The best camping near Hot Springs National Park

Arkansas’ Hot Springs National Park is the only to have bathhouses as its focal point. However, Historic Bathhouse Row isn’t home to your typical bathhouses; instead, these unique structures have a fascinating story to tell of mineral waters and magic cures from the late 1800s. Explore the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center to see what visitors would have experienced at the height of the grandeur. Or partake in the traditions; the Buckstaff Bathhouse offers a full spa treatment utilizing the thermal waters that give this Arkansas town its name. After soaking in relaxation, head to Hot Springs Mountains for epic views and hiking trails.

• Best classic national park camping: Gulpha Gorge Campground, operated by the NPS, offers tent sites and RV sites with full hookups. 
• Best for lake lovers: Lake Catherine State Park has waterfront campsites.
• Best for relaxation: Lake Ouachita State Park is further outside of town, offering scenic lakefront campsites.

• All campsites at the Gulpha Gorge Campground are full hookups, offering 30 or 50 amp electric, water, and sewer.
• Reservations for Gulpha Gorge Campground open 6 months in advance and may be booked online through the Recreation.gov website.
• Arkansas State Parks offer reservations up to 12 months in advance.
• Arkansas State Parks may require 2-night stays for weeks and 3-night stays for holidays.

Spring is a popular time to visit Hot Springs National Park, as the wildflowers bloom and the weather warms. The thoroughbred horse-racing season at nearby Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort brings many visitors. Through summer, the temperatures reach highs in the 90s, with high humidity. A stroll on the Grand Promenade takes you out of the sun. Through fall, the mountains alight with colorful leaves, reaching their peak in October. Due to the southern location, Hot Springs has moderate winters, allowing for year-round camping. Freezing temperatures and snowfalls are rare. 

• While flush toilets are available at Gulpha Gorge Campground, on-site showers are not. 
• Cell signal access may be limited in the hills and valleys in Arkansas’s Ouachita Mountains.
• Lake Catherine and Lake Ouachita State Parks offer cabin rentals in addition to camping spots. Lake Catherine State Park also has yurt rentals for glamping.
• Hot Springs National Park is an urban park located in the city of Hot Springs.
• Several lakes around Hot Springs are hotspots for kayaking, boating, and other watersports. The nearby Caddo River also offers fishing and kayaking.
• Dispersed camping may be found in the greater Ouachita National Forest.
• The thermal springs are not open for swimming, but various locations have water access or offer spa treatments using the mineral waters.