Hot Springs Mountain Tower

There has been an observation tower on Hot Springs Mountain in one form or another for well over a century. The earliest versions were wooden structures built to give the visitors who flocked to the spa city a lofty view, and over the decades these were replaced as they aged or as fashions changed. The current steel tower, completed in the 1980s, is the latest in that succession.

The mountain itself lies within Hot Springs National Park, which protects not only the famous thermal springs but also the forested ridges around the city. The tower is a private concession within the park, a long-running attraction that continues the old tradition of climbing the mountain to take in the view.

The observation decks look out in every direction. To one side lies the historic core of Hot Springs, with Bathhouse Row, Central Avenue, and the grand old hotels laid out in the narrow valley. Beyond, the eye travels to the broad reservoirs of Lake Hamilton and Lake Ouachita, and to the long parallel ridges of the Ouachita Mountains rolling toward the horizon.

That east-to-west grain of the ridges is unusual. Most North American mountain ranges run roughly north to south, but the Ouachitas were folded into long parallel ridges running the other way, and from the tower the pattern is clear, one wooded crest behind another marching off into the distance.

The tower can be reached by a winding drive up the national park's mountain road, which climbs through hardwood forest to the summit area, or on foot by way of the park's network of trails, several of which lead up and over Hot Springs Mountain. Either approach turns the trip to the tower into a short outing rather than a simple errand.

At the top, an elevator carries visitors to the open and enclosed observation levels. Interpretive displays explain the geology, history, and layout of the region spread out below, helping first-time visitors make sense of the city, the springs, and the mountains that surround them.

Spring brings fresh green to the mountain and clear, comfortable days ideal for the long views. Summer is warm and often hazy, but the breeze at the top and the shade of the forested drive make it a pleasant escape from the valley heat.

Fall is the tower's finest hour, when the hardwood ridges blaze with color and the layered view of the Ouachitas is at its most dramatic. Winter strips the trees bare and, on a crisp clear day, offers the sharpest and longest views of the surrounding country.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.