Best wild flowers trails in Hot Springs National Park

From the overlook at North Mountain, take the short hike below the overlook and stay right, noting the novaculite stone bars placed to prevent erosion. Below the third switchback, the lower side of the trail opens to flowery glades that offer vistas of Indian Mountain and east Hot Springs. The trail becomes uneven and rocky here. After several hundred feet you will pass beneath huge novaculite boulders. Goat Rock Overlook is forty feet above you. A sign indicates the stairway to the overlook. Stone steps rise 240 nonvertical feet to the summit, which showcases a spectacular view of Indian Mountain.Show more

Moderate inclines at times, but definitely a comfortable walk. The trail is wide and well-maintained.Show more

Park at the amphitheater parking area in Gulpha Gorge Campground. The trailhead is across Gulpha Creek at the end of the stepping stones; take the left trail. The first half of this trail is steep. To our right, Gulpha Gorge Trail winds up the mountain to meet Hot Springs Mountain Trail and Goat Rock Trail.Show more

Offline map is recommended. Users have reported that the trails are not marked well.Show more

On this trail, you will pass through a dense old growth forest with trees over 200 years old! This is a good walk for the city and has shade unlike the nearby Goat Rock Trail. The average grade according to the park website is 4.8%, but it is not considered wheelchair or stroller friendly because there are estimated very steep sections up to 17% and there are rocks in the trail surface. The trail can also be quite narrow, only one or two feet across.Show more

Hot Springs Mountain Drive begins at the end of Fountain Street which is off Central Avenue downtown. Built as a carriage road in the 1880s, it has switchbacks that will take you to the top to a picnic area, the Pagoda overlook, and the Hot Springs Mountain Tower. You can continue on to North Mountain Loop and then back down to Fountain Street.Show more