Over 4,00 years ago, rainwater soaked so deeply into the earth, almost a mile down to a fault, where it was heated and then released back from the fault to the surface in downtown Hot Spring, Arkansas. This town, which hearkens back to the Edwardian Era, was once a spot frequented by the rich and famous, who came to visit and enjoy the many natural spring bathhouses and seeking to gain the health benefits from its minerals.
From our stop in Memphis, Tennessee on our Summer 2020 RV Road Trip, our family traveled to Arkansas to our next destination, Hot Springs National Park. We arrived at our campground in the evening, the Gulpha Gorge Campground, conveniently located inside the park. It was a lovely opportunity to take a dip in the creek to cool off before dinner.
First thing in the morning, our family headed into Downtown Hot Springs to stop at the Visitor Center and visit the Edwardian Era Bathhouses that the park is famous for. We saw many bubbling hot springs along the way, in addition to the thermal water features and several filling stations where we filled our bottles with the mineral-rich, hot water that’s been underground for 4000 years (and supposedly has a great number of healing benefits as well). Our family also enjoyed walking the Grand Promenade, which runs parallel to the Downtown area.
We really enjoyed seeing Bathhouse Row, many of which were built in the 1800’s. Because of the COVID pandemic, we weren’t able to experience the inside of these spa-like bathhouses.
Finally, before our departure, we filled all of our water bottles with the hot spring water, said to have many health benefits. We were happy to take this as a souvenir from Hot Springs National Park!
