Hot Springs National Park
Managed by National Park Service
2,205 acres17.6 mi of trail
Sunset TrailHot Springs Mountain TrailOertel TrailMountain Top Trail+1
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 3.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Hot Springs
Hot Springs has 2,011 acres of parks, 53 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Hot Springs National Park (17.6 mi), Whittington Park (1.1 mi), Entergy Park (0.5 mi). 8% of Hot Springs’ land is conserved, about 1,992 acres. 27 miles of mapped trail cross Hot Springs, 0.7 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 75% of U.S. towns · #6 of 123 in Arkansas. What drives it
Conserved land
8%
1,992 acres · of 37.6 sq mi of land
Trails
27 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,011 ac
53 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
45%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
29 mi
5.0 mi lanes · 22 mi paths
Highest peak
1,129 ft
North Mountain
What kind of outdoors town is Hot Springs?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hot Springs have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hot Springs is ahead of 75% of U.S. towns, #6 of 123 in Arkansas. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hot Springs’ overall grade.
Conserved land8% of the land · typical AR town 1% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (27 mi) · AR 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land53 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,011 acres) · AR 8 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home45% of residents within a half mile of a park · AR 46% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 75%
LessMore
Arkansas towns of 2,500+ (123)Ahead of 96%
Few Arkansas towns conserve much land (a typical one, 1%; the U.S., 4%), so Hot Springs’ 8% is ahead of 98% of Arkansas towns, while its trails per square mile lead 88% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A−. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Hot Springs National Park, with 17.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Whittington Park
Managed by Hot Springs National Park
14 acres1.1 mi of trail
Whittington Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Entergy Park
Managed by City of Hot Springs, Parks & Trails
35 acres0.5 mi of trail
Lakefront TrailPavillion on the Point TrailEagle Scout Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kimery Park
Managed by City of Hot Springs
21 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 14 parks & preserves
Hot Springs National Park2,205 acres · 17.6 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsWhittington Park14 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Hot Springs National Park
Entergy Park35 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Hot Springs, Parks & Trails
DirectionsDeSoto Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Hot Springs
DirectionsBaseball Trail Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Kimery Park21 acres · City of Hot Springs
DirectionsLinden Park13 acres · City of Hot Springs
Family Park12 acres
DirectionsChattanooga Park5 acres · City of Hot Springs, Parks & Trails
Veterans Memorial Park and Sculpture Garden2 acres · City of Hot Springs, Parks & Trails
DirectionsWade Street Park2 acres · City of Hot Springs, Parks & Trails
Hollywood Park2 acres · City of Hot Springs, Parks & Trails
DirectionsVelocity Park2 acres · City of Hot Springs, Parks & Trails
DirectionsDavid F. Watkins Memorial Park1 acres · City of Hot Springs, Parks & Trails
DirectionsWho protects it
1,992 conserved acres
8% of Hot Springs’ land. Who manages Hot Springs’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service1,863 ac
Town or city128 ac
U.S. Forest Service1 ac
National Park · 1,842 acLocal Park · 99 acLocal Recreation Area · 29 acConservation Easement · 21 acNational Forest · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 21 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Springs National Park National Park | National Park Service | 1,842 | Open |
| Entergy Park Local Park | Town or city | 30 | Open |
| Jaycee Park Local Park | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Kimery Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Family Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Linden Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Carpenter Dam Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Hinsley Family Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Chattanooga Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Hollywood Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
4 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
24 places to go in Hot Springs
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Hot Springs
9 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Hot Springs
Bark Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Hot Springs
Hot Springs Creek Greenway Trail Kayak Launch
DirectionsSunnybrook LandingIn Entergy Park
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Hot Springs
Goat Rock ViewpointIn Hot Springs National Park
DirectionsPerry Wildflower Overlook
DirectionsPlus 3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Hot Springs
North Mountain1,129 ft elevation · In Hot Springs National Park
DirectionsHot Springs Mountain1,033 ft elevation · In Hot Springs National Park
DirectionsTrails & water
24 named trails
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.7 miUnpaved · 19.1 mi
Sunset Trail3.6 mi
Hot Springs Mountain Trail1.6 mi
Oertel Trail1.4 mi
Mountain Top Trail1.4 mi
West Mountain Trail1.2 mi
Whittington Trail1.2 mi
Upper Dogwood Trail1.0 mi
Goat Rock Trail1.0 mi
Oak Trail0.9 mi
Lower Dogwood Trail0.7 mi
14 more trails
Gulpha Gorge Trail
0.7 miCanyon Trail
0.6 miFordyce Peaks Trail
0.5 miPeak Trail
0.5 miHoneysuckle Trail
0.5 miFloral Trail
0.4 miReserve Trail
0.3 miLakefront Trail
0.2 miShort Cut Trail
0.2 miPullman Trail
0.1 miArlington Trail
0.1 miPavillion on the Point Trail
0.1 miEagle Scout Trail
0.1 miGrand Avenue Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
29 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.0 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
22 mi
off-road bike paths
2.6 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
37Tennis
34Golf
15Baseball
6Basketball
4Pickleball
2Football
1Volleyball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →82 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Short-Dodson HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itStitt HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itPassmore HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itWildwoodBuilding · listed 1976
About itDoherty HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itMedical Arts BuildingBuilding · listed 1978
About itWilliams-Wootton HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itCitizens BuildingBuilding · listed 1979
About itGarland County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itFirst Presbyterian ChurchBuilding · listed 1982
About itFordyce HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About it70 more on the History page.
When to get out
The walking year in Hot Springs
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.1 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 52 | 57 | 65 | 74 | 81 | 88 | 92 | 92 | 85 | 75 | 63 | 54 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 6.0 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 5.0 |
August is the driest month (3.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 92 °F). 6.0 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 92 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Hot Springs →
Next door
Hot Springs and its neighbors
Hot Springs has the most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Hot Springs
Where can I hike in Hot Springs?
The longest trail networks: Hot Springs National Park, 17.6 miles; Whittington Park, 1.1 miles; Entergy Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hot Springs is conserved land?
8% of its land, against a typical 1% for an Arkansas town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Hot Springs’ trails?
Hot Springs National Park and Whittington Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hot Springs?
29 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.0 of painted or protected lanes, 22 of off-road paths and 2.6 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Hot Springs?
28,859 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hot Springs or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,013 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Hot Springs have?
Ahead of 75% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #6 of 123 in Arkansas. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Hot Springs neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →