Hot Springs National Park - Day 3
May 2024
Shades and Shadows on West Mountain
It was a warm day as we made our way back along the steep Mountain Top Trail to the West Mountain Trail. The trees offered some protection from the sun, providing shade. The highlight of this hike was reaching the overlooks on West Mountain. Here, we got a wide view of the valley, the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, and the Ouachita Mountains.
Exploring Hot Springs National Park
While the scenery felt serene and calm for us today, back in 1927, this specific area was the focus of a murder investigation. James Alexander Cary, a U.S. Park Ranger and World War I veteran, went missing while on patrol investigating illegal bootlegging. His body was later found on West Mountain.
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As the first NPS Ranger killed in the line of duty, his death remains a sad tragedy in the park’s history. For nearly a century, his story has sparked speculation that he may have discovered too much about the organized crime that defined Hot Springs in the Roaring Twenties.
