Is Hot Springs Safe? Crime Rates & Safety Report

The “City of Spas” awaits in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

If you think this is just a wooded area with a bunch of open ponds of hot water, you couldn’t be farther away from the amazing reality of what Hot Springs really is.

The waters of the hot springs have been said to be therapeutic for centuries.

Some might even call it sacred.

You can even fill up jugs and drink right from the source with no additional water treatment.

(I’m a little wary of that, but the National Park Service encourages you to drink.)

I’m sorry, you don’t drink it, you “Quaff the elixir.”

That’s the famous saying in Hot Springs.

To make sure we’re following along with the wording in this article, there are a lot of references to Hot Springs.

• Hot Springs: City in Arkansas with a population of nearly 38,000 people
• Hot Springs National Park: The smallest national park in the country located in the city of Hot Springs
• Hot springs: The actual springs that spout hot water

The national park here isn’t much like you’ve seen in other natural parks.

Part of the city area is actual park territory, like the famous Bathhouse Row with historic bathhouses and two that are currently available for soaking in tubs.

Hot springs aren’t the only hot thing in Hot Springs.

There’s a casino that also includes live horse racing dating back to 1905.

There’s a resort on-site with a spa as well.

There’s also a theme park and water park here.

The south side of the city is surrounded by a river that opens to a lake with plenty of water activities.

It’s no wonder nearly 1.5 million people visit this awesome location every year.

You won’t believe some of the history hidden in these hills.

Hot Springs is said to be the real origin of Major League Baseball Spring Training.

There’s a mob history here so deep they built The Gangster Museum of America here.

This city was one of Al Capone’s favorite places to relax from a hard day’s work in organized crime.

You’re going to need a couple of days to explore everything Hot Springs has to offer.

There are plenty of spaces for recreational vehicles near all the attractions as well.

Warnings & Dangers in Hot Springs

OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM

Hot Spring is rated as one of the Top 50 Most Dangerous Cities in America. Those ratings come based on the FBI crime data that is organized after local police submit their data. When you look at the number of crimes vs the population, the crime numbers are incredibly high. When you consider the 1.5 visitors each year, the numbers go down. We will give this a medium risk because there are concerning crime rates that impact tourists.

TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW

You'll use Intracity Transit to get around town on the public bus system. Taxis and rideshares are available. The park area is very walkable with a lot of activities in one central spot, but there are other attractions outside the park area worth visiting too, so having a car would be ideal, so you can move at your own pace.

PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW

There's a low risk of being pickpocketed, as just one was reported in 2020. That struck me as odd, so I did some digging. The crime reports showed a category of theft called "All Other" and there were 994 thefts in that area. How does it impact you? The crimes in the "other" category include items stolen from recreational vehicles, tents, and boats. This is a 1 in 37 risk. Be very careful here with things you leave near an RV or campsite.

NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM

The historic severe storm of April 2011 hit Hot Springs. The EF-3 caused a lot of destruction and took the life of an 8-month-old baby. You have to take the severe weather season seriously here. There's a high risk during spring and medium risk the rest of the year. Ice storms in the winter can cause a crippling effect on transportation of any kind. Flash flooding is another concern. Be weather aware in this beautiful area as the weather is one of the ugly sides of this location.

MUGGING RISK: LOW

Seven robberies happened in public in 2020, which isn't very high, but it's also a good reminder to keep valuables at home and don't carry a lot of cash. If you are confronted, don't fight back. It's not worth risking your life for a purse or backpack.

TERRORISM RISK: LOW

There's a low risk of terrorism here. While it's a big tourist destination, nothing about it makes it a hard target for terrorists.

SCAMS RISK: LOW

I would think there would be more scams in a busy tourist area, but there aren't any being reported now or recently. The majority of scams are calls claiming to be a police officer and demanding money or you'll be arrested, but those impact locals. There's a low risk, but don't let your guard down. If something seems too good to be true, it always is.

WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW

Women flock here for the spas and girlfriend getaways and are catered to, so there's a low risk of anything happening to a woman that couldn't impact a man. There were 39 rapes reported in 2020, so be sure to travel in groups. Don't drink too much if you can't make good decisions, and don't ever take a drink you didn't see opened or poured.

TAP WATER RISK: LOW

Considering you can drink the water right out of the ground here, there's a low risk in the water. To be sure, I checked the 2020 Water Quality Report and, sure enough, it meets or exceeds all standards of the state and EPA and has no violations.

Safest Places to Visit in Hot Springs

Half of Hot Springs National Park is actually in town and the other half is wilderness.

Bathhouse Row is a great place to start.

You’ve got a line of former bathhouses restored to glory.

Only Buckstaff Bathhouse and Quapaw Bathhouse offer the traditional services of bathhouses.

This isn’t like a Turkish bath with everyone in the same room.

These are private and luxurious tubs providing relaxation from the hot springs and a variety of add-ons, like a massage.

Every bathhouse on the street offers some kind of tour or attraction.

The hotel rooms are still supplied with hot spring water and just about every room has a soaking tub.

The Hot Springs Mountain Tower has two observation decks, and the one at the top gives a look 1300 feet above sea level and the views span 140 miles on a clear day.

You can walk or take an elevator to both decks.

The Gangster Museum of America is in the Bathhouse Row area.

This shows how organized crime ran much of this city for almost 40 years.

It’s also the place “Lucky” Luciano thought would be a great hiding spot until he was arrested by federal agents.

It’s fascinating to see how a small town in Arkansas brought in some of the biggest New York gangsters ever.

Garvan Woodlands Gardens is said to be one of the best spots in the city for an easy walk through incredible foliage and flowers.

This area is dog-friendly too.

You’ve got Lake Ouachita (“wah-chi-TAWH”) and Lake Catherine for boating, fishing, sunning and hiking as well to get away from some of the Hot Springs Park crowds.

Oaklawn Resort has horse racing, slots, table games, a spa, and a large hotel.

You can purchase seats for the racing shows online and there’s an Oaklawn Anywhere app if you want to learn more ahead of time or maybe make some bets (if it’s legal in your area).

There’s just really so much more to do than I could write in this article.

There’s an alligator petting farm, the Mid-America Science Museum, Magic Springs Amusement and Water Park, and plenty of golf options.

Places to Avoid in Hot Springs

Unfortunately, the highest crime reports are in the most popular tourist places.

That also makes sense because there are more people in those areas.

Crime maps show the southeast section of the city is safer, but it’s also where there are a lot of neighborhoods.

In a place with so much to see and do, you just need to avoid letting down your guard.

You need to practice the same safety steps you’d take in Disney World or New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

You should avoid going into the wilderness if severe weather is possible on any given day.

Storms can brew quickly here.

Even in the 2011 storm, one woman said she’d been through tornadoes before, but never saw one pop up that quickly.

Avoid going into the wilderness unprepared.

You’ll need good hiking boots, bug spray, sunscreen, a walking stick, and a fully charged phone.

Don’t touch the plants along the way unless you are 100% sure what poison ivy and poison oak look like.

Those dangerous plants can be thick in these hiking areas from spring through fall.

Safety Tips for Traveling to Hot Springs

So... How Safe Is Hot Springs Really?

I get why the “numbers” experts say this is one of the most dangerous cities in the country.

Looking at the numbers, it’s clear to see ratings double and triple the national averages.

My only beef with that is it doesn’t take into account the 100,000 or so people who might visit each month, which would take the crime ratings down.

For example, as the numbers stand, you have a 1 in 26 chance of being a theft victim.

I don’t like those odds.

I don’t know if I would want to go to a place like that.

HOWEVER – let’s add in the tourists.

Then it goes down to a 1 in 113 chance.

The Violent Crime rate, as it stands, is that you have a 1 in 130 chance of being a victim of a violent crime.

That’s nearly double the national average.

Now I’m going to add in the tourists.

You now have a 1 in 565 chance of being a victim.

Another thing we need to talk about is the opioid epidemic in Arkansas.

This is a trend sweeping America.

I looked at the drug numbers of Hot Springs and there was a 1273% increase in prescription drugs seized.

Drug dealers are selling prescription drugs that might look like your Xanax pill, but that same illegal pill might have 2 mg of Fentanyl in it, which is enough to kill you.

Illegal prescription drugs are killing Americans.

Don’t take any pills that don’t come from a legit pharmacy.

How Does Hot Springs Compare?

Useful Information

Visas

You won't have to go through Visa processing in Hot Spring as it's handled at the airport. You'll need an ID to drink, rent boats, and gamble.

Currency

You'll use the U.S. Dollar here. The casinos take credit cards for the spa, hotel, and dining, but you'll need cash to play the machines or try the table games. Don't carry around a lot of cash with you, and if you can avoid using the casino ATMs, that's ideal. Those machines have very high per-use fees.

Weather

You've got to be wary of severe weather in the spring, but tornadoes can also happen in the summer or fall. Early winter is the secondary severe storm season because of all the hot and cold air bumping around in the atmosphere. Winter can also bring ice storms to this area, and with hilly roads surrounding the town, travel will be halted. There's just no safe way to drive on ice.

Airports

The option that makes the most sense is the Little Rock Airport, which is about an hour east. The Memphis Airport would be a three-hour drive, which isn't too bad, either.

Travel Insurance

The weather here is dangerous and unpredictable at times, so get travel insurance on your trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Hot Springs Weather Averages (Temperatures)

Average High/Low Temperature

Arkansas - Safety by City