Trails of Hot Springs Village

Hot Springs Village is a great place to visit and a better place to call home. Nowhere else will you find the diversity of lifestyles offered here. Live on the lake, in a mountain-top estate, or on a golf course! Purchase your perfect home or build a custom one in Hot Springs Village (link to contact page).

Enjoy the benefits of living in North America’s largest gated community including security, affordable cost of living, low property taxes, mild climate, and more.

30+ Miles of Nature Trails

Experience the natural beauty of Hot Springs Village on more than 30 miles of trails. You can walk, ride, run, or even drive a golf cart along paths that have been designed to showcase the Village’s flora and fauna, lakes, and mountains. No matter your activity level, there’s a trail that’s right for you. So, put on your walking shoes and get moving.

Cycling

Whether on the Village nature trails, Arkansas’ mountain trails, or secluded scenic roads, cycling is one of the best ways to get outdoors and see the beauty of Arkansas. Explore routes of varying degrees and difficulty like the challenging hills of the Epic Womble Trail, Cedar Glades Mountain Bike Park in Hot Springs, or simply pedal across Arkansas on rural roads that take you from one historic town to the next.

Cyclists also enjoy the pedestrian-bicycle bridge in Little Rock linking 14 miles of the Arkansas River Trail and 11 miles of Little Rock’s first pro-built, urban mountain bike trail.

Geocaching

Love to geocache? Get the GPS coordinates for Hot Springs Village online at geocaching.com.

Geocaching is a popular modern-day treasure hunt combining nature and technology. The location of each geocache (hidden treasure) is marked with Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates. Geocachers use hand-held GPS devices to hunt for partially hidden containers.

Local Trails

DESOTO NATURE & SPILLWAY TRAILS 

The DeSoto Nature Trail is a natural surface, single track trail with a bench overlook. This moderate endurance walking trail does have some narrow and steep areas. The trailhead is near DeSoto Dog Park with parking available in the Lawn Bowling & Dog Park area. 1.2 miles. Trail Rating: Moderate

The DeSoto Spillway Trail follows the Desoto Spillway on the south side from DeSoto Park Lane to Lake DeSoto Spillway and is a gravel surface loop with some rocky and uneven terrain. The trailhead is near DeSoto Dog Park with parking available in the Lawn Bowling & Dog Park area. .77 miles. Trail Rating: Moderate 

DESOTO TRAIL 

The DeSoto Trail is mostly asphalt surface and has a variety of challenges with a few uphill climbs. Extend your walk, run or ride by crossing Calella Road onto the Waypoint Trail. DeSoto Trail parking is available at the main lakeside trailhead on Calella Road and Waypoint Trail. 3.4 miles. Trail Rating: Moderate 

WAYPOINT TRAIL 

Listen to nature as you walk along Lake DeSoto on the Waypoint Trail. And be sure to stop in for a fresh cup of coffee or a sandwich at Waypoint Marina. .7 miles. Trail Rating: Easy

MAGELLAN BEAVER DAM 

Built by the HSV Audubon Society, Magellan Beaver Dam is a wetland nature trail with packed-gravel level surfaces and an abundance of wildlife. It’s a great trail for bird watching with signage to help identify species and a bird blind overlooking swamp land. The path is located below Balboa Dam off Cloaca Rd near the Animal Shelter beginning just south of he boat storage. Trailhead parking is available adjacent to Cloaca Rd. .6miles. Trail Rating: Easy

BALBOA TRAIL

The Balboa Trail is the most open trail in the Village, great for bird watching. The upper embankment benches offer a relaxing view of Lake Balboa. The trail is located on and behind the embankment connecting Lake Balboa primary and secondary spillways and connects Balboa Beach to Hernando Trail at DeSoto Boulevard and Ponce de Leon Drive. Trailhead parking access is located off Ponce de Leon Drive. 2.1 miles. Trail Rating: Moderate/Easy

CEDAR CREEK TRAIL 

The Cedar Creek Trail is one of the most beautiful trails in the Village offering wildflowers, bird watching, creek-view benches, bridges and four paths: The Bluebird Path, the Mourning Dove Path, the Kingfisher Path, and the Cardinal Path. Two trailhead parking areas are available on Minorca Road. 3.1 miles. Trail Rating: Easy

CORONADO BOAT RAMP TRAIL

The Coronado Boat Ramp Trail, located at the Coronado Boat Ramp off Murillo Way, borders Lake Coronado and offers fishing, benches, bird watching, handicapped accessibility, and a paved path to Anglers Island. Trailhead parking is available at the Coronado Boat Ramp. .35 miles. Trail Rating: Easy

HERNANDO WEST & EAST TRAILS

Favored by cyclists, the Hernando Trail is the longest, multipurpose, packed-gravel trail in Hot Springs Village running parallel to DeSoto Boulevard from Ponce de Leon Dr to DeSoto Park Lane. is trail fluctuates between level sections and challenging hills especially near Minorca Rd. Bike, cart, or walk to Grove Park to enjoy events like Green Market (farmers’ market), Artisan Markets, Rock Porch Music Sessions, or Rhythm Jams. Mileage markers run from east to west. Various parking options include the east-end trailhead near Ponce de Leon Dr, the Ponce de Leon Center/Woodlands Auditorium lot, Danville Road trailhead, the medical clinic at Cortez Rd., and the DeSoto Dog Park/Lawn Bowling parking lot. 8.6 miles. Trail Rating: Difficult Overall/Moderate Sections

CORONADO FITNESS TRAIL

The Coronado Fitness Trail is a new, winding trail that connects the Coronado Fitness Center and the Coronado RV Park along the Lake Pineda Spillway flowing into Lake Coronado. Trailhead parking areas are available at the Fitness Center. 1 mile. Trail Rating: Easy

JOHN & MILDRED COOPER PRESERVE TRAIL

Owned by the Nature Conservancy, the preserve is located off Rocoso Drive on a gravel access road. Signage is located at the entrance. There are three trails within the preserve: Saline River, Piney Woods, and Cooper. Preserve trails are all-natural surfaced paths. Parking is available for all preserve trails on the left along the access road. Trail Rating: Beginner – Intermediate

Saline River Trail – 1.8 miles 

Saline River (1.8 Mile One Way) – This Cooper Preserve trail encompasses beautiful views of the middle fork of the Saline River. The trail can be accessed at the end of the access road or by taking the Piney Woods Loop and making a left at the fork and follow the trail signs.

Piney Woods Trail – 1 mile loop 

This Cooper Preserve trail offers a shaded walk with some hilly sections. This is a great section for wildlife viewing. The trail head is located directly at the preserve parking area.

Cooper Trail – 1 mile loop 

Cooper Preserve trail has both wooded and river views. The trail head is located on the right of the access road past the parking area.

Herradura Trail – 0.4 mile

This is a short trail is Herradura Subdivision.

Sonara-Emperado-Calella Multipurpose Trail – 0.4 mile

This hilly, asphalt-surfaced path takes you along the north side of DeSoto Boulevard from the DeSoto Family Recreation Area across Sonora and Emperado Way to Calella Road at the DeSoto Center.

Santa Maria Cart/Bicycle Lane – 1.3 miles

This asphalt-surfaced lane is on the south shoulder of Santa Maria Road and connects to the Barcelona Cart/ Bicycle Lane and the DeSoto Multipurpose Trail. It provides for golf cart travel to DeSoto or Cortez Golf
Courses.

Barcelona Cart/Bicycle Lane – 1.2 miles

This asphalt-surfaced lane is on the north shoulder of Barcelona Road and the east shoulder of Cortez Road from Santa Maria to Doscientos Way. It provides for golf cart travel to the Cortez Golf Course.

Carmona Cart/Bicycle Lane – 1.1 miles

This asphalt-surfaced lane is on the east side of Carmona Road from DeSoto Boulevard to Barcelona Road.

 Regional Trails

Northwoods Trail System: 26 Miles, Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced

Experience spectacular world-class mountain bike trails located only five minutes from downtown Hot Springs. The Northwest system includes Green, Blue, and Black single track, multi-track, flow trails, jump lines, and the Lucky 13 expert section. The Cedar Glades trailhead includes a bike skills park. Northwoods is home to the annual Gudrun MTB festival each November that attracts bikers, hikers, and trail runners.

Hot Springs Creek Greenway Trail: 2.5 Miles, Skill Level: Beginner

This trail features a river and is good for all skill levels. Visitors can walk, run, or ride near the heart of downtown Hot Springs on a dedicated off-road path which parallels Hot Springs Creek for most of its route. An asphalt trail connects the city’s downtown near a sculpture garden, farmers market, skatepark, and playing fields. The trail is also close to Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, one of the most famous thoroughbred racetracks in North America.

Hot Springs Creek Greenway Trail: 2.5 Miles, Skill Level: Beginner

This trail features a river and is good for all skill levels. Visitors can walk, run, or ride near the heart of downtown Hot Springs on a dedicated off-road path which parallels Hot Springs Creek for most of its route. An asphalt trail connects the city’s downtown near a sculpture garden, farmers market, skatepark, and playing fields. The trail is also close to Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, one of the most famous thoroughbred racetracks in North America.

Iron Mountain Trail: 24 Miles, Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Iron Mountain features some of the best-groomed mountain bike trails in the Natural State. Overall, the trails are fairly smooth with a limited infusion of short technical sections. The orange and blue loops are wide-open and wind along the hillsides on the shores of DeGray Lake. The newer green and yellow routes on the south side of Skyline Drive offer some exhilarating descents that make the somewhat strenuous climbs to get up top well worth the effort.

IMBA Epic Womble Trail: 33 Miles, Skill Level: Intermediate

Among trails, the Womble is considered the jewel of the Ouachita Mountains. The composition of Womble Trail is mostly loose rock, with occasional areas of hard-packed dirt. There are vast opportunities for climbing, and a few of the climbs are steep and sustained, especially as you get closer to the Ouachita Trail on the north half of the Womble. The downhills offer extreme thrills. There are small creek crossings that are easy to cross, and larger creeks with bridges, so they do not present overly-challenging obstacles. The Womble trail is also the key element of the annual Ouachita Challenge and Womble Classic Mountain Bike Race.

IMBA Epic Ouachita National Recreation Trail: 213.9 Miles, Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced

This 108-mile stretch between the Talimena Scenic Byway and the Scenic 7 Byway (north of Hot Springs, near Mena) is the longest biking trail in Arkansas. It is a hiking trail which allows mountain biking through remote sections of the Ouachita Mountains. There are rugged trail surfaces, and some are hike-a-bike, but also rideable climbs with some exhilarating downhill sections. Popular bike climbs on the trail include Big Brushy, Blowout Mountain, and Irons Fork. The trail also connects with the Womble Trail, another IMBA Epic. This area is used as part of the Ouachita Challenge Mountain Bike Race.

IMBA Epic Ouachita National Recreation Trail: 213.9 Miles, Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced

This 108-mile stretch between the Talimena Scenic Byway and the Scenic 7 Byway (north of Hot Springs, near Mena) is the longest biking trail in Arkansas. It is a hiking trail which allows mountain biking through remote sections of the Ouachita Mountains. There are rugged trail surfaces, and some are hike-a-bike, but also rideable climbs with some exhilarating downhill sections. Popular bike climbs on the trail include Big Brushy, Blowout Mountain, and Irons Fork. The trail also connects with the Womble Trail, another IMBA Epic. This area is used as part of the Ouachita Challenge Mountain Bike Race.

Caddo Bend Trail: 4 Miles, Skill Level: Intermediate

The trail is splashed with large boulder gardens, scenic views, and an observation deck that overlooks the lake at the end of the point. The trail originates near the park amphitheater and circles the entire peninsula back to the beginning. The first half of the trail is rocky, and the terrain is a series of up and down plateaus. The second half is smoother with some moderate inclines.

Cedar Glades Trail: 10 Miles, Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced

The Cedar Glades Park Loop is extremely fast with several technical descents. One long climb is filled with switchbacks, which are roughly 4% grade or more in some sections. The trail contains numerous creek crossings graced with plenty of rocks and moderate sized root systems. The last major climb is short, but it can be traversed quickly. Once at the top, the descent is extremely fast.

Cedar Glades Trail: 10 Miles, Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced

The Cedar Glades Park Loop is extremely fast with several technical descents. One long climb is filled with switchbacks, which are roughly 4% grade or more in some sections. The trail contains numerous creek crossings graced with plenty of rocks and moderate sized root systems. The last major climb is short, but it can be traversed quickly. Once at the top, the descent is extremely fast.

Dam Mountain Trail: 3.6 miles, Skill Level: Intermediate

The Dam Mountain Trail at Lake Catherine State Park (Hot Spring County, near Hot Springs) offers scenery of every kind. The trail has a thick forest, spectacular mountain top glades, deep valleys, crystal streams (including a waterfall), and of course, the lake. The Dam Mountain Trail takes visitors through all of these beautiful features for a diverse and beautiful hike with great views of the lake, streams, and Falls Creek Falls.

Hot Springs Creek Greenway Trail: 3.9 miles, Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate

Hot Springs Creek Greenway Trail is a scenic and spectacular trail located near Hot Springs National Park. The trail features a river and is good for all skill levels. The trail also offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.

Dead Chief Trail (Ortel Trail): 2.7 miles, Skill Level: Intermediate

This trail, located near Hot Springs National Park, offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. This route starts out steeply but quickly levels out for a pleasant journey. Along the way, visitors can enjoy meandering through the pine and hardwood forest while listening to warblers in the trees. The trail skirts the main ridge of Hot Springs Mountain, and the route is non-technical.

West Mountain Trail: 1.9 miles: Skill Level: Intermediate 

This trail has small gravel and packed dirt that make the trail a favorite for locals that like to do a bit of hiking. It’s an easy trail with a slight grade but with good trail coverings. There are a number of hollow den trees on the trail that give shelter to forest animals. Both sections of West Mountain Trail have gradual change in elevation. West Mountain Trail can be made into a loop by using Mountain Top Trail.