Hot Springs, AR recommendations

[Jobforjim]

Taking our International up to Hot Springs in mid November. I have booked Lake Catherine Stare Park as a backup but want to stay at Gulpha Gorge. Would love to hear some reviews on either of those campgrounds and fun hikes (we have a 5 year old daughter) and any other fun adventures you guys have to share.

[JB-Mary STL]

Gulpa Gorge is great and generally seems to be easy to get into. We had our pick of several sites. It seems the local commercial parks take reservations and tend to fill up leaving sites open at the National Park. There are many good trails to take from the camping area that are not too challenging. The park is also a short drive to the downtown shopping and bath houses.

[Squire]

We haven't taken our AS there, didn't have it, yet, but we did go in a rented motorhome in 2016. We thought it was great! The Mountain Tower needs a visit. Although we drove there, I believe you can hike to the tower from the campground. There is at least one trail to the west of the campground, across the creek/stream. Small boulders/large rocks provide a dry crossing.

Hot Springs was the gangsters Las Vegas, before Las Vegas.

Squire
Fly Navy, Beat Army!

[Wrangler]

Each early spring, we stay for a week at the Hot Springs KOA. It is our favorite KOA of all that we have used.

[OriginalMrT]

Lake Ouachita State Park
Lake view full hook up sites. Just left there last week.

[Boxite]

We've stayed at Lake Catherine. My wife liked it, but I was not interested in the view of the Elect. Power Plant across the lake. Otherwise it's a good, clean park with all the hookups. We enjoyed the other state parks and the Corps of Engineers parks better, IMO.

[TexasMarci]

Catherine's Landing is an awesome RV park - all paved and nice walking spaces and boat docks and doggy park and bathrooms as nice as in my house and and and............it's a little on the high end for pricing but very much worth it.

Just a suggestion

[TheGreatleys]

We spent three weeks boondocking in Cedar Glades park. November might be a bit chilly for a long stay without hookups, but it's free, and there's a frisbee golf course and some easy hiking trails through the woods in the park.

We also took a day trip to Gulpha Gorge, which had some nice hiking as well. Gulpha gorge seemed pretty easy to get in and out of, but plan your route wisely, since it is a mountainous area.

Definitely check out bathhouse row. The park maintains a museum in one bath house, so you can see all the crazy "health" treatments of the time. One bath house is still in operation, which makes for a relaxing afternoon. And another bath house is a pretty good brewery if that's your speed.

[Boxite]

Well...since we're talking about my place of birth... Hot Springs, Arkansas....
My great-great-Grandfather, George Anderson Tackett was sheriff of Montgomery county and town Marshal of Glenwood, AR about 30 miles SW of Hot Springs. He had business in the court-house in Hot Springs one day, soon after the Grand Opening of the flagship hotel known as the "Arlington".
After his court-docket visit, he wished to see the much-talked-about cocktail lounge in that pre-Prohibition hotel so he walked into the lounge to find it occupied with "high-born Ladies" and their "gentlemen" friends. The concierge employed a few large employees and escorted George Anderson out of the hotel with words to the effect that the Arlington was intent on serving only the upper-class clientele … apparently unimpressed with George's well-worn suit and worn boots.
Family story says that GA then walked across the street to where his horse was tied, mounted up, and pulled his shotgun out of it's scabbard and with it laid across his lap, rode the horse back up the long steps, through the lobby of the hotel and into/amongst the "clientele" to the end of the bar and demanded a shot of whiskey. When the bar-tender threatened to call law enforcement, GA pulled-aside his vest to reveal his sheriff's star.... whereupon he was handed a glass of whiskey which he immediately downed, and (referring to his seated-position atop the horse) declared that "I'm about as "high" a clientele as this bar has at present.... and this bar had best not refuse a drink to any man who can pay, or else!".... then threw down a silver dollar and rode his horse back out of the hotel without being further inconvenienced.

He was not to be trifled-with, according to family legend.

I was born in the St. Joseph's Hospital which was just around the corner from the Arlington in the late 40's. But when my wife and I visited the building in 1994 … I came to understand why I am poor at math despite having a math teacher as a Mother.... St. Joseph Hospital is now in a new facility in the South Hot Springs medical center... and the bldg. in which I came out in swaddling-clothes is now the "Bill Clinton School of Mathmatics".

[Goal15]

We stayed s couple of nights at Lake Catherine SP a few years back. The noise from the power plant, especially near the water is just terrible. Like being camped on a jet ramp.

We moved to Lake Ouchita COE campground. Better but don't try to arrive early. Vendor is very picky about "rules".

Dana

[Jobforjim]

Fantastic info. Thanks everyone. We’re looking forward to heading out next week.