It's thought that Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto soaked in these springs in 1541, the first European to do so. Native Americans relied on these waters for centuries, believing they had curative properties. More than 4,400 years ago, water trapped under the surface of the Ouachitas began to bubble up through folds and faults in the mountain range, resulting in natural springs with waters up to 143 degrees. The history of the area starts long before the early 1800s, of course. In 1921, Hot Springs Reservation became Hot Springs National Park. In 1832, President Andrew Jackson named it the country's first federal reservation - a forerunner to the National Park Service, which Congress established in 1916. Loyalists like to tout HSNP as the country's first national park. HSNP boasts 47 springs, 27 of which are used for bathing, soaking and drinking. With its abundant natural resource of hot spring water, people come here to do the Hot Springs Soak, a centuries-old bathing tradition, in ornate bathhouses. Without an entrance booth or gate, and with attractions both indoors and outdoors, this isn't your typical national park. Welcome to Hot Springs National Park (HSNP), nestled in the Ouachita Mountains within the city of Hot Springs in central Arkansas. As the minutes pass, your aches, pains and cares seemingly melt away. Under the light of an arched stained glass ceiling, you start a soothing soaking ritual, moving from pool to pool to moderate your temperature. Here, you eye a series of small tiled pools with natural spring waters ranging in temperature from 98 to 104 degrees. After showering and changing into a bathing suit, you make your way to a communal, coed thermal-pool room.
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