Ahhhh, the summer road trip—it’s an American tradition! This summer, my family and I decided to make a pit stop in Hot Springs, Arkansas on our way to meet friends in the Smoky Mountains (yay!). Driving to Tennessee is no joke (around 13–14 hours), and in hopes of making the miles count, we decided to stop in this hidden gem of a National Park for a day or so.
It takes under 5 hours to get to Hot Springs from DFW!
Why Should You Visit Hot Springs?
The town is built up around Hot Springs National Park, and while we opted to skip the actual hot springs (not super kid-friendly), there were so many other fun things to do. If you should you ever find yourself in this charming place, here are my top five favorite things to do with kids in Hot Springs. Start planning!
1. Take a Hike.
There are a bunch of super short treks, like the Grand Promenade, which takes hikers right behind Bathhouse Row and offers a great view of Historic Downtown Hot Springs, the Hot Water Cascade, and the tufa cliffs. One of the best woodsy trails for families is the Hot Springs Mountain Trail. At 1.7 miles, it’ll take you to beautiful vistas through a hardwood and pine forest.
2. Take a National Park Duck Tour.
Is it a bus? Is it a boat? The kids will be thrilled to find out when you take a duck tour through the city of Hot Springs and down to Lake Hamilton. You’ll get the deets on the history of the city and the National Park from your knowledgeable tour guide. And the coolest part? Most of the ducks in the rotation are from World War II.
3. Go to Garvan Gardens.
This 210-acre botanical garden is about seven miles away from downtown Hot Springs. Designed to bring out the beauty in the surrounding Ouachita Mountains, Garvan Woodland Gardens also offers kid-friendly attractions: a fantastic fairy village, nature bingo, a children’s adventure garden, koi fish, kindness rocks, and more. Hot tip: You get free admission if you are a member of the Dallas Arboretum!
4. Visit the Alligator Farm.
Kids can hold baby alligators, pet goats and sheep (feed included in your admission price), spot peacocks, and much more at the Arkansas Alligator Farm & Petting Zoo. And, on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at noon from May to October, visitors can watch a live alligator feeding!
5. Eat a cupcake.
There’s a reason why Fat Bottomed Girl’s Cupcake Shoppe was a contender on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. Their best-sellers include Salted Caramel or the Lemon Lavender—they are beautifully decorated, Insta-worthy desserts. Treat yourself after all that hiking!
Have you been to Hot Springs with kids? What’s your favorite thing to do? Share with us in a comment!
Looking for more family road trip ideas? Check out our 2021 Texas Travel Series!
If you thought Fat Bottomed Girls was great then Bliss would blow you away. No offense to FBG but they’re appearance on Cupcake Wars is the only reason they’re relevant. They seem to be more focused on the shirts and novelty items. Cupcakes themselves taste the same as the cupcakes I make from a Pillsbury boxed cake mix.
Bliss makes everything from scratch and you can taste the difference! Never again will I eat cupcakes from another place in Arkansas other than Bliss
Chris,
Bliss sounds amazing! I will be sure to stop by next time I’m in Hot Springs. Thanks for the tip!
I’m looking for a cabin-type place to stay, near Hot Springs and the Diamond Mine in Murfreesboro, that is pet friendly. Will be traveling with my 6yoa granddaughter and tiny pup (less than 5 Lbs, which is house broken. Any recommendations?