Hot Springs National Park

11/30/2025

Birds of a feather flock together! Join this flock for a bird's eye view at the 126th Annual Christmas Bird Count! Be a part of the nation's longest-running community science bird project this December 14th from 9am to 11am at Hot Springs National Park.

Sign up to join a Park Ranger-led 2-hour long birding hike to help collect data on long-term health and status of bird populations across North America. Birders of all ages and abilities are welcome to contribute to this fun, nationwide community science project!

Email (HOSP_Resource@nps.gov) or call (501-620-6751) for more information and to register!

Alt Text Image 3: A flyer with event information is displayed on a teal background with holiday decorations and a sketch of a Chickadee wearing a Santa hat.

11/28/2025

Have you considered thermal water to warm you up a cold fall weekend?

It’s bright, busy, and festive on Bathhouse Row today.

We spent the morning with a taste-testing booth as visitors voted between Happy Hollow cold springs and thermal spring water.

Come see us as part of your visit today.

Photo NPS/CWest

11/26/2025

Are you coming to see us soon?
Thanksgiving week is one of the most popular times of the year in Hot Springs National Park.
So here are some friendly reminders on how to navigate the park.

🏛️The Fordyce Visitor Center will CLOSED on Thursday, Nov. 27. Trails and roads will be open as normal. The Fordyce will resume regular operations on Friday, Nov. 28, open 9am-5pm.
📲Plan your visitor using the NPS app or nps.gov/HOSP. There is information about bathhouses, trails, campgrounds, and activities. The app also has several self-guided tours designed by rangers.
🤠Rangers will be available in the visitor center and conducting activity booths. Talk with a ranger or go online for more information.
⛲Thermal Springs, decorative fountains, and drinking fountains can all be found with an easy walk along Bathhouse Row.
🚗Free and paid parking is available in the downtown area and free parking is available at designated areas on the scenic drives.
🏪Please check local businesses for holiday schedules and closures.

We can't wait to see you.

Photo NPS/HOSP Archives

11/25/2025

If you...
😍Love Hot Springs National Park
🤓Love sharing your passion for history and the outdoors
⏱️Have a little free time to contribute meaningful work

Consider becoming a volunteer in the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center!

For more information and to apply: https://ow.ly/sbqi50XxcHY

Photo NPS

11/24/2025

Prompt: Make it rainy but make it a gentle rain.

New rain is what "recharges" our springs year after year, rain shower after rain shower.
New rain helps to push the ancient waters back to the surface as steamy springs.
New rain eventually becomes the ancient waters after 4,400 years underground.

But the best rain falls like a nice spring shower. The water needs to have a chance to soak into the ground.
A torrential downpour drops too much water too quickly. Most of the rain becomes surface runoff and is not able to soak into the recharge zone.

Let's hope today's rain has a chance to take its time. See you in 4,400 years!

Photo NPS

11/21/2025

Gosh, we love fall.

Sweet gum, maple, hickory, and oak leaves have all been floating together in our streams.

Thanks, Nature.



Photo: NPS/DChmill

11/21/2025

Thanks, Hot Springs, for inviting us into our local schools and communities.

We like to talk and love to share Hot Springs' stories. If your group would like to schedule a speaker, reach out to us at hosp_park_information@nps.gov.

If your school would like a presentation on careers, the Hot Springs water, or Hot Springs history, reach out to us at hosp_education_partner@nps.gov.

This week we were invited to the Garland County Historical Society. Thanks for laughing at our jokes and learning about the national influence of the Government Free Bathhouse. We also got to meet students at Fountain Lake High School for their career fair and met several future park rangers.



Photo: Garland County Library

11/15/2025

This eagle has been staring at fall foliage 🍂 on West Mountain for over a century.

Come by this weekend to see what is on display this year.

🚶‍♀️Get on our 26 miles of trails and scenic drives to see the leaves.
🍶Take the waters while you're in the park. All cold and thermal fountains are back in operation.
🏛️Stop by the Fordyce Visitor Center for trail info, the historic museum, ranger-led programs and more.
🤠Join a tour. Our new fall programs are found here: https://www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/guidedtours.htm



Photo NPS/DChmill

11/14/2025

Come see us at the Fordyce! We're all smiles over here.

The museum is open, and daily programs are underway.

Pick up a water cup from our rangers at the desk to taste the cold and thermal fountains.

Grab a trail map because the hills are beautiful and ready for hiking.

Ask us about the science because we are ready to talk!

We had this fun group in late summer. We need some new group photos for the fall.

For information about daily programs, visit https://www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/guidedtours.htm



Photo Arkansas Recycling Coalition.

10/01/2025

Operations in the Absence of Appropriations

10/01/2025

During the federal government shutdown, the National Park Service will continue to share critical information about park access, safety, and resources. Some services may be limited. For more details, visit:

Operations in the Absence of Appropriations

10/01/2025

King of Chonk: 32 Chunk clinches the crown!

Fat Bear Week 2025 wrapped with a plump-tastic finale as the junk in the trunk of 32 Chunk proved too much for Bear 856. Congrats to both bears for making it to the finale. Heavy is the Bear that wears the crown. Chunk may have waddled off with this year’s title, but in the end, every bear is a winner. Thanks to everyone across the globe for joining the furry, fish-fueled party! Special thanks to the salmon.

As another concludes, we hope you soaked up some bear-y cool facts about these beefy bruins, learned more about the important Katmai National Park & Preserve ecosystem, annoyed as many friends as possible with your new bear facts and vote requests, and above all, remembering that a fat bear is a healthy bear.

Thanks to explore.org for another successful Fat Bear Week!

Image: Bear 32 Chunk just won Fat Bear Week. He is thrilled…and still hungry. (photo/T. Carmack)

09/30/2025

In the biggest heavyweight showdown of 2025, we’ve got a real chonk-off between two titans of tub with a fluff-to-fat ratio that defies physics: 32 Chunk vs. 856

32 Chunk rolls into the ring with a gut so glorious it could eclipse the Alaskan sun. 856 isn’t here to play. Word on the riverbank is he once stared down a fish and it swam straight into his mouth. Who’ll take the crown? Finals voting begins today at 9 am Pacific / 12pm Eastern.

Image: Final two bears in bracket, 32 Chunk (left) and 856 (right) battle it out for a title they don’t even know they’re competing for.

09/29/2025

The bears are getting bigger, but the Fat Bear Week bracket is getting smaller. Is your bear still in there? Before a champ is crowned, let’s talk hibernation.

It’s a common misconception that bears hibernate during the winter. While bears tend to slow down, they are not true hibernators. Black bears, Grizzly bears and Brown bears do go into a deep sleep during the winter months, known as torpor. At times, they will wake up, move around their dens, listen to their favorite podcast, or think about the Roman Empire. They don’t eat, drink, or even bother with a restroom break for months. Instead, they live off their chubby bits, which is why they spend the summer and fall scarfing down everything like they’re on an all-you-can-eat buffet binge.

The bears at Katmai National Park and Preserve will retreat to their dens to bed down for the winter in October or November. Bears south of Alaska usually enter their dens later and emerge sooner, but it all depends on winter conditions. They’ll stay there for until the late spring when they’ll emerge thin and hungry. Nice.

Image: Be the bear, bare the bum.

09/29/2025

Do you think you know the legends of Hot Springs?

Dragons? Eternal Youth? Volcanos?

Find out about Hot Springs' fantastical myths this Saturday October 4th on Arlington Lawn at the Hot Water Cascade beginning at 2:00pm.

If you miss us this time, don’t worry! A second myths and legends program will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday November 1st.

For more information, contact us by email at hosp_park_information@nps.gov, or call us at 501-620-6715.

Photo/HOSP Archive

For more listings of daily tours and the Fall Specialty Programming, see
https://www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/calendar.htm

09/29/2025

Life is like a beaver colony…just one dam thing after another.

Now are there any dam questions?⁣ Beaver dams, like any home, require constant care, and every night beavers work on building and maintaining them. Work work work! Their teeth, which are their primary construction tool, never stop growing. While beavers build dams to create ponds for themselves, the backup of water behind these dams also creates wetlands. In addition to serving as important habitat for many animals, wetlands absorb excess water and allow sediment to settle out of the water, reducing flooding, erosion, and sediment downstream.

Fun fact: In fall, beavers cut trees and drag branches underwater to create a submerged food pile. The cool water preserves the nutrients and keeps the stems fresh for winter.

09/28/2025

09/28/2025

Roll out the 'bear'rels!

09/27/2025

“SO BASICALLY, IF YOU SEE BEARS ONLY EATING THE SKIN, BRAINS, AND EGGS OF A SALMON, THEY ARE PRACTICING GOOD ENERGY ECONOMICS. AT THESE TIMES, A BEAR’S PROFIT MARGIN IN CALORIES IS SO HIGH THAT IT CAN IGNORE SOME EXCESS FISH. AS A BEAR FILLS UP ON SALMON, IT CAN “AFFORD” TO NOT EAT CERTAIN PARTS OF THE FISH. THIS BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN NICKNAMED “HIGH-GRADING.” SALMON ARE A HIGH CALORIE MEAL FOR A BEAR. A SOCKEYE SALMON CONTAINS ABOUT 4500 CALORIES, BUT THE FATTIEST PARTS OF THE FISH CONTAIN THE MOST CALORIES PROPORTIONALLY.”

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE FAT BEAR AT: https://explore.org/fat-bear-week

09/27/2025

It’s , the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort! It celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages use of open space for education, recreation, and health benefit.

What are some ways you give back to your public lands?

Find an event near you at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/public-lands-day.htm

09/26/2025

We need volunteers, so get ready and get set to support YOUR public lands!

Join the National Park Service and Santa Monica Mountains Fund to celebrate National Public Lands Day this Saturday, September 27 at Cheeseboro Canyon from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

All volunteers will receive a fee-free public lands day pass and a light lunch.

This year’s event, hosted by the National Environmental Education Foundation - NEEF celebrates “Our Home Outdoors” and encourages visitors to get outside and help protect the lands that keep us all grounded, inspired, and connected with our communities. As one of the largest national days of service, communities come together all across the U.S. to give back and support these treasured public lands.

Volunteers will clear trails, plant native vegetation, and support habitat restoration in Cheeseboro Canyon. No experience is required, and tools will be provided! Please dress appropriately with closed-toed shoes, appropriate sun protection, and bring plenty of water.

For more information and to secure your park pass, email us at samo_volunteer@nps.gov.

Image: NPS. A ranger flat hat supports a single day fee-free park pass and a leather work glove. All are placed in front of a paperboard cutout of the National Park Service arrowhead.

09/26/2025

09/26/2025

Get ready to explore the great outdoors with the Military Families Outdoors (MFO) Program! The National Park Service and MFO invite military families to “Find a Park Near Your New Backyard.” With frequent moves due to military service, this program helps you discover nearby parks perfect for family adventures, no matter where duty calls. Lace up your boots (the hiking ones), pack a picnic, and create lasting memories in parks!

The Military Families Outdoors (MFO) program delivers outdoor adventures for every comfort level, whether you’re bracing for the kids’ classic “Are we there yet?” and “Who chose this trail?” or celebrating their “This is awesome!” and “Can I pet that moose?” Whoa, Attention! Moose aren't into cuddles. At ease. Designed to spark connection, adventure, and wellness, MFO invites military families to embrace the healing power of nature. With over 430 national parks, including many with military history, there’s a park for you!

Administered by the Defense Health Agency and the National Park Service, MFO partners with Blue Star Families, Wilderness Inquiry, Armed Services YMCA, and The Center for Health & Nature to deliver engaging outdoor wellness opportunities for Service Members, Veterans, and their families nationwide. Active-duty military and Veterans also can enjoy the free annual America the Beautiful Pass, available at most fee-collecting national parks with a valid military ID.

Learn more about the program at: https://bluestarfam.org/family-life/military-family-outdoors/ and check out our map to find national parks near Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs Facilities at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/military/parks-near-va-facilities.htm


Image: Great Falls Park

09/24/2025

The title of "Trashiest Champion" may be yours... this Saturday, September 27, 9am.

Meet at Whittington Park.

Last year's champions, Arkansas School for Math, Science, and the Arts, showed how teamwork and strong arms can help to take care of the national park in their own backyard.

Thank you, ASMSA!

We know, we know. It's VERY frustrating to see all of this trash.

But it is also VERY satisfying to see how one morning of hard work can help clean up the place we know and love.

Trashiest Champions:
🤩 Show the value of Leave No Trace-leave it better than you found it.
🤩 Help support a cleaner environment for the animals, plants, and water.
🤩 Model respect for the environment
🤩 Earn one of the most exclusive titles in the history of titles.

On September 27th at 9am meet Park Rangers at Whittington Park to sign-in, get a t-shirt*, materials, and head out into different parts of the park to remove as much trash as possible. If your team picks the most trash.

National Public Lands Day is the largest single-day volunteer event for public lands in the United States. Win "Trashiest Champion" at Hot Springs National Park.

*limited supply, first 35 to RSVP guaranteed a shirt*

To RSVP your team or yourself, and direct questions, email hosp_volunteers@nps.gov.

Image NPS