Michael Joseph Oswald - Your Guide to Hot Springs National Park

Your Guide to Hot Springs National Park, First Edition (electronic)

ISBN: 978-1-62128-018-7

Published by: Stone Road Press

Author/Cartographer/Photographer/Designer: Michael Joseph Oswald

Editor: Derek Pankratz

Copyright 2012 Stone Road Press, LLC, Whitelaw, Wisconsin. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise without written permission of the Publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Stone Road Press; c/o Michael Oswald; 4927 Stone Road; Whitelaw, WI 54247.

The entire work, Your Guide to the National Parks is available in paperback and electronic versions. Content that appears in print may not be available electronically.

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-62128-000-2

Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN): 2012934277

Printed in the United States of America

E-Book ISBN: 978-1-62128-065-1

Corrections/Contact

This guide book has been researched and written with the greatest attention to detail in order to provide you with the most accurate and pertinent information. Unfortunately, travel informationespecially pricingis subject to change and inadvertent errors and omissions do occur. Should you encounter a change, error, or omission while using this guide book, wed like to hear about it. (If you found a wonderful place, trail, or activity not mentioned, wed love to hear about that too.) Please contact us by sending an e-mail to . Your contributions will help make future editions better than the last.

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FAQs

The world of electronic media is not cut and dry like print. Devices handle files differently. Users have a variety of expectations. These e-books are image- and map-intensive, requiring fairly powerful hardware. All books were tested for use on the Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet, and iPad. You can expect to have the best user experience on one of these devices, or a similar tablet, laptop, or desktop. In the event you have issues please peruse our Frequently Asked Questions (.

Maps

Numerous map layouts were explored while developing this e-book, but in the end it was decided that the most useful map is a complete one. Unfortunately, due to file size concerns and e-reader hardware limitations, some maps included in this guide book are below our usual high standards of quality (even using zoom features). As a workaround all of this books maps are available in pdf format by clicking the link below each map or visiting www.stoneroadpress.com/national-parks/maps .

Disclaimer

Your safety is important to us. If any activity is beyond your ability or threatened by forces outside your control, do not attempt it. The maps in this book, although accurate and to scale, are not intended for hiking. Serious hikers should purchase a detailed, waterproof, topographical map. It is also suggested that you write or call in advance to confirm information when it matters most.

The primary purpose of this guide book is to enhance our readers national park experiences, but the author, editor, and publisher cannot be held responsible for any experiences while traveling.

Photo Credits

Front cover: The Promenade Ken Lund

Hot Springs - Introduction

Hot Springs National Park Headquarters Joe Herron/NPS

Tree-covered mountains, natural hot springs, and ridgeline hiking trails are common ingredients for a national park. Hot Springs possesses these traits, but its far from your typical park. Mountains crest at 1,400 feet. Mineral hot springs rich water is collected, monitored, and managed via a complex plumbing system. Trails connect the areas mountains, but the entire network measures just 26 miles, a day of hiking for an industrious individual. So, what attracted Native Americans to this very spot for thousands of years? The answer is hidden underground. In a gap between Hot Springs Mountain and West Mountain, rainwater seeps into the earth at a rate of one foot per year. After some 4,400 years, water has traveled a mile below the surface where it achieves a high temperature, naturally heated by rock under immense pressure. Pressure builds and what took several millennia to flow down now takes one year to return to the surface. Water flowing from the springs today fell as rain when ancient Egyptians were building the pyramids.

The first European to see the springs arrived after an epic journey of his own. Native Americans led Hernando de Soto to the place they called Valley of the Vapors in 1541, after the famed Spanish explorer had sailed half-way around the world. More than a century later, Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet explored the area and claimed its land for France. Ownership exchanged hands between French and Spanish several times before becoming American territory in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase . Less than one year after the acquisition, President Thomas Jefferson sent a scientific team led by Dr. George Hunter and William Dunbar to explore the region known to them as the hot springs of Washita. Here they discovered a log cabin and several small huts of canvas and wood, built by visitors who believed in the waters healing properties.

The first baths were nothing more than excavated rock, spanned by wooden planks where bathers sat and soaked their feet in 150F water. A true log bathhouse wasnt built until 1830. In 1832, prompted by 12 years of requests by Arkansas Territory, President Andrew Jackson signed a law giving the hot springs federal protection as a reservation. This act makes Hot Springs the oldest unit in the national park system, 40 years older than Yellowstone, the worlds first national park.

During the early days of government operation, hot springs water was declared federal property and was subsequently sold to bathhouses. Even with having to pay for their water, the baths of Hot Springs proved profitable and by the late 19th century facilities on Bathhouse Row rivaled the finest establishments found anywhere in Europe. Opulent structures and rejuvenating waters attracted sports heroes, politicians, and mobsters. From the late 1800s to mid-1900s, Hot Springs became known for organized crime such as gambling, prostitution, and bootlegging. Some of the nations most infamous gangsters moved in. Al Capone, Frank Costello, and Bugs Moran are just a few who sought refuge at Hot Springsthe original Las Vegas.

Stephen T. Mather , first director of the National Park Service, remained unfazed by the areas corruption. He was actually quite enthusiastic about the hot springs, largely due to his affinity for rubdowns. Shortly thereafter Mather ordered construction of a new, free bathhouse and persuaded Congress to redesignate the reservation as Hot Springs National Park in 1921. Business on Bathhouse Row waxed and waned over the years. Only one bathhouse has remained in continuous operation, and just two are open today.

Hot Springs is an anomaly among its fellow parks whose calling cards are indescribable natural beauty. Its the smallest national park, formed around a natural resource thats used commercially. And thats exactly whats refreshing about Hot Springsits different. Oh, and the baths are nice too.

Best of Hot Springs

Attraction: Bathhouse Row

Runner-up: Fordyce Visitor Center

Bathhouse: Quapaw Bathhouse

Runner-up: Buckstaff Bathhouse

Hike: Hot Springs Mountain