Located just a few miles from downtown Hot Springs, the 7,460-acre Lake Hamilton is one of the top attractions America’s First Resort has to offer. It has plenty of attractions that entertain visitors year-round.
We’ve got one left to go before the end of summer – one last chance to soak in the sun. Make the last days of count. Make it memorable. Explore Lake Hamilton.
Garvan Woodland Gardens
The Garvan Woodland Gardens is part of the University of Arkansas and was founded by local industrialist and philanthropist Verna Cook Garvan. The garden is renowned for its gardens that abound with beautiful flowers, colorful peacocks roaming the grounds, and the stunning Anthony Chapel. It is also home to the award-winning Japanese Gardens. Be sure to check it out.
The Garvan Woodland Gardens is open all year long, Mondays through Saturdays, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Adventureworks Hot Springs
Just a couple of miles east of Lake Hamilton is Adventureworks Hot Springs. The zip line park provides adventurers with a new vantage point to view the surrounding forest, with 12 zip lines. Soar through the air on steel cables and take an aerial tour of the trees, plants, and wildlife. Take your whole family out for a fun outing and explore Adventureworks Hot Springs.
Adventureworks Hot Springs is open year-round, seven days a week. Tours are given Mondays through Saturdays at 9:30 AM, noon, and 2:30 PM and at noon and 2:30 PM on Sundays.
Belle of Hot Springs
Get a first-hand view of Lake Hamilton and take a cruise around the lake aboard the Belle of Hot Springs. The Belle is a double decker riverboat that holds sightseeing cruises across the lake throughout the year. It has a restaurant on the main deck that serves barbecue, sandwiches, southern fried catfish, and other southern dishes.
The tours will go across Lake Hamilton, offering beautiful views of the lake and shoreline and are available year-round.
Hot Springs National Park
The oldest National Park in the United States, it was founded in 1921 and runs through and around the Hot Springs downtown area, reaching down toward the northern shores of Lake Hamilton. It preserves the historic bathhouses built in the early 1900s around the area’s natural hot springs. You can find various hiking trails, scenic drives, campsites, and picnic areas. Drop by the restored Fordyce Bathhouse that is open for free, which operates as the park’s visitors’ center.
Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf
Just a few blocks from the water is the place you go for fun for the entire family. Take the kids to Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf, a putt-putt golf course that has waterfalls, a pirate-themed décor, and wholesome family entertainment. It was awarded the “Best in the Metro” award for miniature golf in Hot Springs and is open from mid-February through Thanksgiving.
Various Parks
If you don’t own property around Lake Hamilton but want to spend time in or around the lake itself, then you can find four parks that are open for public use: Carpenter Dam Park, Hill Wheatley Park, Hinsley Family Park, and Entergy Park.
The Carpenter Dam Park covers 15 acres on the east end of Lake Hamilton and offers picnic tables, restrooms, and a boat ram. On the northern tip of Lake Hamilton is Hill Wheatley park, known for its swim beach, a boat ramp with docks, grills, restrooms, plenty of picnic tables, and a one-mile nature trail.
Hinsley Park doesn’t have lake access but does have a five-acre open area for various family activities. It is located on the north side of Lake Hamilton. On the eastern shore of Lake Hamilton is Entergy Park, covering 30 acres of gorgeous land. It has several picnic tables and pavilions, as well as two playgrounds. It also has a fishing pond, fishing piers, and several nature trails.
