If I say “Arkansas” – what first comes to mind? Bill Clinton, may be? Anything else? Unless you actually live in Arkansas or neighboring states you probably haven’t heard much about it. And that’s what makes it a perfect destination for relaxation: there are so many things to do in Arkansas with kids but at the same time it is one of those hidden gems that has not been overrun by tourists. Plus, it has a HUGE BONUS for busy, tired moms – keep reading! 😉
You may wonder, how on Earth did I discover Arkansas? Well, I am on a mission to visit all National Parks in the U.S. and one thing I knew about Arkansas for sure: Hot Springs National Park is located there so it was reason sufficient enough to start digging more about this state.
We went on a perfect spring break road trip to Hot Springs Arkansas from Illinois a couple of years ago. It took us about 8.5 hours to get there by car. Alternatively, you can fly to any neighboring major airport. It is under 3 hours drive from Memphis and about 5 hours drive from either Dallas or Oklahoma City.
Spring break is probably one of the best times to visit Hot Spring Arkansas because it is not yet too hot and everything is in bloom.
Things to do in Hot Springs Arkansas, Stop # 1: Hot Springs National Park
Hot Springs National Park was one of the main reasons we came here so it made sense to start with the “crown jewel”. This National Park is unique as there is no other quite like it in the U.S. It is not a “park” per say. It is about 1.3 miles strip of Central Avenue in Hot Spring Arkansas, home of several spas or “bath houses”.
The town takes its name from the natural thermal water that flows from 47 springs on the western slope of Hot Springs Mountain. About 1,000,000 US gallons of 143 °F (62 °C) flow from the springs each day. The flow rate is not affected by fluctuations in the rainfall in the area. Studies by National Park Service scientists have determined that the water that reaches the surface in Hot Springs Arkansas fell as rainfall 4,400 years earlier.
Local Indian tribes always believed in medicinal properties of these thermal waters and when white settlers arrived they absolutely wanted to rip the benefits of this natural wonder. In 1832 the U.S. Federal Government created Hot Springs Reservation to protect these waters. With time the flow of these natural springs was directed into several bath houses and drinking fountains.
There are several ways you can enjoy the thermal waters:
Go to a spa! Isn’t it every busy, exhausted mama’s dream vacation? You can enjoy just a soak or add a full spa package on to it, such as facial, massage, etc. Leave kids with dad and have half a day for yourself – you deserve it! It is, probably the most awesome thing to do in Arkansas! But do remember to reserve your appointment at least a couple of weeks in advance. I went to Quapaw Baths & Spa and I highly recommend it for the range of services, clean facilities and attentive staff.
Get some water for drinking from designated fountains (bring containers with you). National park Service does not claim that this water has medicinal properties but they do say it is pure and good to drink. We noticed that a lot of local residents get their supply of fresh water from these springs so I guess they know what they are doing. The water has a nice clean taste, so go ahead, try it!
You can also take walk along the prominent historic buildings of the “bath row” and behind them along the Grand Promenade. Scenic Tufa Terrace Trail starts right off the Central Avenue and leads to unique geothermal waterfalls.
Complete your visit to Hot Springs National Park with a drive up the Mountain Tower and Observation Gazebo for a beautiful view from above.
Things to do in Hot Springs Arkansas, Stop #2: Garvan Woodland Gardens
Garvan Woodland Gardens is a huge botanical garden that belongs to University of Arkansas. As the name suggests, it is nestled in a wooded setting in the Ouachita Mountains on the banks of a picturesque Ouachita River. Visiting these amazing gardens is one of the best things to do in Hot Springs Arkansas with kids
In March-early April this garden bursts with hundreds of tulips which is a magnificent site. In addition to that you will see blooming dogwoods, azaleas and camellias.
We loved all the water features in the garden, waterfalls and bridges. The kids, not surprisingly, had a blast at the Children’s Adventure Garden, which is basically a huge playground within the garden.
Things to do in Hot Spring Arkansas, Stop # 3: Ouachita National Forst
Ouachita National Forest is huge. It covers 1.8 million acres in central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. It is perfect for hiking. There are literally dozens of trails in the forest that you can read about HERE.
There are 5 main hiking areas. Your “base camp” at Hot Springs Arkansas is located closest to Jessieville Winona Fourche Ranger District. You can choose hikes for your level of fitness and ability but since we traveled with small kids we chose the easiest trails.
Our most favorite trail was Bear Creek Trail. Along this trail you can see forested creeks, panoramic vistas and interesting rock formations. Hunt’s Loop was good too, but only a portion of it along Route 7. We did not do the steep climb up but you may as well, depending on your abilities.
Ouachita National Forest is also great for bicycling, fishing, swimming (summer only) and crystals mining. There is a designated area in the forest where you can find a lot of quartz – Crystal Vista. We did not get to the quarry with the baby but we found several crystals just along the trails we hiked on. If you travel with kids, a hunt for crystals should be at the top of your list of things to do in Arkansas with kids.
One of the best places to “mine” crystals with kids is Jim Coleman Crystal Mines store in Jessiville on your way back to Hot Springs Arkansas. The store has a huge outdoor area with lots of tables full of minerals of all shapes, sizes, and prices. My older son used $5 of pocket money to get a bunch of unique crystals that were priced from 50 cents to 2 dollars each. He could have literally spent there the whole day hunting for treasures.
Things to do in Hot Springs Arkansas: Stop # 4 Lake Ouachita State Park
Technically, Lake Ouachita is part of Ouachita National Forest but I am separating it as a destination in its own right. In summer this area is probably too crowded with all the campers but in Spring it was perfect with very few people around.
Caddo Bend Trail is scenic 4-miles loop that meanders along the lake. Hiking this beautiful trail is one of the most exciting things to do in Hot Springs Arkansas with kids. The second (Northern) part of the loop can be difficult for small kids. Since we had one in a stroller, we hiked about 1.2 miles of the trail’s Southern portion and then returned the same way back. Spring brings wildflowers and flowering dogwoods in this area. Also look out for different species of birds.
Things to do in Hot Springs Arkansas, Stop # 5: Mid-America Science Museum
For every itinerary I try to find as many educational experiences as possible and we were lucky that Hot Springs Arkansas is home to a great science museum with tons of hands-on activities. I can’t choose which exhibit we liked most – they all were great. No wonder it is consistently highly ranked by the visitors. One can partake in experiments, play, explore, climb in and out of structure and much more. Visiting Mid-America Science Museum would probably be the most fun thing to do in Hot Springs Arkansas with kids.
Other things to do in Hot Springs Arkansas with kids.
Hot Springs Arkansas has a nice down town with bath houses on one side and cute stores, galleries and food joints on the other.
Some other cool kid-friendly attractions in town include:
- Mini-golf (there are actually 3 of them in town, 2 outdoor and 1 indoor with Go Carts). Pirates’ Cove is the best one with waterfalls and caves and pirates ambiance everywhere.
2. Magic Springs Theme and Water Park (open every day during school summer vacations, on weekends only in spring and closed in winter).
Where to stay in Hot Springs Arkansas
We stayed at Comfort Suites near Hot Springs Park – it was a great budget option with free breakfast, pool and hot tub and you actually get a suite. There is no door between the two rooms but there are 2 distinct living areas.
If you need something a little up-scale, Embassy Suites by Hilton Hot Springs offers huge suits, free breakfast and fantastic amenities (similar to Comfort Suites but on a grander scale).
Where to eat in Hot Spring Arkansas
I am cautious about giving advice on where to eat because we all have different tastes and dietary restrictions. However, I would like to mention one place: Angels Italian (600 Central Ave., Hot Springs Arkansas). The food was typical to any Italian restaurant. What we loved most is that they gave each of our kids a piece of pizza dough to play with while they were preparing our food and in the end they took the wild creations our boys produced and baked them in pizza oven for the kids to enjoy with their lunch.
When to visit Hot Springs Arkansas
As I mentioned earlier, spring is a great time to visit Hot Springs National Park and its surroundings. Another excellent time would be in autumn to sea beautiful fall foliage. Summers, on the other hand, can be hot and humid and winters – wet and cold. End of February may be OK when many flowers start blooming in the botanical garden.
Additional resources you may find useful on this trip
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