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Plan a Road Trip > Explore America > Arkansas > Hot Springs |
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Time Zone
Central
Latitude/Longitude
34.50° /-93.05°
Today's Forecast
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HIGH: 63
LOW: 41
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The 143-degree-Fahrenheit water that flows from the base of Hot Springs Mountain has attracted humans to this site for over 200 years. Local legend has it that Native tribes met here in peace to experience the therapeutic benefits of the springs. As settlers began moving west, Hot Springs became such an important vacation destination that it came to be known as the "National Spa." In 1832, the federal government set aside a portion of Hot Springs as a "national reservation," the first land designated solely to preserve a natural resource. In 1921 the reservation became a national park.
The city of Hot Springs boasts the only national park entirely within a city's limits, and people still flock here to "take the waters," watch the Thoroughbred racing at Oaklawn Park, and experience the many cultural and recreational opportunities that make this town of 36,000 the most popular tourist destination in Arkansas. The historic Bathhouse Row district, most of which has been opulently restored, contains a wealth of art galleries and fine shops, as well as the Buckstaff, the last historic bathhouse to still operate as a spa, and the elegant Fordyce, now the visitor center and museum for Hot Springs National Park.
Recreational opportunities include hiking, horseback riding, and sightseeing in the national park or the surrounding Ouachita National Forest, and swimming, boating, and waterskiing on one of the nearby Diamond Lakes. Golf and tennis are available at both private clubs and public parks.
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