Parking
Parking at North Mountain Overlook is limited; the trail access is just below the overlook. A second access is along Hot Springs Mountain Trail.
Overview
About Upper Dogwood Trail
Why go
- Short rises broken up by long flat stretches
- Can connect with Lower Dogwood or Goat Rock for a longer walk
Heads up
- Point-to-point, so plan a return or connection
- Uneven dirt and not ADA compliant
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Hot Springs map
Full mapElevation878–1,029 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Hot Springs Tour Guide
Your drive to Upper Dogwood 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
North Mountain Overlook and Goat Rock0:00 / 0:22
“You're nearing North Mountain Overlook, where you can stop for ridge views or start the Goat Rock hike.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Hot Springs Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- North Mountain Shelter: Down to Gulpha Creek
- Gulpha Gorge: A Creekside Picnic
- A Woodpecker Leaves a Clue
- Rick's Pond: Stonework and Estate History
- 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 Upper Dogwood Trail
A short North Mountain traverseUpper Dogwood Trail is a one-mile point-to-point walk on North Mountain, with access just below…
Upper Dogwood Trail is a one-mile point-to-point walk on North Mountain, with access just below North Mountain Overlook or from Hot Springs Mountain Trail. Allow 25 to 45 minutes one way. It’s a handy short leg if you want to link walks here: the route can be combined with Lower Dogwood or Goat Rock, but Upper Dogwood itself is not a loop. Decide how you’ll get back before you start.
The tread and effortThe path is compacted dirt, uneven in a few places, with short rises followed by long flat…
The path is compacted dirt, uneven in a few places, with short rises followed by long flat stretches. Its typical grade is 4.8%, so the climb comes in small pieces rather than one long push. The uneven surface matters more than the distance if you need a smooth, accessible trail: this route is not ADA compliant.
Access and connectionsParking at North Mountain Overlook is limited, and the trail access is just below it.
Parking at North Mountain Overlook is limited, and the trail access is just below it. You can also reach Upper Dogwood from Hot Springs Mountain Trail. Dogs are allowed on leash; clean up after them. Keep Lower Dogwood and Goat Rock as separate trails in your plan, even though they connect into longer walks.
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.
