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Offered languages
- English
Experience the natural beauty of Hot Springs with this self-guided driving and easy walking tour. Visit Hot Springs Mountain Tower for stunning views, explore Gulpha Gorge Trail, discover West Mountain Lower Overlook, hike Goat Rock Trail, and enjoy Sunset Trail’s scenic beauty. Learn about the history and charm of this unique national park while exploring its top highlights at your own pace.
Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together!
After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point.
Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
This is not an entrance ticket to attractions along the route. Check opening hours before your visit.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Start the tour outside the Hot Springs Visitor Center, located on your right. The audio tour begins automatically as you pass the starting point. This is a self-guided tour, and no one will meet you in person. You can join anywhere along the route. Check your email/text for the "audio tour".
End Point: GW6W+PP, Hot Springs, AR, USA
Itinerary
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1
As we continue along North Mountain Drive, take a second to observe the flora around us. What plants do you notice? Hot Springs National Park is home to a huge variety of unique plants… including some that can thrive near very hot water! If you visit one of the springs, you’ll likely notice a spongy gray material near the spring opening.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
We’re now approaching Hot Springs Mountain Tower, one of the absolute must-see attractions in this park. The observation tower reaches an elevation of 1,256 feet above sea level. From the open-air deck, you can see about 140 square miles of the Ouachita Mountains. Note: The tour is over 10+ miles long, with more than 40+ audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours per tour to complete. Experience the natural beauty of Hot Springs with this self-guided driving and walking tour. For the best experience, bring headphones/earbuds for your walking tour. Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
The Gulpha Gorge Trail. From here, you can take a moderate 1.5-mile roundtrip hike to Gulpha Gorge, where a creek tumbles beautifully down a series of low falls. Although you’ll hike downhill to the gorge, you’ll gain several hundred feet of elevation on your way back. Expect to spend at least an hour on this trail.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
In just a moment we’ll reach the trailhead for the Goat Rock Trail. This hike is a moderate two miles and will take about one and a half hours to complete, and leads to the phenomenal Goat Rock Viewpoint, which offers absolutely stunning views of nearby Indian Mountain. In the spring, you’ll also be treated to a spectacular display of wildflowers!
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Coming up on our right is Happy Hollow Fountain. In the 1920s, this was the location of Happy Hollow Springs, one of the craziest, most festive spots in town. If you’d like, you can take a drink from Happy Hollow Fountain! Unlike Noble Fountain, this water comes out at a nice, cool temperature.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
We’re approaching the West Mountain Lower Overlook, where we can catch beautiful views of downtown Hot Springs. I definitely recommend stopping here to take in the views. It’s the second to last overlook of our journey. To visit the overlook, park in the turnout coming up on our right.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Today this is a gift shop. But back in the day, it was the Lamar Bathhouse. And unlike all the other bathhouses up and down this avenue, THIS one had special, extra-long tubs -- perfect for anyone over six feet!
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
This is one of the best-maintained bathhouses in the park. In fact, it’s one of only two bathhouses where you can still bathe! To hear more, tap Learn More. But before you settle on a soak, you might still be wondering: Do these waters really cure diseases? Is there something magical about them?
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
The Fordyce Bathhouse gets its name from Ohio-born businessman Samuel Wesley Fordyce. Fordyce fought for the Union in the Civil War. He contracted malaria during his service and it continued to ruin his health for years afterward. Finally, in 1873, he’d had enough. He came here to benefit from the healing powers of these hot springs.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
This green-accented bathhouse is the Maurice, which opened for business in 1912. With a roof garden, therapeutic pool, and modern elevators, this was the most state-of-the-art facility around.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Today, it’s home to the only brewery located inside a national park and the only brewery in the entire world to use thermal spring water in their beer! For details on the brewery, click on Learn More.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Before Hot Springs’ golden age, this was a pretty nondescript service road. Turning it into a fancy Promenade was an attempt to connect the extravagant bathhouses with the wooded slopes of this mountain.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Another prominent feature of the park in the early 20th century was celebrities. That’s right: This little city in Arkansas was a great place to spot some stars. Especially baseball stars!
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
This is the first hospital in the entire country to treat both Army and Navy patients. The idea for the hospital started with Senator John Logan, who visited Hot Springs in 1882. He imagined a medical facility where veterans from multiple military branches could all receive effective, affordable treatment. And he believed that Hot Springs would be the ideal location.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
When you reach the end of the Grand Promenade at Reserve Street, look for the small courtyard with the fountain. Walk over to the fountain and pause. This is Noble Fountain, which is fed by a thermal spring. If you’d like, you can actually take a drink from this fountain!
Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
- How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
- Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
- Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
Show 7 more
Additional info
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
- How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
- Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
- Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
- Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car.
- Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
- For the best experience, bring headphones/earbuds for your walking tour.
- Please note that Hot Springs National Park requires an entrance pass, which grants access to all areas. This pass is not included with the tour.
- Audio Setup: Connect your phone to your car's stereo system using Bluetooth, USB, or AUX. For the best experience, consider using headphones for walking tours. Audio playback is compatible with Apple CarPlay, with navigation features coming soon. Support for Android Auto is also on the way.
- For the best experience, please use an iPhone running iOS 15 or later, an Android device running version 9 or later, or an iPad/tablet with GPS and cellular connectivity, as these are recommended for navigation.
- Savings tips: Walking tours: couples can share one tour by splitting headphones
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Show more
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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