Hot Springs NP Self Guided Driving and Walking Audio Tour
Description
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. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This is not an entrance ticket to attractions along the route. Check opening hours before your visit.
Tour Options
Itinerary
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. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- 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.
- New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
- 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.
- The tour requires a supported mobile device for navigation. Please use an iPhone with iOS 15 or later, an Android device with Android 9 or later, or an iPad/tablet with GPS and cellular service.
- Savings tips: Walking tours: couples can share one tour by splitting headphones
Reviews(16)
Fun walk thru town to see bath houses and upper views of the town. Includes a trip to the tower as well as a second tour on the other side of town! 2 for 1!
Christopher, I’m really glad to hear that my Hot Springs NP GPS Driving and Walking Audio Tour felt like a fun adventure. It’s great that you enjoyed exploring the bathhouses, the views from above, and the bonus of a second tour—getting that “2 for 1” experience is exactly what I aim for. If you plan to travel more, you might be interested in my Action+ Tour Bundle. It includes all of my self-guided tours, over 100 in total, offering the same flexibility and informative fun wherever your travels take you!
It may have been us, however we were turned around on the walking tour as we had trouble figuring out the direction in which the tour was moving along the walk. We ended up hearing all of the stops, just in the wrong order. Can't wait for our next adventure to use this app.
Virginia, I am glad you still enjoyed all the stops on my Hot Springs GPS Driving and Walking Audio Tour, even if a few played in a different order. The walking route follows a suggested direction, but if you start from a different point, jump in midway, or turn around, the audio can trigger based on your location. If you remember, did you begin at the recommended starting point or join the route partway through? That detail would really help us make the flow clearer for future visitors, and we’d love to have you tour with us again!
For someone that does not have any idea on where to start, this is a great way to do it. Step by step this guide was very informative, I purchased it only because I had a credit covering most of the cost but now that I tried it, I would definitely try it in other vacation spots.
Nancy, I’m really glad to hear this was a helpful way to get started on my Hot Springs National Park audio tour. It’s great to know the step-by-step format made the experience easy and informative, especially if you weren’t sure where to begin. I love hearing that trying it once made you confident to use my tours in other vacation spots, too. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and support. If you plan to travel more, you might be interested in my Action+ Tour Bundle. It includes all of my self-guided tours, over 100 in total, offering the same flexibility and informative fun wherever your travels take you next!
Took a while to figure out the app. It would only generate audio through phone and not Bluetooth. And does not play on CarPlay. Once your started it was good and informative. Only glitch was part of the Park was closed due to Government shut down which cut the ship short.
I’m glad to hear that once you got started, the tour was informative. I apologize for the issues with CarPlay. Unfortunately, CarPlay does not currently support my app, but my team is working on making this feature available soon. In the meantime, you can connect to your car stereo directly for audio. Since the tour is valid for a year, you’re welcome to revisit and experience the park in its entirety once it's fully open again. If you plan to travel more, you might be interested in my Action+ Tour Bundle. It includes all of my self-guided tours, over 100+ in total, offering you the same flexibility and informative fun wherever your travels take you next!
It was a wonderful way to take your time and learn history of Bathhouse Row. Take your time and sit at the many benches along the way
William, I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed my Hot Springs NP Self-Guided Driving and Walking Audio Tour. I’m thrilled that it provided a great way to explore Bathhouse Row and learn about its history, and that you had the freedom to take your time. If you plan to travel more, you might be interested in my Action+ Tour Bundle. It includes all of my self-guided tours, over 100+ in total, offering you the same flexibility and informative fun wherever your travels take you next!
The tour was a perfect tool to help hit the highlights of Hot Springs. Perfect mix of historical and other interesting facts.
Terry, I’m thrilled to hear my audio tour helped you hit all the highlights of Hot Springs and that you enjoyed the mix of historical and interesting facts. It’s great to know the audio guide added value to your day. If you plan to travel more, you might be interested in my Action+ Tour Bundle. It includes all of my self-guided tours, over 100+ in total, offering you the same flexibility and informative fun wherever your travels take you next!
Good audio with precise directions for both driving and the walking portion. Really fool proof with no delay in directions. The starting point, the city visitor center has paid parking, but limited. Go early.
Debbi, I'm glad you found my Hot Spring audio tour easy to follow, with clear directions for both driving and walking. I appreciate the tip about parking, and you're right—arriving early helps. If you’re planning more scenic road trips, check out my All-In-One California Self-Guided Driving & Walking Bundle Tour, which includes Big Sur, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, Grand Canyon, and more. Happy travels!
This tour was so much fun! This was our first time to the area and we didn't know where to start, and this was a great way to experience the city! The narrator had a great voice and the information about the bathhouse was very informative. We went to many places we may have missed walking around on our own. We'll definitely look for other tours as we visit around the country! Highly recommend!
Rebecca, I’m so glad to hear you had a fun time exploring Hot Springs with my audio tour. It’s great that the narrator’s voice and the information about the bathhouses made your experience even better. I’m happy the tour helped you discover places you might have missed on your own. If you're looking for more self-paced adventures, check out my other national park tours, including Yellowstone, the Great Smoky Mountains, and more. Happy exploring!
The information provided in audio was well done. The app used to play the audio had a few glitches in that it would repeat a segment after we had advanced on. It was easy to correct by touching the current number of the sight we were in front of.
Hi, I’m glad to hear you found the information informative. I apologize for the glitches you experienced with my app. This can occasionally happen, but it’s great to know you were able to correct it easily. If you have any further concerns or require assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out. I’m here to help. If you're looking for more self-paced adventures, check out my other national park tours, including Yellowstone, the Great Smoky Mountains, and more. Happy exploring!
This was advertised as a driving tour. I had my older parents with me. They cannot walk long distances……… hence why we chose the “driving tour“ after purchasing it we find out that more than half of It is a walking tour. It was not advertised properly. And we did not get to experience more than half of it.
Jeremy, I’m sorry to hear about the confusion regarding the walking portion of my Hot Springs NP tour. As mentioned in my listing, the audio tour includes both driving and walking segments, but I’ll recheck the listing to see if I can make the walking part more appealing for future travelers. My tours are valid for a year, so you have plenty of time to revisit the tour or listen to the stories at home from the app. I’m available daily from 9 to 6, so feel free to reach out if a replacement or refund works better for you.
