Norris Hot Springs

There are a number of reviews across the web that describe the unique, casual, and hippie vibe of this place. I have to strongly disagree with those, as I found it to be a strangely uptight atmosphere for what it is. There are rules signs posted on every surface and for some reason, they've named half (the other half had another name) of their food stand, "No Loose Dogs Saloon." The phrase "No Loose Dogs" is spray painted across multiple places on the property and it was a bit off-putting and misleading as we thought it meant leashed dogs were allowed, but we were informed they aren't (they are in the campground portion, but not around the patio or grass in the hot springs section). There's a three drink maximum, which is fine, but every member of the party has to come physically get their own drink, which just felt unnecessary, especially when you're lounging around the hot springs in plain site of every staff member. Food and drinks were expensive and overall, the only vibe I would describe is weird. The hot springs did feel nice though.

As for the camping itself, the sites were close together but fine and they all back up to a ravine, which is nice. We saw a pair of huge cranes on the hill one morning. However, the wifi is a complete joke! It worked during the very middle of the day, but completely dropped out in the mornings and evenings. For a place without cell service, this felt like a huge issue. We had to work and just barely managed to get stuff done in the middle of the day. If you come here, pretty much consider it off the grid.

Otherwise, it's super convenient to the Madison River (tubing, hiking, fishing, etc) and 35 minutes from Bozeman, so there's a decent amount around to keep you busy.

This is a very small, nice campground. Looks like it might be under new ownership, seems to be a lot of upgrades going on (I.e. electric boxes and new, water etc.) no phone service, but GREAT internet. Hot springs pool we’re closed while we were, guess only open on the weekend or appointment only. That’s ok I wasn’t looking forward to it anyway. Very quiet. They didn’t get a five star ⭐️ otherwise no room for improvement. Would I stay here again absolutely. Maybe on the way back from Yellowstone.

There was just something about this place that put me at ease. It was a little tricky getting in with my 28' travel trailer, but mostly because I'm a newer driver and missed the first entrance. I booked and paid online and got a confirmation of my reservation that included my spot number. There was no one there when I arrived and in my 2 days here I only saw a handful of people. It was a midweek stay though and the springs are only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday so was not surprised to be almost the only guests here.

The spots aren't huge, but they are very well maintained and all the hook ups were great and also well maintained. There were some beautiful views of the mountains behind us and although our spot didn't have a picnic table, we were able to set up our own table near the back of the camper and enjoy the views and cool breeze.

The springs are on the other side of the parking lot and although we didn't get to experience them this time, we did walk over to see what was there. There was a beautiful grassy area near there that my mom and I were able to sit while my daughter ran around and collected flowers and sticks she found. There was a lot of shade and it was just so quiet and peaceful to sit and relax and enjoy the scenery.

There is a bit of road noise that can be heard through out the day, but we didn't notice it at night and had no trouble sleeping. There is NO cell service but there is WiFi. It's not great, but it was sufficient enough for me to work all day, including doing some video calls, though it was a bit choppy.

My mom used the bath houses and said they were fine. Basic but clean and had hot water, hand soap and toilet paper.

Overall, I really enjoyed the peace and serenity of this place and would love to come back. Even our cats seemed to be especially at ease here.

The staff is great and super friendly. Food was great, local and organic! They actually use all their own fruits and veggies from their garden onsite! Some really good beer and drink options. The Hot springs themselves are amazing, along with the live music. It's a large pool with natural hot spring water coming from directly below large wood planks that create a floor within and benches all around to pool. They even have cooling misters for when it's too hot.

We chose this place for it's unique vibe and somewhat close proximity to Bozeman without having to be in the expensive places nearest to Bozeman.

Safe for big rigs, drove our (at the time) 40' MH and toad right in, unhooked and backed in. The turn in was a bit bumpy and steep, take it slow, and be cautious for oncoming traffic. Sites are quite narrow, with gravel pads, pretty level, so not much different than the typical RV park. We had full hookups, can't recall if it was 30 amp only, or 50 included though, call and ask, website doesn't specify. Anyway, you're not here for the campsites, your here for the hot springs, go and enjoy!

Pool soaking costs an extra $3/day on top of the reservation fee, but totally worth it. We have young kids (2-4), and they loved it too. We went to soak 4 of the 6 days we stayed, and spent a small fortune on their delicious food and beer!

Only downside...no cell service, none, zilch, not even with our booster. They have free wifi, which was reliable enough to get some work done. Otherwise, not all that far from Ennis, which is pretty neat little town worth exploring as well, with Ennis Lake and Kobayashi Beach. Madison River is the other direction heading back towards Bozeman, where we saw lots of people kayaking, rafting, or lazy river floating with coolers stocked. Lots of fun to be had in this area!

I can imagine this place possibly getting rowdy on weekends, but during our time there (8/5/18 - 8/12/18) it was very pleasant and surprisingly quiet at night. Will definitely be back if we find ourselves close on route.