Parking
Start at the northeastern end on the Bathhouse Row side. The park map says off-street parking is abundant around Bathhouse Row and shows private lots across from and south of the Row; it does not mark a dedicated Oak Trail lot.
Overview
About Oak Trail
Why go
- Short one-way link into the West Mountain trail network.
- Mostly flat at the northeastern end.
Heads up
- One-way route needs a return plan.
- Packed dirt with a short steep section.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Hot Springs map
Full mapElevation698–909 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 Oak 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 area
Superior Bathhouse Brewery: A Meal by the Springs0:00 / 0:31
“Bathhouse Row's north end is coming up, with Superior Bathhouse Brewery in the red-brick building. This former bathhouse opened in nineteen sixteen; now its thermal spring water goes into beer.”
Plays on the road 0.2 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Hot Springs Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- West Mountain: Town Views and a Stone Shelter
- Arlington Lawn and Hot Water Cascade
- Fordyce Bathhouse: Beyond the Baths
- The People Behind 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Oak Trail
A short one-way climbOak Trail is a 1.
Oak Trail is a 1.0-mile point-to-point trail on West Mountain’s eastern slope, running from the Bathhouse Row side southwest to West Mountain Drive. Allow 25–45 minutes one way. It’s a useful short connector into the park’s mountain trail network, though it isn’t a loop: walking back on Oak makes the outing 2 miles.
Dirt and a steep finishThe route is packed dirt and not ADA-compliant.
The route is packed dirt and not ADA-compliant. Its northeastern end is mostly flat; the short steep section is between West Mountain Trail and West Mountain Drive, so expect the harder grade near the southwest end. Dogs are allowed on leash.
Plan around both endsBegin at Oak’s northeastern end on the Bathhouse Row side; the route finishes at West Mountain…
Begin at Oak’s northeastern end on the Bathhouse Row side; the route finishes at West Mountain Drive. The park map marks a Visitor Center, restrooms and off-street parking around Bathhouse Row, including private lots across from and south of the Row. It does not show a dedicated Oak Trail lot. Oak links into the wider West Mountain trail network, so you can continue onto another trail instead of retracing it if you have planned that route.
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.
