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Hot Springs National ParkGulpha Gorge Campground in the spring with redbud and dogwood trees blooming.
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Hot Springs National Park
Suggested Reading

Much has been written about Hot Springs National Park. If you find conflicting information in something you read, we'd be happy to answer any questions you have about accuracy. We recommend the following:

Free resources listed on the History & Culture page. Also check out the "Frequently Asked Questions."

Free science-related resources:
   Special Species
   In Hot Water-A brief explanation of the geology of the hot springs
   Drinking the Water
   Climate

Bookstore sales items: 

Didn't All the Indians Come Here? Separating Fact from Fiction at Hot Springs National Park by Mark Blaeuer, Eastern National, 2007

Hot Springs National Park Geologic Excursion Tour Guide by Michael T. Roberts, Charles G. Stone, Mark Blaeuer, and Sharon Shugart, Eastern National, 2007

The Ouachita Springs Region: A Curiosity of Nature by Janis Percefull, University of Minnesota Bindery, 2006

The Forgotten Expedition, 1804–1805: The Louisiana Purchase Journals of Dunbar and Hunter, edited by Trey Berry, Pam Beasley, and Jeanne Clements, 2006, LSU Press

The American Spa by Dee Brown, 1982

These resources are available in the park's Eastern National store. Educators get a 15% discount with their school ID. They may also be available through your local library or by interlibrary loan.

black and white photo of Rector's bathhouse, a small one story frame building near the edge of Hot Springs Creek  

Did You Know?
In May 1862, Arkansas Governor Henry Massie Rector moved the state government to his hotel and bathhouse located on Hot Springs Reservation, now Hot Springs National Park. That July, the government seat was moved further south to Old Washington for the remainder of the Civil War.

Last Updated: December 17, 2007 at 13:43 EST