Hiking Hot Spring National Park

Check out Gulpa Gorge and take a tour of Lake Hamilton.

I took my granddaughters (when they were 6 and 7) to Petit Jean State Park, SW of Morrilton AR, and they totally loved it. This could be a good day trip or a place to camp (we camped under the pines).



This place has some great trails. The Bear Cave trail is pretty short and it winds through tall rocky outcrops; the kids could play hide and seek in here quite easily.



There are a couple of waterfalls, including Cedar Fall which you can see here. One can hike to the foot of the fall or view it from above. On the hike from above, the kids will love climbing on the turtle rocks (the outcroppings look much like turtle shells).



One can also hike or drive to some splendid overlooks:



They have a little amphitheater with evening talks given by Rangers, explaining things of interest (like the legends of Petit Jean). And of course there is a nice playground area; kids always love slides and swings. One other advantage to this place is the slightly higher elevation, which means perhaps 5 degrees cooler temps.

alesis wrote:
what do you guys suggest in the NP or surrounding area? Thanks!

The National Park is actually part of the city of Hot Springs. To see the park, park your vehicle in Transportation Plaza on Central Avenue, then walk across the street to park headquarters.

From there, take the steps up to the Promenade, and stroll the half mile walk to the end. From the Promenade, you'll have vistas overlooking the hot springs, will be able to touch the hot water, and you'll find a waterfall near the end, across from the Arlington hotel.

It is an easy walk, on a wide brick paved plaza, with shade to keep the sun off.

After you do the Promenade walk, you may want to drive either Tower mountain road (cars only, no RVs or trailers), or drive West Mountain road.

Both offer views over the city, and easy walking trails into the mountains.

The National Park is quite small, and you can easily tour all of it in a day.

Bill (born in Hot Springs)

Hot Springs Nat'l Park is in the city. I recommend Petit Jean also. A beautiful park, with lots of great trails of all lengths and difficulty, enough to accommodate everyone. Not to far away is Mt Magazine SP, another park worth seeing.

We've followed some advise already and Hot Springs has been great! Probably heading to Petit Jean tomorrow. Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

Glad you're having a good trip. Sorry it's so warm and humid right now. Be sure to dose the kids and yourselves up with DEET for the trails, the ticks are pretty thick this year.