When an opportunity arose last weekend to combine two of my favorite things — Kentucky Basketball & a National Park, I wasn’t about to pass it up. After leaving early on Friday to drive to Memphis, we started the weekend on Saturday by attending the UK vs. Arkansas game at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. It was an awesome experience for any college basketball fan, and even better since the Cats came away with a win!

This post is about the rest of the weekend and visiting Hot Springs National Park. (My 32nd park!)

After spending the night at Fort Smith, Arkansas, we got up Sunday morning and drove through the Ouachita National Forest toward Hot Springs. It was a nice drive, although not as pretty as driving through the Ozark National Forest on the way to Fayetteville the day before.

Arriving to the historic town of Hot Springs, we drove through the picturesque Bathhouse Row and opted to park in the free parking garage nearby. Our first priority was lunch, and we decided the perfect lunch stop would be the Superior Bathhouse Brewery, located in one of the former bathhouses. It is the only brewery located in a national park, and the first to use the famous Hot Springs thermal water in its brewing! I would highly recommend a visit for lunch based on our experience.

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After lunch, we strolled down the street for a glimpse of the natural thermal springs that give the town its name and have drawn people to this area for centuries. Interestingly, the U.S. government recognized the value of the springs and protected this area as a federal reservation even before it became a national park.

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Most national parks are all about the great outdoors, but Hot Springs is unique and different in this respect. Although the park includes a lot of hiking trails that we didn’t experience, the bathhouses are the stars of the park.

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The former Fordyce Bathhouse serves as both a museum and the park’s visitor center, and it is available to tour at no cost. You do not want to miss the tour to get a perspective of walking back into history and experiencing Hot Springs as people did during the early 1900s. Some people came to Hot Springs for relaxation and others for medical treatment. The bathhouse had both opulent as well as clinical features to serve both clienteles.

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If you’re looking to experience a Hot Springs bathhouse firsthand, there are two options — the Buckstaff and the Quapaw.

The Buckstaff is the only location on Bathhouse Row that’s been in operation since 1912, and it offers the traditional bathhouse experience. It was not open on the day we were in town, but we’d already decided to try the more modern alternative. (I found these blog posts on Once Upon a Moran and Unearth The Voyage helpful in describing the experiences at each bathhouse.)

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The Quapaw is also on Bathhouse Row and is much more like a modern spa. It features thermal pools, with four pools at different temperatures that ranged from 95 to 104 degrees during our visit. I highly recommend going to the thermal pools, as this was a great way to unwind and relax. The facilities were great and the cost is just $20 per person. Reservations are not required for the thermal pools. (Swimsuits and plastic sandals are required, and are available for purchase if you don’t have them.)

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The Quapaw also has a Thermal Steam Cave, which made a great add-on to the pools. I failed to take a photo, but it was a good experience and worth the extra $15 for a twenty-minute steam. The steam cave requires a reservation, and you can also schedule private baths or other spa treatments in advance. The Quapaw was the highlight of our Hot Springs experience. If we had more time, I would have gone back to the pools the next day!

Other Hot Springs recommendations:

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We got a great rate at the The Waters Hotel ($108 before taxes). The rooms are modern, but the hotel maintains the historic ambiance of the town. Most importantly, the location is perfect — right in the middle of Bathhouse Row. (Money saving tip: Instead of paying to valet park, we carried an overnight bag to the hotel from the free parking garage. Also, hotel guests get a 15% discount at the Quapaw, so check in before going to the spa.)

As for restaurants, in addition to the brewery, we enjoyed dinner at Grateful Head Pizza and breakfast at The Pancake Shop.

It was a lot of driving over a long weekend (1,650 miles round trip from Frankfort, KY), but I’d gladly make the trip again! In fact, I’d love to return to Hot Springs and spend a couple of days as a relaxing getaway.