Oak Trail
The West Mountain Trails, including Oak Trail, sit just behind and to the west of Bathhouse Row.
Plan Around Oak Trail
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Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
Oak Trail Details
The West Mountain Trails, including Oak Trail, sit just behind and to the west of Bathhouse Row. Hikers can reach the 1-mile out-and-back Oak Trail via Mountain Street, across from the Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center (Fordyce Bathhouse). There's also a place to park your car here. The trail begins as a steep concrete ramp for around the first 100 yards; hikers should walk around the yellow gate. Watch out for the steel drainage grates, loose rocks and seedpods in this area. Climb the seven stone steps to the left and you'll reach the middle of the Oak Trail, where you can walk another 100 yards to the right towards the Canyon Trail or turn left to head towards the West Mountain Trail. If you choose the left part of the trail, you'll go for about a half-mile, crossing behind the historic Levi Hospital. If you take the right path, you'll notice an old roadbed running parallel to the trail, which is a section of the former Whippoorwill Street. Past this the trail turns toward a stone retaining wall, and beside the wall is a concrete footbridge with a steel handrail leading to a large trailhead sign marked "Oak Trail." Here you've found the intersection with Canyon Trail and you can again turn left or right. A right turn takes you to a parking area at the intersection of Fountain Street and Central Avenue; a left turn takes you, eventually, to an intersection with the West Mountain Trail.
Difficulty
Moderate
Distance
2 miles
Estimated time
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Oak Trail
Compare nearby parks around Oak Trail when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Oak Trail
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Oak Trail while the map context is still fresh.
0.1 mi away
Hot Springs National Park
The hot springs in Arkansas' Ouachita Mountains were used for their healing powers for centuries by Native Americans before Congress protected them in 1832, making this one of the oldest, albeit smallest, parks in the federal system.
0.1 mi away
Maurice Bathhouse
The Maurice Bathhouse opened for business on Jan. 1, 1912, the first facility offering a more luxurious bathhouse experience.
0.1 mi away
Fordyce Bathhouse (Park Visitor Center)
The largest bathhouse on the row at approximately 28,000 square feet, the Fordyce opened in 1915.
0.1 mi away
Stevens Balustrade
The original main entrance to Hot Springs Reservation, as it was called from 1832 until 1922, was between the Maurice and Fordyce bathhouses directly below the Stevens Balustrade.
0.1 mi away
Maurice Historic Spring Area
Maurice Historic Spring Area is between Hale Bathhouse and Maurice Bathhouse on the northern part of Bathhouse Row.
