Hot Springs National Park
A place where an entire hot-spring town, with hot water rising from the ground, became a national park.
Hot Springs National Park is in the state of Arkansas in the southern United States. Just as its name suggests, it is a place where “hot springs” rise up from within the earth on their own, and it is a special place that people have visited since long ago to soak their bodies in this warm water. With hot springs in the very middle of a city, it is also a rare national park where nature and town blend into one.
The reverse of the coin depicts the park’s headquarters building and a hot-spring fountain in front of it. A well-built structure and a fountain from which water spouts before it are placed side by side, showing at a glance what kind of place this is.
The water flowing from the fountain is not just ordinary water but warm spring water that has risen after being heated deep within the earth. People believed this water was good for the body and cherished it for a long time, and so the nation stepped forward to protect this gift of nature.
Hot Springs is one of the earliest natural landmarks in the United States to be protected, having come under federal protection on April 20, 1832. In other words, the idea of “let us leave this place for everyone” existed long before the national park system took hold.
This quarter series, called “America the Beautiful,” captures the nature and landmarks across America on coins. When you hold the Hot Springs coin in your hand, you come to meet, within a small circle, the wondrous scene of warm water rising from the ground.