Best for
Families, couples, first-time visitors, cabin guests, scenic-drive days, and anyone wanting outdoor time without a long hike.
Hot Springs scenic drive
Hot Springs Mountain Tower and the Zig-Zag Mountains
The tower gets most of the attention, but the winding road, old stone walls, wooded picnic stops, short walks, and broad view over town are what make this little mountain trip worth taking slowly.
Plan for
About one to three hours, depending on whether you picnic, walk a trail, stop at the Pagoda, or go up the tower.
Bring
Water, comfortable shoes, a simple picnic, and a little patience for the narrow curves and slower mountain road.
Check first
Tower admission and hours, current park road conditions, weather, and whether grills are available for use that day.
Just above downtown
Hot Springs changes quickly once the road starts climbing.
A lot of Hot Springs visits stay close to Central Avenue. You walk Bathhouse Row, stop in a shop, find lunch, and spend the day around the old downtown blocks. That is a good trip, but there is another side of the city sitting right above it.
Hot Springs Mountain Drive winds into the trees through a series of bends, stone retaining walls, rocky slopes, and shaded pull-offs. It is not a long backcountry road. You are still close to downtown. But the woods close in fast enough that it feels like you have stepped away from the city for a while.
That quick switch is part of what makes Hot Springs National Park unusual. You can spend the morning using our Bathhouse Row guide, then be on a quiet mountain road a few minutes later.
The road is part of it
Do not treat the drive like something to get through.
The curves, old stonework, trees, and small stops are what turn a tower visit into a real mountain outing. Pull over only where it is allowed, give other drivers room, and let the road set the pace.
Take the road slowly
The stone walls, wooded turns, exposed rock, and tight curves are part of the outing. Use the marked pull-offs instead of trying to rush straight to the top.
Pack a simple lunch
The wooded picnic area has tables and grills scattered beneath the trees. It is an easy place to turn a tower visit into a slower outdoor afternoon.
Leave room for a short walk
Trail signs and access points around Hot Springs and North mountains make it easy to add a little walking without committing to an all-day hike.
Stop and stay awhile
The picnic area is simple, shaded, and easy to use.
One of the nicest parts of the drive is that you do not need a big plan. There are picnic tables and grills tucked beneath the pines and hardwoods, with enough room to eat, sit for a while, and let the kids stretch their legs.
Bring sandwiches, drinks, or something simple for the grill if current rules and fire conditions allow it. Pack out what you bring in. This is not a polished resort picnic lawn, and it does not need to be. It feels like an older Arkansas park stop in the best way.
Families looking for more low-cost ideas can also use our guide to free things to do in Hot Springs. The mountain drive fits easily into that kind of day even if you decide not to buy a tower ticket.
A practical note
The mountain has steps, roots, loose rock, slopes, and traffic close to some stopping areas. Comfortable shoes and a little attention go a long way, especially with children or older family members.
Why the ridges zig and zag
The Zig-Zag Mountains are more than a name on a sign.
An interpretive panel near the picnic area explains how this part of the Ouachita Mountains was folded and pushed into a complicated set of ridges. From the air, those ridges do not run in one clean line. They bend back and forth across the landscape.
That is where the Zig-Zag name comes from. Once you stop and look at the map, the tight road curves, exposed rock, and rolling ridges around Hot Springs start making more sense.
You do not need a geology lesson to enjoy the mountain, but the sign gives the drive a little more context without turning the stop into a history lecture.
Pagoda and trail access
You can keep the outing easy or add a little walking.
The white Pagoda with its red tile roof is one of the mountain’s most recognizable smaller stops. It sits above the road and is reached by steps, with stone walls and woods surrounding it.
Nearby trail information covers routes around Hot Springs and North mountains. Some visitors come ready for a longer hike. Others walk a short section, look around, and return to the car. Both are perfectly good ways to use the mountain.
Our broader Explore Hot Springs guide can help you connect this stop with the national park, downtown, Lake Hamilton, and other outdoor places around town.
The view at the top
This is where the whole Hot Springs landscape opens up.
From the higher overlooks and the tower, the view stretches across the city and into layer after layer of green Ouachita ridges. Roads and buildings sit below, but the mountains still shape the whole scene.
Clear weather gives you the longest view. Cloudy days can be just as interesting. Dark summer clouds, strips of sunlight, and a little haze over the hills make the overlook feel less like a postcard and more like the Arkansas weather we actually get.
The tower is a separate paid attraction, and its hours can change by season or weather. Check directly before building your day around going up. Even when you skip the tower, the drive and nearby park stops still make the trip worthwhile.
When to go
Morning is cooler. Late afternoon has the softer view.
Summer shade helps, but Hot Springs humidity still follows you up the mountain. Spring is green, fall brings color, and winter can open longer views through the trees. Weather and road conditions can change, so check before heading up after storms or freezing weather.
Morning
Better for warmer months, quieter picnic stops, and families who want to return downtown for lunch.
Late afternoon
Good for softer light across the ridges, but make sure the tower and road schedule still fit your plan.
After rain
The woods look fresh, but rocks, steps, and trails can be slick. Drive slowly and use extra care on foot.
More from the mountain
A closer look at the road, woods, rock, and picnic stops.
These are the smaller details people miss when the tower is the only thing on the plan.
Make it part of a Hot Springs day
Mountain in the morning, downtown when you come back down.
The easiest plan is to start on the mountain while the day is cooler, bring a small picnic or snack, and return to Central Avenue afterward. That leaves time for the bathhouses, shops, coffee, museums, and a local meal.
You can also reverse it. Walk downtown first, use our guide to restaurants in Hot Springs, then make the mountain your slower afternoon stop.
Visitors staying a few nights can use the mountain between lake days, spa appointments, or family attractions. Our guides to Hot Springs hotels and cabins and stays can help finish the rest of the trip.
A simple half-day plan
1.Drive up slowly and use the marked pull-offs.
2.Stop at the picnic area and read the Zig-Zag Mountains sign.
3.Walk to the Pagoda or take a short trail section.
4.Visit the tower if current hours and admission fit your day.
5.Return downtown for food, shops, Bathhouse Row, or the Grand Promenade.
Keep planning
Use the mountain as one piece of the day, not the whole checklist.
Things to Do in Hot Springs
Build the mountain drive into a full Hot Springs weekend with downtown, lake, spa, history, and family stops.
Open guide →Bathhouse Row Visitor Guide
Pair the mountain with the bathhouses, thermal water, Grand Promenade, shops, and restaurants below.
Open guide →Hot Springs Restaurant Guide
Find breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, barbecue, pizza, lakefront meals, and downtown places to eat.
Open guide →Hotels in Hot Springs
Compare downtown hotels, Lake Hamilton stays, Oaklawn-area lodging, and other options around town.
Open guide →Frequently asked questions
Hot Springs Mountain Tower and scenic drive FAQs
Can you drive to Hot Springs Mountain Tower?
Yes. A winding mountain road climbs from the downtown side of Hot Springs National Park toward the picnic area, Pagoda, trail access, and Hot Springs Mountain Tower.
Do you have to buy a tower ticket to enjoy the mountain drive?
No. You can enjoy the scenic road, wooded park areas, picnic stops, and available overlooks without going up the tower. The tower is a separate paid attraction.
Are there picnic tables and grills on Hot Springs Mountain?
Yes, the mountain picnic area includes tables and grills beneath the trees. Check current park rules and fire conditions before planning to cook.
What are the Zig-Zag Mountains?
They are part of the folded Ouachita Mountain landscape around Hot Springs. An interpretive sign on the mountain shows how the ridges bend and appear to zig and zag when seen from above.
Is the Hot Springs Mountain drive good for families?
Yes. Families can enjoy the road, picnic area, Pagoda, tower, and short walks without taking a difficult hike. Keep children close around roads, steps, rocks, and steep slopes.
Take your time going up
The Hot Springs Mountain Tower scenic drive is better when the road, woods, and stops get as much time as the view.
Drive slowly, stop where parking is provided, read the mountain signs, sit beneath the trees, and give yourself enough time that the tower is not just another quick photo stop above town.