1 active Hot Springs alert
- InfoBurn ban in parkA burn ban is in effect because of high fire danger. - In the campground and picnic areas, only gas and charcoal grills are currently allowed; the ban was enacted August 15, 2026.Official details
Overview
About Hot Springs Mountain Tower
Why stop
- An indoor history exhibit and open-air panorama share one elevator ride.
Heads up
- Separate admission for a visit that can be brief.
Map
Where it is
Loading the Hot Springs map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Hot Springs Tour Guide
Your drive to Hot Springs Mountain Tower, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Hot Springs National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Hot Springs Mountain: Pagoda and Tower0:00 / 0:31
“Up ahead is the Hot Springs Mountain summit area, with the Pagoda and Mountain Tower. For a quick roadside view, stop at the Pagoda.”
Plays as you drive up to Hot Springs Mountain Tower in the Parkwolf Hot Springs Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Arlington Lawn and Hot Water Cascade
- Superior Bathhouse Brewery: A Meal by the Springs
- North Mountain Shelter: Down to Gulpha Creek
- Fordyce Bathhouse: Beyond the Baths
- 18 audio storiesacross Hot Springs’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor White-tailed Deer, Groundhog, Mexican Long-nosed Armadillo, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 19 trails, 33 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Hot Springs Mountain Tower
Ride up or hike inHot Springs Mountain Tower is a 216-foot steel observation tower on Hot Springs Mountain above…
Hot Springs Mountain Tower is a 216-foot steel observation tower on Hot Springs Mountain above town. Drive up for an easy visit, then take the elevator to the decks; Peak Trail offers a short but steep 0.6-mile climb from downtown instead. The tower is a separately ticketed stop, so choose it for the decks and history exhibit as well as the view, not just another roadside pullout.
Two decks above townThe enclosed lower deck has exhibits on park and local history and is air-conditioned; the…
The enclosed lower deck has exhibits on park and local history and is air-conditioned; the upper deck is open to the sky at 1,256 feet above sea level. From there, you can see the whole park, part of the Ouachita Mountains, Hot Springs, and the Diamond Lakes area. For a photo, frame town against the forested ridges so you get both the city and its mountain setting.
Useful things at the baseYou don't need to hike to reach the decks: an elevator serves the tower, which is…
You don't need to hike to reach the decks: an elevator serves the tower, which is wheelchair-accessible. At the base you'll find a gift shop, restrooms, coffee and snacks; picnic tables and a shelter are also available. Think quick refreshment, not a full meal.
Three towers on one summitThe first summit lookout was a wooden observatory built in 1877 by local mill owner Enoch…
The first summit lookout was a wooden observatory built in 1877 by local mill owner Enoch Woolman. In 1906, banker Charles N. Rix leased land for a steel replacement, known as Rix Tower; it had an elevator, too. It came down on July 13, 1971. The present 216-foot tower opened in June 1983, carrying on a long tradition of coming up here for the view.
A carriage road to the topHot Springs Mountain Drive began as a carriage road in the 1880s.
Hot Springs Mountain Drive began as a carriage road in the 1880s. Its switchbacks climb from Fountain Street, just off downtown Central Avenue, to the picnic area, Pagoda overlook, and tower; you can continue around North Mountain Loop and return to Fountain Street. Pairing the tower with the Pagoda gives you two different looks at Hot Springs Mountain without needing to find another trail.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Hot Springs
71 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
11 sightingsGroundhogMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
12 sightingsMexican Long-nosed ArmadilloMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
16 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around noonSighting map
41 sightingsCardinalMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
27 sightingsSummer TanagerMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Hot Springs. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
