Hot Springs National Park guide · 1 min read
Scenic Drives Up Hot Springs and West Mountains
Hot Springs Mountain Drive starts where Fountain Street ends, just off Central Avenue in downtown Hot Springs.
The road dates to the 1880s, when it was a carriage road, and its switchbacks carry drivers steadily up the mountain. At the top you will find a picnic area, the Pagoda overlook, and the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, where a view of the city opens up below. If you want to keep going, the drive links to the North Mountain Loop and then returns you to Fountain Street.
West Mountain Drive is the other main route into the park's higher ground. You reach it by following Whittington Avenue, and the road climbs to the top of West Mountain, where lookouts and trailheads are located. Trails on West Mountain can also be reached from downtown, from Whittington Park, or from Prospect Street, so you can choose a starting point that suits the hike you have in mind.
Parking along the scenic drives is free. The park keeps designated areas at picnic areas, viewpoints, and trailheads, and there is parking at the top of Hot Springs Mountain near the picnic area and the Pavilion. Many of the roads wind up and down the mountains, and the vehicle length limit is 30 feet, so check the length of a larger vehicle before you start the climb.
The park has six scenic overlooks, and visitors come to them for sunrise, sunset, fall color, or a few quiet minutes. A drive up West and North Mountains gives a good sample of the park's views. From the Hot Springs Mountain Tower you can see the town spread out below, and the picnic tables nearby make a good place to stop and eat.
