Admission Fees
Hot Springs is one of those parks that charges no admission fee at any time of the year! You might have to pay for parking in the downtown area, but that's the extent of your on-site expense after arrival. An interesting bit of trivia: Hot Springs is the only American city within a National Park boundary.
Nearest Major Airports
Little Rock (55 mi.), Memphis (189 mi.), and Dallas-Fort Worth (315 mi). Hot Springs has a general aviation airport.
Budget Airlines to Shop
Air Tran (Dallas, Memphis), Frontier (Dallas, Little Rock, Memphis), Southwest (Dallas Love, Little Rock).
Nearby Cities with Budget Rooms
Little Rock provides the closest collection of budget rooms, but there are other cities in the region with choices: Arkadelphia (36 mi.) has a number of chain hotels. Hot Springs rooms tend to be expensive, but some folks rent homes in nearby Hot Springs Village and find the prices good for larger parties and longer stays.
Camping and Lodge Facilities
There is no lodging run by the Park Service in Hot Springs, but there are hotels in the downtown area that technically are within the national park boundaries. Camping sites at Gulpha Gorge Campground cost $12, and no reservations are taken. A new service is campsites with hookups, which will cost $24/night. They are quite limited in number.
Top Free Attractions in the Park
For generations, the baths attracted visitors here, and you can visit a restored bath house free of charge because it doubles as the Fordyce Visitor Center. You can also watch a movie that explains the bathing procedure. Interested in trying it out? The nearby Buckstaff Baths has been a concessioner here for nearly a century. A traditional mineral bath goes for $22.
Beyond the bath houses, walk along Bath House Row and enjoy the architecture for free, or explore 26 miles of hiking trails.
Parking and Ground Transportation
City garages charge nominal fees for parking. Bus fares are $1.25 per ride. If you'll be here a while, you can buy a pack of 10 ride tickets for $9.25.
Other Attractions with which to Combine a Visit
Travel north on scenic Arkansas Highway 7 to explore the Ozarks. You're within three hours of Graceland and other Memphis attractions. Nearby Little Rock hosts the Clinton Presidential Library and Central High School, an important civil rights landmark.
For more information, visit Hot Springs National Park's official Web site.
