people in the 1800s began to flock to experience the healing waters of "America's Spa." Professional baseball players, including Cy Young and Babe Ruth, would train here, drawn by the hot baths and the off-season conditioning they get do by hiking up the mountains.

Bathhouse Row sits between the two portions of the park. Hot Springs Mountain and the North Mountain trails are directly behind the bathhouses, and the West and Sugar Loaf Mountains are across the street.

We took the Promenade to one of the park's two cool springs, Happy Hollow, on the edge of town. We filled our water bottles and camelbacks and decided to climb to the top of Hot Springs Mountain.

Hot Springs National Park has 26 total miles of trails. What we loved was that there were many loops that allowed you to create your own adventure, depending on how far you wanted to go.

We took Fountain Trail to Honeysuckle Trail. We picnicked in the shade of a shelter, enjoying mountain views, fall foliage, and seclusion, as we only saw two other hikers on this part of the trail. We merged onto North Mountain Trail to Peak Trail, where we climbed to the top. There's a gift shop here, and you can pay $10 per person to take an elevator to the top of an observation deck, which we opted not to do. We took the more popular Peak Trail down.

Our favorite thing about Hot Springs is that it is one of the few dog-friendly National Parks. Dogs can hike any trail and can even earn a Bark Ranger certificate. Our dog Chase drank some spring water, hiked, walked his humans on a leash on Bathhouse Row, and posed for a picture. It was his first National Park, and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Must do:

Try the root beer made with hot springs water wat Superior Bath Brewery. Dogs are welcome here, too.

Camping tip:

Hot Springs has one campground, Gulpha Gorge, which was fully booked during our October trip. We opted for a site at Brady Mountain Recreational Area, about 20 miles away. Our site, 34, had a view of the Ouichita River. Though the campsites are close to one another, we enjoyed our time here, and the $16/night price tag.