Parking
Use the Sunset Trail parking area on Cedar Glades Road; the trailhead is across the street. Start here for the full out-and-back route.
Overview
About Fordyce Peaks Trail
Why go
- A dedicated spur leads to views of the Fordyce Peaks.
Heads up
- The 1.75-mile Sunset Trail approach comes before the peak spur, each way.
Fordyce Peaks Trail is a 5.8-mile out-and-back from the Cedar Glades Road Sunset Trailhead. Follow Sunset Trail 1.75 miles each way to the junction, then take the 1.16-mile Fordyce spur for views of Fordyce Peaks. Allow about three and a half hours. The approach is a substantial part of the outing, so choose this when you want a half-day walk with a named viewpoint at the end.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Hot Springs map
Full mapElevation823–1,250 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Hot Springs alerts
- CautionPark-wide burn ban in effectA park-wide burn ban is in effect because of high fire danger. - The ban was enacted on August 15, 2026.Official details
- ClosureMaurice Bathhouse closed for renovationsThe Maurice Bathhouse is currently closed for renovations. - Do not plan to use the building during your visit. Check current Bathhouse Row status before visiting.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Hot Springs Tour Guide
Your drive to Fordyce Peaks Trail, 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 trailhead
Cedar Glades Trailhead: Balanced Rock0:00 / 0:22
“You're coming up on the Cedar Glades Road trailhead for Balanced Rock, a hike for ridge views rather than a huge rock formation.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Hot Springs Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Woodpecker Leaves a Clue
- Whittington Park: Old Bridges and Cold Spring Water
- Arlington Lawn and Hot Water Cascade
- West Mountain: Town Views and a Stone Shelter
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Fordyce Peaks Trail
Take the left branchFrom the parking area, follow Sunset Trail to the junction and take the left branch toward…
From the parking area, follow Sunset Trail to the junction and take the left branch toward Fordyce Peak; the right branch continues along Sunset. The old roadbed and power line near Cedar Glades Road can be confusing. Stay north of the water tank, follow the marked, orange-blazed Sunset Trail, and avoid false spurs that leave park land.
The climb and turnaroundThe mapped route is dirt.
The mapped route is dirt. The spur climbs toward the ridge, and its end is roughly 410 feet above the road. NPS describes the payoff as views of Fordyce Peaks; it does not identify a developed summit or a named overlook. The trail does not loop, so retrace the same route and leave time for the climb back to Cedar Glades Road. The spur is unmaintained beyond the national park boundary; stop at the maintained end.
Dogs and a shorter optionDogs are allowed on park trails but must stay on a leash no longer than six feet.
Dogs are allowed on park trails but must stay on a leash no longer than six feet. If you want a shorter walk in the same area, the separate Balanced Rock spur branches from Sunset about a mile from Cedar Glades Road; that spur itself is 0.2 miles and reaches a different viewpoint. The approach adds distance.
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
40 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.
