We used to absolutely love Norris Hot Springs. We've been coming here for years and it was always…read moreour go-to hot spring when we lived in Bozeman and West Yellowstone. We've made many day trips and stayed multiple times in the campground with our RV.
After moving away for a few years, we recently returned to Bozeman and have visited Norris several times. We were excited to bring our new NoBo 18.0 camper for its maiden voyage. Unfortunately, this stay was nothing like the Norris Hot Springs we remembered.
The community bathrooms were shockingly dirty and unsanitary. The showers looked and smelled as though they hadn't been thoroughly cleaned in a very long time. Both toilets had dark rings in the bowls, and the entire bathroom area had an overwhelming mold and mildew smell. The showers also had a buildup of something slimy. I understand that older facilities have limitations, but basic cleanliness should not be one of them.
The WiFi also wasn't working at our campsite. We notified staff and asked if the router could be reset, but it never worked during our stay. We eventually found WiFi by sitting outside near the community bathroom, which unfortunately was not a pleasant place to spend time.
The biggest disappointment came Monday morning.
For all the years we've camped at Norris, use of the hot springs had been included with our campsite. We headed over for a quick 10-15 minute soak before I had to leave for work and were told by Noah that campers must now pay an additional $3 per person, per day to use the pool.
The $3 fee itself was not the issue. The issue was the lack of communication.
Our reservation confirmation clearly stated:
"CAMPERS HAVE ACCESS TO THE POOL & CAFE DURING PUBLIC HOURS THURSDAY-MONDAY 10AM-10PM."
There was no mention in our confirmation that campers would now be charged an additional daily, per-person pool fee. Attached is a copy of the confirmation email I received.
We were told the new policy was on the website. After looking, I could not find it on the Home, Soak, or Reservations pages. I eventually found the information buried at the bottom of the campground page. For returning guests who have always understood pool access to be included with camping, it would be very easy to make a reservation without realizing this had changed.
We even offered to pay the $6 immediately after our quick soak, since my husband was staying behind to pack up the camper, but were told there were "no exceptions" and payment had to be made before entering the pool. With the time crunch and the overall unfriendly experience, we decided to leave.
I also mentioned the condition of the bathrooms to Noah and expressed that they needed a serious deep cleaning. Unfortunately, I felt the concern was dismissed rather than acknowledged.
Businesses can certainly change policies, but significant changes like this should be clearly communicated during the reservation process and, ideally, included in the confirmation email--especially for longtime returning guests.
We left without our morning soak and, more importantly, with a very different impression of a place we have enjoyed for many years.
Between the dirty bathrooms, unavailable campsite WiFi, and poorly communicated change to pool access, this was a very disappointing stay. Sadly, after years of Norris Hot Springs being one of our favorite places, it will likely be quite a while before we return.
