A Hidden Gem - Arkansas
- koa_la
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Hot Springs National Park, Queen Wilhelmina State Park, and more dog friendly spots, is Arkansas more than a flyover state?
Ok, I might have already lost you on the title on this post, but if you have a minute, hear me out.
During our 2023 road trip, we decided to take a couple hour detour from Oklahoma to drive into Arkansas to get our state sign picture and drive up the pass to check out the views from Queen Wilhelmina State Park. Our friends had told us the views up there were amazing. We didn’t even realize there were mountains in Arkansas! When we got to the top, the clouds hid the view, but it was still so pretty and we saw the potential.
Three years later, we decided to add Arkansas as a destination in our road trip instead of just drive through. We chose Hot Springs National Park as the focal point for our couple days in the state. This national park was actually the first land set aside by the government for preservation in 1832. Yellowstone wouldn’t become the first official national park for another 40 years after the Hot Springs land was protected and strangely, Hot Springs itself wasn’t designated a national park until almost 50 years after that.
We camped at the Gulpha Gorge Campground and absolutely loved it! The campsites were in the trees and there was a creek just along the campsites. We had a pretty cool thunderstorm that hit us in the early hours one morning that made our tent extra cozy. The coolest part about this location is that we were able to hike down the mountain to the town to explore and then hike back to our campsite at the end of the day. There were so many dog friendly paths to explore just off the campground. The national park is a little bit different from the rest in that the majority of the national park is actually bathhouse buildings in the town. The bathhouses were built around natural hot springs that existed on the land. Unfortunately, these bathhouses aren’t really for dogs, so we just ventured to one of the free taps where we could fill our water jugs with the freshest water that they say has healing powers!
The quaint nature of Hot Springs downtown is what gives it its charm. I cannot say enough good things about Superior Bathhouse Brewery. The beer was amazing, the service was great, the food was so good and they even have a pup menu!
They also have misters on their outdoor patio and they brought a mat for me to sit on so I didn’t have to be on the rocks. At Espresso Yourselfie, they asked me if I wanted a pup cup after my parents forgot to order me one. Last but not least, I got to spend the afternoon at Maxine’s Live. While I have heard that this place gets pretty busy and might not be the best for dogs at night, in the daytime, I fell right asleep on the cool floor. The people were so nice and the history of this place is extra cool! We enjoyed some cocktails while we waited out a storm.
Funny story, once we started making our way back to camp, we checked out all the shops on the Main Street looking for a mini propane tank we forgot for our JetBoil. We couldn’t find one in any of the stores, but there were a couple bigger stores within driving distance. Since we still had to hike back, we ordered one on DoorDash and when we got back, the propane tank was waiting on our truck hood. Small remote town, in the woods, and we still could get delivery so quickly, at a premium of course. What a world we live in!
On our way to Tennessee, we quickly stopped by a couple places in Little Rock. They were so cool we had to mention them. If you are in Little Rock or even just passing through, park by the Julius Breckling Riverfront Park. There are a couple walking paths, some cool art, and plenty of places to relax if you want to be outside. From there, you can walk 1 block to an amazing coffee shop with one of the best breakfast pastries my humans have ever had, Nexus Coffee Roasters. The vibes in this place are 10 out of 10 and the coffee and snacks back it up. And a couple blocks from Nexus, walk to Puppy Community, a cool dog shop with lots of treats and gear from local businesses.
To close it out, would I move here, no. Will I be back, absolutely! Arkansas should definitely move up on your places to visit list, or at the very least, take a little detour and spend an extra day if you are driving through.
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