Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

The industry and infrastructure of taking the waters reaches its apogee at Hot Springs National Park, where dozens of elaborate spas and a whole city have been built up around the natural springs flowing out of a hill. The hot springs here were claimed and protected by the federal government in 1832, making it the first national park, forty years before Yellowstone, and long before the National Park system existed. It became an official National Park in 1921, and is the smallest park in the system, as well as the most urban. The core of the park is Bathhouse Row, where nine of the elaborate Victorian bath buildings remain, mostly restored and functional, and controlled by the federal government (the springs were captured and diverted by pipes into the buildings). Walkways and roads in the mountains lead to overlooks and a tower with a commanding view of the area. Large urban health centers, sanatoriums and resort buildings dominate the immediate area. This Great American Spa is a very European kind of place.