Do I need a reservation for Hot Springs?

No. Hot Springs National Park does not require a timed-entry or vehicle reservation to enter in 2026. Hot Springs National Park charges no entrance fee.

Is there an entrance fee at Hot Springs?

No. Hot Springs does not charge an entrance fee. Other requirements on this page may still apply.

Hot Springs reservations & entry requirements, 2026

The 2026 season at Hot Springs

This is what applies across the published season. Use the date checker below for a specific day.

No reservation is required to enter Hot Springs National Park in 2026.

This park does not charge an entrance fee.

Park entrance
Not required
Hot Springs National Park does not charge an entrance fee.
- Hot Springs charges no entrance fee of any kind and there is no park-specific annual pass. The only NPS fee inside the park is the Gulpha Gorge Campground nightly fee. Bathhouse soaking and the Hot Springs Mountain Tower are run by private businesses / a concessioner and charge their own prices.
Timed entry
Not required
Nothing here is required in 2026.
- No entry reservation or timed-entry permit is required. A Recreation.gov reservation is required to camp at Gulpha Gorge Campground. Entire park
Vehicle, road, or corridor
Not applicable
Hot Springs National Park has no vehicle, road, or parking permit system.
Shuttle
Not applicable
Hot Springs National Park has no shuttle system.
Your campground or lodging
Required all year
Gulpha Gorge Campground reservation applies on every date in 2026.
- Gulpha Gorge Campground reservation
  Dates
  Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
  Hours
  All day
  Fee
  $34
  Opens
  Rolling window
  Applies to Gulpha Gorge Campground, 305 Gorge Road, Hot Springs, AR
  - $34 per night; all 40 sites have full RV hook-ups. Amount quoted on the park's Plan Your Visit page.
  - Day visitors to the park do not need any reservation.
  - There is no park entrance fee or entry permit for this reservation to cover.
Book on recreation.gov(opens in a new tab)
Selected activity
Not required
Nothing here is required in 2026.
- Thermal bathing is sold by private bathhouses — not an NPS permit or ticket. Walking Bathhouse Row, entering the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center and using the public thermal water jug fountains are free and need no ticket.
- Hot Springs Mountain Tower is concessioner-operated with its own admission and hours. Driving Hot Springs Mountain Drive and using the mountain's picnic areas and trails is free.

Fees and passes

Hot Springs does not charge an entrance fee.

Hot Springs charges no entrance fee of any kind and there is no park-specific annual pass. The only NPS fee inside the park is the Gulpha Gorge Campground nightly fee. Bathhouse soaking and the Hot Springs Mountain Tower are run by private businesses / a concessioner and charge their own prices.

An America the Beautiful pass is accepted here. It covers the entrance fee only. It does not cover a timed-entry permit, a vehicle reservation, a parking tag, a shuttle ticket, or an activity permit.

There is no entrance fee for a pass to cover — no pass of any kind is needed to enter Hot Springs. The park sells a limited set of America the Beautiful passes (Access, 4th Grade, Military Annual, Military Veterans and Gold Star Families Lifetime) at the Fordyce Bathhouse for use at OTHER parks. The 2026 fee-free day list on this park's fees page applies to NPS sites that do charge a fee.

Fee-free days

Feb 16, 2026
May 25, 2026
Jun 14, 2026
Jul 3, 2026
Jul 4, 2026
Jul 5, 2026
Aug 25, 2026
Sep 17, 2026
Oct 27, 2026
Nov 11, 2026

From 2026 a fee-free day waives the entrance fee for U.S. residents. Other visitors still pay it. A fee-free day never waives a reservation, a permit, or a booking fee unless the park says so.

Rules that apply to one area only

These do not apply to the whole park. Where you go changes the answer.

Gulpha Gorge Campground, 305 Gorge Road, Hot Springs, ARGulpha Gorge Campground reservation (required to camp, not to visit) · Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026

What a campground or lodging booking does and does not cover

Nothing at Hot Springs changes based on whether you have an in-park campground or lodging booking.

Quick answers

Do I need a reservation for Hot Springs?: No. Hot Springs National Park does not require a timed-entry or vehicle reservation to enter in 2026. Hot Springs National Park charges no entrance fee.
Is there an entrance fee at Hot Springs?: No. Hot Springs does not charge an entrance fee. Other requirements on this page may still apply.

Official links, coverage, and sources

When reservations are released

Gulpha Gorge Campground reservationReleased on a rolling window. Reservations can be made up to six months in advance on Recreation.gov. The park does not publish a daily release clock time.

Official booking and park information

Book Gulpha Gorge Campground reservationrecreation.gov(opens in a new tab)$34 booking fee
Official park alerts and conditionsnps.gov(opens in a new tab)Alerts override anything on this page.
Official fees and passesnps.gov(opens in a new tab)

What this does not cover

Road, weather, and fire closures that change day to day. Check the park’s alerts page.
Backcountry and wilderness permits beyond the headline permits listed above.
Commercial use authorizations, filming permits, and group-size rules.
Availability. We tell you what is required, not whether anything is left.
Individual campsite and lodge availability, which is handled by the booking system.

Effective dates and sources

Fees and passesNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Park entranceHot Springs National Park is a fee-free park! There is no entrance fee nor are there any additional charges for the park's brochure, junior ranger program, or ranger-led tours.
Permits & Reservations - Hot Springs National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to No entry reservation or timed-entry permitCamping at the Gulpha Gorge Campground can be made up to six months in advance on Recreation.gov. No reservations are required to visit the park.
Plan Your Visit - Hot Springs National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Gulpha Gorge Campground reservationReservations must be made in advance for all 40 sites at Gulpha Gorge through Recreation.gov. All sites have full RV hook-ups and are $34 per night. Reservations can be made up to six months in advance.
Plan Your Visit - Hot Springs National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Thermal bathing is sold by private bathhousesSoaking in the springs is only permitted in two of the bathhouses, the Buckstaff and the Quapaw. The Arlington Hotel and Spa also offers spa services. Please contact them for more information.
Operating Hours & Seasons - Hot Springs National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Hot Springs Mountain Tower is concessioner-operatedThe Hot Springs Mountain Tower is operated by a concessionaire. Their hours change seasonally. Visit the Hot Springs Mountain Tower website for the current hours.

Something wrong here?

Park rules change, sometimes at short notice. If a line on this page does not match what the park publishes, tell us and we will fix it and re-check the source.

corrections@nationalparkentry.com· Last factual change 2026-08-05 · Sources last reviewed 2026-07-26

Nearest other national parks

Chosen by distance from Hot Springs, not by editorial preference.

Hot Springs National Park entry requirements