Forest Springs Resort · Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Forest Bathing in the Ozarks, Steps From Your Room
Ten wooded acres of trails, no schedule and no guide to keep up with. Walk slowly, then warm up in the Nordic sauna.
Book Your StayShinrin-yoku, without the drive to a trailhead
Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is the Japanese practice of slow, unhurried time among trees. It is not a hike. Most people cover less than a mile and spend most of the time standing still, listening.
At Forest Springs Resort the forest starts outside your door. Gravel trails loop through pine and hardwood across more than 10 acres, so you can walk out at first light and be back for coffee in the Forest Lounge, served from 7 AM.
It is entirely self-guided. There is no class to book and no group to keep pace with, which is the point.
A self-guided forest bathing walk at Forest Springs Resort
Plan on 60 to 90 minutes. Mornings are best.
- 01
Leave the phone in the room
No photos, no podcast, no step count. The practice works best when nothing is pulling your attention somewhere else.
- 02
Walk slower than feels normal
The trails start a short walk from your door. Go at half your usual pace and let the path decide where you turn. There is no destination.
- 03
Use one sense at a time
Listen for the farthest sound. Notice the smell of pine needles and leaf litter. Touch bark, moss, a cool stone. Look at one small thing for a full minute.
- 04
Find a spot and stay still
Sit or stand for ten or fifteen minutes. Birds and squirrels come back once you stop moving. This is usually the part people remember.
- 05
Finish with heat, cold and fire
Walk back to the Nordic sauna, take a round in the cold plunge, then end the day at the fire pit under the string lights.
Want the longer version? Read our guides to how to forest bathe and forest bathing in Arkansas.
After the walk
Sauna and cold plunge
Warm up in the glass-walled Nordic sauna looking out at the same trees, then take a short round in the cold plunge. How to do a Nordic sauna round.
Evenings by the fire
End the day at the stone fire pit under the string-lit pergola, with a glass of wine from the Forest Lounge.
The quietest woods are midweek
Sunday to Thursday the trails are close to empty and the only sounds are birds and wind in the pines. If you can choose your dates, choose a weekday.
Check Midweek DatesForest bathing questions
Do you offer guided forest bathing?
Not at this time. Forest bathing at Forest Springs Resort is self-guided: the trails start on the property, there is no schedule, and you set the pace. Text or call us at (479) 239-8978 and we will point you to the quietest loop that day.
What is forest bathing?
Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a Japanese practice of spending slow, unhurried time among trees and paying attention through your senses. It is not a hike or a workout; most people cover very little distance.
When is the best time to go forest bathing here?
Early morning on a weekday. The trails are at their quietest from Sunday to Thursday, and the first hour after sunrise brings the most birdsong. Fall color, bare winter woods and spring leaf-out each change the walk.
What should I bring?
Comfortable shoes that can handle gravel and leaf litter, a layer for cool Ozark mornings, and water. Every room has two bathrobes for the sauna afterward.
Can I bring my dog on the trails?
Yes. Dogs are welcome on the trails and lawns across our 10+ acres, on leash on shared paths. The sauna, cold plunge and pool deck are people-only areas.
How far is Forest Springs Resort from downtown Eureka Springs?
About five minutes by car, so you can spend the morning in the woods and the afternoon in the historic downtown.
Looking for more ways to slow down? See our forest getaway near Eureka Springs.