Home › Arkansas › Hot Springs National Park › Sunset Trail
Sunset Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 257 Google reviews · Running trail in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas · Hours vary
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Natural surface
- Loop distance
- 13.5 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Not reported
Confirmed from Sunset Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Hiking trail in Hot Springs National Park over 10+ mi. of varied terrain with scenic overlooks.
What runners say about Sunset Trail
“Mostly a ridge hike, so some great views both sides of the trail the majority of the way which is one of my favorite type hikes.”
Left out around 7:00am...went to balancing rock...right at about 5 miles...10 miles total round trip. Two 40 year olds and a 11 and 13 year old. Some good up and down but nothing too bad... mostly short lived up/downs. Took about 4 hours of hiking. We did stop and hang some hammocks behind a little shed about 2.
Good long hike!! Makes the most of the mountains in the park. We started at the balanced rock trail head instead of grapa gorge. This hike had some strenuous up hill sections as well as some nice long gentle slopes.
Mountain vibes! We trekked the Sunset Trail in Hot Springs National Park on 22nd March 2025 to experience the beauty of the Hot Springs’ mountains. This is the longest trail in this National Park which is moderately challenging because of its length.
It was a long trail with a nice scenic view at starting point. There are shorter trails as well. It took 8 hours to hime ~16 miles (lost my trail 😂). At a point there was river, where it was fun to walk in ice-cold water in the hot weather. It was really a great fun. Be careful about ticks.
Trail conditions & character
“Mostly a ridge hike, so some great views both sides of the trail the majority of the way which is one of my favorite type hikes.”
“5-mile loop trail type with 2385 ft elevation gain that leads us through town, along roads, and across several other trails.”
“This is a 13.5-mile loop trail type with 2385 ft elevation gain that leads us through town, along roads, and across several other trails.”
“5-mile loop trail type with 2385 ft elevation gain that leads us through town, along roads, and across several other trails.”
“Long drive up the mountian, a few places to pull off driving up to trailhead.”
“I will warn you, the first quarter mile is STEEP and very rocky, which makes it easy to slip, especially on the way down!”
Plan your run at Sunset Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessHours vary — hours are not posted for this trail, so check before an early or late run
- SurfaceNatural surface — easiest on the joints and the most fun, but expect roots, rocks and mud after rain
- Loop distance13.5 mi back to where you parked. Long enough for a real long run.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
Running trails near Hot Springs National Park
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Mountain Top Trail
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Easy wooded hiking path with connecting trails leading to the top of West Mountain.
West Mountain Trail
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Tufa Terrace Trail
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Scenic trail & promenade in a natural setting leading to unique geothermal waterfalls.
Gulpha Gorge Trail
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Short, steep route leading down to camping at Gulpha Gorge Creek, plus connections to other trails.