Hot Springs Reservation was set aside in 1832, forty years before Yellowstone was established as a national park in 1872. Established before the concept of a national park existed, it was the first time that land had been set aside by the federal government to preserve its use as an area for recreation.
It was protected to preserve a utilitarian resource (hot water), much like our present national forests. At the time, the hot spring water had been popularly believed for centuries to possess medicinal properties, Following federal protection in 1832, the city developed into a successful spa town. Hot Springs was made a National Park in 1921 and is the second smallest national park (only Gateway Arch is smaller).
The hot springs flow from the western slope of Hot Springs Mountain, part of the Ouachita Mountain range. The water emerges at 143 degrees. After rain falls, it takes over 4,000 years for the water to percolate through the rocks and come out of the spring.
Geology of Hot Springs, Arkansas
