We knew we wanted to plan a trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas. It has been on our bucket list for a while, and it would offer unlimited opportunities for our Outdoor Summer Nature Challenge. When the opportunity presented itself to check out Catherine’s Landing resort, we jumped at the chance for an easy 4th of July weekend getaway for my family! I am sharing our itinerary below to inspire you as you plan a trip to Hot Springs Arkansas.

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Plan a Trip to Hot Springs Using the Roadtrippers App

The city of Hot Springs is only 4 hours from North Texas, 3 hours from Shreveport, and a little over an hour from Little Rock. It is in the heart of the United States and is home to Ouachita National Forest. Even though this weekend get-a-way was close to our DFW home, I still used my Roadtrippers app to plan it. In fact, every trip I plan, I plug my route into the Roadtrippers app.

I am not normally a paid app kind of girl, but I loved this one so much and it was only $30 for the entire year! What makes the app unique is all the different points of interest that can be turn on along a route. Users can toggle on and off the following categories: hotels, things to do, camping and RV, outdoor, points of interest, and amusement and nightlife. Each one of those categories also contains several subcategories. Additionally, the app calculates the trip’s estimated gas expense and has some built in tours for road trip inspiration.

Trip Planning App Discount

If you would like to check out the Roadtrippers app at a discount, use this link and plugin this coupon code: BTR5QTP to get $5 off!

Alternate Transportation

No interested in driving yourself? Consider a bus ticket. Check out Wanderu to explore your options.

Plan a Trip to Hot Springs Arkansas Day 1- Settle in and Get to Know Your Resort

Catherine’s Landing RV, Yurts, and Cottages Resort

We stayed in a lovely cottage at Catherine’s Landing Resort on Lake Catherine. As we approached the resort, we were greeted by towers of green. The hills of the Ouachita River Valley envelop the immaculate property. The front desk staff that checked us in were friendly and knowledgeable. Note: checking in at the office is unnecessary as they are offering contactless check in through the late check-in booth. Our cottage number, keys, and map were already laid out for us before the scheduled 4:00 PM check-in time.

The property offers large pull-through RV sites, tent sites, yurts, and cottages. We opted for a 4–6-person cottage instead of bringing our RV on this trip. This freed up our truck to pull the boat! The resort is right on Lake Catherine and very close to the 800-acre Lake Hamilton.

The cottage did not disappoint with a living area, kitchen, bedroom, loft, and one bathroom. There is so much to do at the resort that my kids could have been entertained for the entire trip without ever leaving.

On day one, we unpacked and then made a trip to Walmart (less than 15 minutes away) to stock up on groceries for the long weekend. As soon as we got back, the kids hoped on their bikes, and we scoped out our new home for the week which included a pool, splash pad, zip lining, a ropes course, disk golf course, boat ramp and slips, catch and release pond, golf cart rentals, workout room, free popcorn, and yard games for check out in the gift shop.

Plan a Trip to Hot Springs Arkansas Day 2- Remote Work, Hiking, Swimming, and Mini Golf

My husband works for a few hours a day when we travel. While we played, he set up in the conference room. The WIFI was incredible with a faster speed than we get in our own home. The WIFI in our cottage was basically nonexistent in the back of the park, but no complaints from hubby once he discovered the comfortable conference room.

The rest of us woke up excited to enjoy all Catherine’s Landing had to offer. We started the day by getting our steps in on one of their scenic hiking trails. Our hike took us past their Zipline Adventure. It looked fun, but we opted out since my youngest was not old enough. The minimum age is eight years old. To cool off from the hike, we swam in the pool and played in the splash pad.

Video Review of Catherine’s Landing

Pirate’s Cove Golf Adventure

That evening we headed over to Pirate’s Cove Adventure for a game of mini golf. They have two courses visitors can play. The more difficult one takes you through the pirate ship and the easier course takes you through a cave. The same cave where my daughter scored her hole in one!

This attraction is a staple in Hot Springs and the best mini golf course that I have ever played with an entertaining pirate theme throughout, unique hole designs, and numerous photo opportunities. When we could not finish the second course before we had to leave, they offered us a rain check with no questions asked. Upon exiting, each child was given a goody bag that contained an eye patch, ring, tattoo, pencil, notepad, and a scratch off. We even won a free game from one of the scratch offs! If you’ve tried mini golf before and didn’t love it, give Pirate’s Cove a chance. My husband even had a great time, and we can rarely get him on a mini golf course.

Plan a Trip to Hot Springs Arkansas Day 3-Outdoor Fun, Ice Cream, and Escape Room

Lake Catherine

It was finally time to put the boat in the water! Lake Catherine was like 11 miles of coasting on glass. The smoothest body of water I have experienced surrounded by incredible views of the hills of the river valley making us regret leaving the wake boards at home. We boated by Lake Catherine State Park and took note of the swim beach, cottages, and RV sites available there. Unfortunately, our outing was cut short due to boat mechanical issues. Thankfully, my twenty-two-year-old son was with us and swam our boat back to the dock. In case you are wondering, Lake Catherine is cold. Just ask him. 

Frisbee Golf

Our family got obsessed with frisbee golf during this vacation. Catherine’s Landing has an excellent course, and we could not get enough of the friendly competition coupled with great exercise. Afterwards, we once again took advantage of the pristine swimming pool to cool off.

Robo World

That evening it was time to hit the town once again. This time curiosity got the best of us, and we just had to try out the newly opened Robo World, a coffee, waffle, and ice cream shop run by robots! My order of waffles with vanilla ice cream, whip cream, and caramel syrup was delicious! Others in our party ordered shakes, cones, and Frappuccinos. Everyone loved their treats, and the sassy robots gave us all a few giggles. It turned out to be a great place to satisfy our sweet tooth.

A Narrow Escape

Across Central Avenue from Robo World is a terrific shopping center. On the second floor is the escape room center, A Narrow Escape. They have six games to choose from with varying levels of difficulty. We had a large group of eight people and chose the larger “Murder at Silver City” room. After competing all day at frisbee golf, this collaborative game was a welcomed challenge for my family. Without giving away too much, I’ll say our favorite moment was when my daughter caught a pair of granny panties in mid-air that shot out from the ceiling. Obviously, we had a blast and even escaped with 15 minutes to spare!

Cook Out

What’s camping without a cookout. All the activities of the day helped us work up a healthy appetite. Everyone pitched in to grill steaks for fajitas and we made a S’mores variation for dessert.

Plan a Trip to Hot Springs Arkansas Day 4- Museums, Murals, and Bathhouses

Spa City Bathhouse Row

When planning a trip to Hot Springs some form of bathhouse experience is a must to add to your itinerary. Below is a list of the more popular early1900s historic bathhouses and what you can expect from each:

The Fordyce Bathhouse

The Fordyce Bathhouse serves as a visitor center and a free bathhouse museum. It provides a glimpse of its state in 1915 and demonstrates the medicinal purposes of the thermal baths.

Quapaw Baths and Buckstaff Bathhouse

These bathhouses are now full functioning spas. If desired, visitors can experience the traditional bathhouse experience in mineral water. We chose to visit the Quapaw to simply relax in public pools filled with the thermal waters of the hot springs.

The Maurice

This historic building is currently vacant, but be sure to take a walk around back. Behind the building there is a display spring. Here you can use your phone to hear the National Park Services audio tour of the marker and touch the 140-degree natural hot springs. Continue your walk to the Grand Promenade in Hot Springs National Park.

Superior Bathhouse Brewery

This bathhouse has been converted to a brewery and distillery that uses the thermal springs water for brewing their unique craft beers. It is the only brewery in a National Park! The 20 somethings in our group enjoyed a brew after the escape room on Day 3.

Hotel Hale

This historic bathhouse is now a fully functioning hotel and restaurant complete with hot springs water soaking tubs in every room.

Hot Springs Murals

After soaking in the thermal waters, we took a stroll in the downtown area to admire the city’s mural and photo opportunities. There are a dozen murals in Hot Springs, AR that would make for a fun photo scavenger hunt. Our favorite is the one that turns any visitor into a beautiful blue butterfly.

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The Galaxy Connection Museum

Have you ever wanted to sit in an X-wing fighter, hold a movie grade lightsaber, or even relive your 80’s childhood? There is a hidden gem in Hot Springs where you can do just that. The Galaxy Connection was our final adventure during our trip and boy was it an epic adventure. We really did not know what we were getting into when we booked this 80’s nostalgia museum tour.

80’s Lifestyle

We first walked into what looked like a small store selling vintage toys. Next, they lead us to a room filled with vintage video and arcade games. The VIP tour includes free play time on these games. The next room was decorated in true early 80’s living room style and covered wall to wall with artifacts from the era. We took some pics and awed at the favorite things from our childhood. Then the tour continued. Every time we thought we had seen it all, a door would open to an even bigger room with even more toys and memorabilia. They have preserved and restored Barbie dolls, Cabbage Patch Kids, He-Man, G.I. Joe, Care Bear to name a few. However, the largest collection and biggest draw to their museum is the massive amount of Star Wars memorabilia.

VIP Treatment

The collection is jaw dropping, but what really makes it special are the stories behind the toys that you get with the VIP tour. The owner, Jon Clowers (who looks remarkably close to Superman and was born the same year Star Wars a New Hope was released in theatres), is a Star Wars trivia genius. It seemed like every piece in his massive museum had an entertaining story attached to it relating to how he acquired it, the rarity of the piece, or a little know mystery about the making of the Star Wars films. 

The Ministry

One of the best things about this place is that it is a nonprofit. They exist to bring hope and smiles to people in need! They offer free tours for people who are terminally ill, special needs, or handicap in some way. As an extension of the museum, volunteers put on the costumes and attend fund raisers that support charities such as Make a Wish, Project Zero Adoption Organization, local parades, hospital visits, nursing homes, St. Jude, and Heroes and Angels. After spending just two hours with Jon and his sons, it was clear that the Galaxy Connection was not a business, but a ministry. I highly suggest booking a tour. You will leave inspired and hopeful that change is possibly even in the darkest hours.

Plan a Trip to Hot Springs Arkansas with These Other Ideas

The town of Hot Springs, Arkansas is the perfect place if you are looking to entertain multiple age groups. If you are looking for additional activities other than what I outlined above from our trip consider:

The Gangster Museum of America

Magic Springs Amusement and Water Park

Garvan Woodland Gardens

Hot Springs Mountain Tower at Hot Spring U.S. National Park

Mid-America Science Museum

Horseback riding at Bar Fifty Guest Ranch, Brady Mountain Stables, or Arkansas Riding Stables

Lake Catherine and Lake Ouachita (in the Ouachita Mountains) State Parks

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Plan a Trip to Hot Springs: Travel Insurance

Travel insurance can be beneficial on any trip 100 miles or more from home – even on road trips. If you must cut your trip short, travel insurance can help you receive reimbursement for non-refundable prepaid trip expenses, like campground reservations. Some plans even cover RV rental expenses or closed attractions. With plans from 10 different providers, Travel Insurance Masters can help you find the right coverage you are looking for!