Memphis to Hot Springs AR drive: Distance, time & best stops

The distance by car from Memphis to Hot Springs AR is 188 miles, with a 2h51m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Memphis to Hot Springs drive are the Sultana Disaster Museum, Village Creek State Park and Little Rock.

Planning a Memphis to Hot Springs AR road trip itinerary

The Memphis to Hot Springs AR drive takes you from the home of Elvis to an Arkansas mountain resort town.

Memphis, Tennessee, is a pilgrimage site for Elvis fans. The King’s Graceland mansion is one of the top tourist sites in the US. But the cultural heritage extends beyond music, as you’ll discover on an African-American history tour.

Try the Rock and Soul Museum, plus the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and the 19^th century Woodruff-Fontaine House.

Ways of seeing the city include ghost walks, Downtown food tours and musical bus tours. There are also guided walks down music central, Beale Street, and city tours that take you inside the legendary Sun Studios.

Hot Springs in the Ouachita Mountains has loads to do. The natural highlight is Hot Springs National Park, which strings thermal springs together on a series of hiking trails. The historic bathhouses are also part of the national park.

There are also several amusement parks, of which Magic Springs is arguably the best as it has a water park.

Other Hot Springs experiences include zip line adventures and the Star Wars and superhero-obsessed Galaxy Connection.

For well-rated Hot Springs accommodation with charm, go for the Hilltop Manor B&B or the Gables Inn.

Memphis to Hot Springs AR distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Memphis to Hot Springs AR is 188 miles. You can expect a driving time of around two hours and 51 minutes.

The best stops to add to a Memphis to Hot Springs AR road trip itinerary are the Sultana Disaster Museum, Village Creek State Park and Little Rock.

Memphis to Hot Springs AR drive: The Sultana Disaster Museum

The Sultana Disaster Museum in Marion, Arkansas, tells the story of the US’ deadliest ever maritime disaster. In 1865, the Sultana steamboat caught fire on the Mississippi River, with around 2,200 passengers on board.

Nearly 1,200 people died in the explosion and fire, but the news was overshadowed by the hunt for President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin. The back story is one of rampant corruption, which is no surprise when you learn the Sultana was only supposed to carry 376 passengers.

Memphis to Hot Springs AR road trip attractions: Village Creek State Park

For many, Village Creek State Park is all about the 27 hole golf course, the Ridges at Village Creek. But non-golfers have plenty to keep them occupied amid 7,000 acres of clear streams and tree-covered hillsides.

The walking trails include the most intact section of the Trail of Tears. This was the path followed by Native American tribes as they were forced from their homelands to what is now Oklahoma. The Cherokee, Choctaws, Creeks and Chicktaws all followed this path.

Best stops between Memphis and Hot Springs AR: Little Rock AR

Little Rock is the capital of Arkansas, and the closest thing the state has to a metropolis.

Key experiences in Little Rock include the Museum of Discovery and the William J Clinton Presidential Library and Museum. The latter, as with most presidential libraries, acts as a fascinating insight not just into the president, but the era he was in charge for.