Hot Springs is not very much like other national parks at all. It’s not remote or quiet or full of sweeping views of scenic natural splendor. That’s not entirely a bad thing (except for that not-quiet part) but if you’re expecting the sort of experience you might get at other national parks, you’re going to be disappointed. We weren’t, so we weren’t.
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| At the south end of Bathhouse Row |
I don’t think HOSP would have been a destination national park for us, but because it fit our travel distance requirements along our route to the SE, it was a natural stop. We left Oklahoma early, driving separately in order to make a curbside Walmart pickup along the way and then hook up the toad in their lot. That’s been our M.O. for traveling in order to help keep our public mingling to a minimum, and so far, it’s been working like a charm.
Not only did we need an early start to allow time for that, but HOSP’s campground, Gulpha Gorge, is first-come first-served only. We rolled in just before noon, and with the guidance of a welcoming camp host, we were quickly parked in one of the few remaining spaces.
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| Jacked up in site #12 |
Gulpha Gorge is a pretty campground, but…
It was nearly impossible to get completely level, though at least we were nose-low instead of side-to-side. Walking around later, it was apparent that we weren’t the only ones with that problem. The campground is also situated parallel to the very busy noisy road. We had a large “yard” as you can see in the picture, so no one was close on that side, but no matter which site you get, you’re going to be looking at other rigs out at least three sides. Busy, noisy, crowded — why would we choose this campground when there were plenty of others in the general area? In a word, access. The full-hookup campground is connected via the park’s hiking trails to the downtown area. Any time we can walk right out our door and hit the trails is worth some of the other inconveniences.
The beautiful babbling creek runs along the opposite side of the campground from the road, and you have to cross it on large stones placed for that purpose to get to the start of all the North Mountain Trails. If you wanted to, you could set out from your campsite and walk every one of park’s 26 miles of trail in one fell swoop since they all connect. We chose to break the hiking into smaller portions and began by heading into town for our first one.
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| Woodsy trail to town. |
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| Picking up a brochure on the Fordyce Bathhouse veranda. |
The park’s Visitor Center is housed in the refurbished Fordyce Bathhouse, which is Covid-closed. We’re not generally much into museums, but this was one building I would have really liked to tour. The tile, stained glass, and plethora of intricate architectural decoration is stunning in photos, I can only imagine what it looks like in person.
The hot springs in Hot Springs are still very active, and it is possible to experience the water with a soak but it has to be done indoors at one of two private bathhouses for a price. We don’t know what that price is because we were not at all interested by the prospect of an indoor soak. Having relaxed in natural outdoor hot springs, enclosed indoor soaking held exactly zero appeal. Way back in the day, when the area was gaining popularity, the glitterati looked down their noses at outdoor soaking, and all the springs were enclosed in a row of bathhouses, hence Bathhouse Row. Today, the only access to the waters is in the private bathhouses, a couple of touchable display springs (that water is hot), and several public fountain spigots, both thermal and cold, at which you can fill your mugs and jugs with as much of the spring water as you like. The remainder of the outdoor springs have been capped to keep them pristine.
The downtown area was pretty, but the cacophony of the busy main thoroughfare eroded some of its charm.
We did most of our daily hiking on the trails closest to the campground,
and while they were generally pleasant walks in the woods, we didn’t
take a ton of photos since there wasn’t much variation in the scenery.
As I mentioned earlier, it is possible to connect all the park’s trails on foot, but we chose to drive over to the West Mountain Trails one day and hike that whole half of the park at once.
The day began very overcast and quite humid. We’re re-acclimating to that having been away from the soggy PNW for the last few years. We like not having to wear a hat or sunglasses constantly, but I haven’t missed the never-dry stinky towels one little bit.
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| Switchbacks through the oak-hickory-pine forest. |
The trails on this side were much quieter than those in the North Mountain section. We wound our way down the hillside and decided to tack on the one-mile trail around Whittington Park. In the late 1800s, this park had rowing ponds, pavilions, and all the trappings of a Seurat painting. Today, only the bridges and a walking path around the perimeter remain.
On our last day, we needed to get to the Post Office, and that meant another hike into town plus a special treat.
Fat Bottomed Girl’s Cupcakes for lunch make the rockin’ world go round!!
After carefully stowing our treat box in TBG’s backpack, we headed back to camp, encountering a different sort of treat on the way. At first, I thought it was a little toy army helmet.
But it was an adorable little Three-toed Box Turtle! Don’t let the number of visible toes fool you as they’re named for their hind feet. We moved it gently off the trail in hopes it wouldn’t get stomped and continued home to enjoy our cupcakes with coffee.
While this wasn’t the most Wow! of our national park experiences, we still enjoyed ourselves overall with the mostly-pleasant walks in the woods, experiencing some different flora and fauna, and venturing into new territory.
The rest of our 2020 and a big chunk of 2021 will be spent east of the Mississippi, where our travels will be almost exclusively uncharted territory for one or both of us. This should be interesting…
COMMENTS
HOSP has long been on my list as a good stopover when heading to or from the southeast, and the fact that the NP campground is directly connected to the trail network makes it even more appealing. Like you, we are not super interested in the indoor pools but we do really enjoy historical sites and interesting architecture so I will definitely keep it on my list. Also, it looks like a great chance to use ALL THE BLOCKS which is always fun.
I think by the time you get to HOSP, things will be accessible again, and you’ll be able to enjoy the insides of some buildings and get the full historical experience. The sites won’t be any more level, but you seem to embrace a challenge, so you’ll love it! LOL
I love the idea of hiking into town. But I have a very important question. Does the cupcake shop have gluten-free options? If not, I am going to be very sad.
I love your little toy army helmet turtle, lol. That is exactly what it looks like!
I’m sorry to have to report that that cupcake shop did not offer GF options. I called ahead, so I was prepared to go rogue with my eating. There are lots of yummy-looking eateries in town, so I’m sure you could find something really good. Or maybe, again, by the time you get to visit, this particular shoppe will have added GF treats!
Isn’t that little turtle soldier so cute? First, I couldn’t believe that we came across a turtle hanging out in the woods, then I couldn’t believe it kept its head and feet out while I got a photo. So considerate! 😀
Since Betsy was parked far from town we managed to hike there, starting from behind those historical buildings and made a loop back to town. You are lucky you met a Three-toed Box Turtle!
You two had some nice hikes there. Isn’t it great when you can walk from your front door? We have at least one more trick up our sleeves, but then we’ll be out of traditional hiking as we know it for awhile. Maybe I should train for another half marathon? 😉