Hot Springs National Park, 5,549 acres (2,247 hectares), W central Ark.; est. 1921; nearly surrounded by the city of Hot Springs. Visited by Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto in 1541, the springs, long used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes, became a Federal Reservation in 1832. More than a million gallons of water a day, with an average temperature of 143°F; (62°C;), flow from 47 springs. The National Park Service collects, cools, and supplies water to bathhouses in and out of the park. See National Parks and Monuments (table).

Hot Springs, city (1990 pop. 32,462), seat of Garland co., W central Ark.; settled 1807, inc. 1876. The city nearly surrounds Hot Springs National Park, whose hot mineral springs made the city a famous health resort. Bottled mineral water is produced, and there is diversified manufacturing. Situated in the Ouachita Mts., the city is at the center of the reservoir system of the Ouachita River. The area was visited by the Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto in 1541. The properties of the local mineral waters were investigated in 1804 under the authorization of President Thomas Jefferson.