A recent National Park Service (NPS) report shows that approximately 1.5 million people visited Hot Springs National Park (HSNP) in 2018.
“As we prepare to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our designation as a national park in 2021, we are delighted to share the park’s stories and recreational experiences with visitors from across the country and around the world,” said park superintendent, Laura Miller.
This past summer, HSNP staff contracted with the RSG Group to complete a visitation study to determine the overall effectiveness of the park’s methods for counting visitors. The previous study was completed in 1987 when the only buildings open on Bathhouse Row were the Buckstaff Baths and the Visitor Center in the Fordyce Bathhouse.
Miller added, “We are excited to see increasing visitation with all the new Bathhouse renovations at the Quapaw Baths, Superior Bathhouse Brewery, and soon, the Hotel Hale, along with other new developments downtown. Visitors and residents alike now have much more to see and do.”
Across the country visitation to America’s national parks in 2018 exceeded 300 million recreation visits for the fourth consecutive year. The 318.2 million recreation visits total is the third highest since record keeping began in 1904.
To learn more about national parks in Arkansas and how the National Park Service works with Arkansas communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/Arkansas.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for the 418 parks in the National Park System and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.
