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Hot Springs National Parkcolor photo of Fordyce Bathhouse gym with parallel bars in left foreground and vaulting horse in right background
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Hot Springs National Park
Environmental Factors
 
Photo of downtown valley flanked by the forested Hot Springs Mountain, West Mountain and Sugarloaf Mountain, taken from the Hot Springs Mountain Tower
From atop Hot Springs Mountain Tower, you can see the forested mountains of the park.
Hot Springs National Park surrounds the north end of the city of Hot Springs with a population of 33,000. Although some park boundaries are bordered by undeveloped forested lands, much of the park is adjacent to city streets and homes. These areas are subject to air pollution, exotic plant and animal species, and trash dumping. The park is an island of green in the developed downtown area. Resource inventories are currently underway to better prepare for the protection of the park's natural resources.
firefighter with leaf blower on trail
Firefighter on prescribed fire
Find out about prescribed fires in the park.
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black and white photo of Rector's bathhouse, a small one story frame building near the edge of Hot Springs Creek  

Did You Know?
In May 1862, Arkansas Governor Henry Massie Rector moved the state government to his hotel and bathhouse located on Hot Springs Reservation, now Hot Springs National Park. That July, the government seat was moved further south to Old Washington for the remainder of the Civil War.

Last Updated: August 24, 2006 at 17:44 EST