We see more new faces in the pool area than we do anywhere else during the summer due to it being the height of Montana tourism. While the Hot Springs can be a fun experience the whole family can enjoy, it’s important to show good etiquette to everyone else. Remember, you aren’t the only people using the facility, so be courteous of the others in the facility by following some easy rules.
1) Keep It Relaxing for Everyone Else
We understand that when you come here as a family, you want to have fun, but it’s also worth noting that most people use the Hot Springs to relax and unwind after a long day’s work. Nothing is worse than finding your groove and entering a nice state of relaxation only to be jolted out of it by a screaming kid or a stray football. While we aren’t going to ban fun at the Hot Springs, we do ask that the family fun doesn’t impede on other’s ability to relax. An easy rule of thumb is that if the kids want to play, keep it in the kiddie pool (there’s plenty of room).
With that being said, if you choose the designated children’s pool as your relaxation destination of choice, do understand that you’re going to be around children, so relaxing is going to be a bit more challenging.
2) Shower Before Going into the Pools
We can’t believe we have to say this, but please don’t use our pools as baths. We get lots of complaints every year about people coming back from a long, dusty hike and just hopping right into the pools. No rinse, no shower, nothing. Then, all that dust winds up in the pools and makes everyone else angry (at you if you get caught, but at us if you don’t). So, before you use the pools, we politely ask that you at least rinse off. We aren’t saying you have to take a full-blown shower, but as least rinse most of the built-up dirt from a day’s activity off your body. Also, we know the water pressure in our showers isn’t always consistent, but there’s always enough to get a rinse in.
3) Please Keep it PG & Leave the PDA at Home
The Hot Springs can be an incredible date spot (a word of advice: just probably not for the first date), and we understand that the ambiance of the facility can be great for a little bit of romance. But remember, there are likely children in the pool with very protective parents, so keep it PG. There’s nothing wrong with some in-pool cuddles and smooches, but don’t start bumping and grinding up on each other. Trust us when we say this: nobody else wants to see your extreme displays of affection.
If it gets too bad, we have to have an employee address the situation, which is just awkward for everyone involved, so please don’t make our employees have to have that awkward conversation with you.
4) Leave Your Bluetooth Speakers at Home
.This may come as a big surprise to you, but not everyone wants to listen to your music. We see this more often than you’d think, where lots of people are trying to relax, but a group of five people thought that blaring loud music through a speaker was a good idea. So, as a courtesy to everyone else who wants to enjoy the facility, leave the speakers in the car. This also applies to playing music or TikToks directly out of your phone. Nobody wants to listen to that. If you can’t go two hours without listening to your own music, just bring cordless headphones. You’ll get to enjoy your sonic bliss while making sure no one else has to listen to it.
5) Make Sure Floaties are an Appropriate Size
We’ve all seen the fun social media posts where you’re floating on a giant slice of pizza, so we understand why you’d want to recreate that. However, most of those photos are taken in empty pools. When there are a lot of people around, large floaties are problematic, as you’ll be constantly bumping into people and, in the worst case scenario, getting people stuck under you. Just to be safe, make sure to bring multiple sizes of floaties on your visits.
This rule is sort of weird, because it’s dependent on how busy we are. If it’s a pretty slow day and there aren’t many people in the pools, go crazy. But if it’s a busier day, we will make you downsize your floaties a bit.
6) Only Splash People you Know. No Collateral
This goes hand-in-hand with rule number one, where you should keep it relaxing for everyone else. You’re still welcome to have fun out here, but make sure your fun stays within your group. A big part of this is splashing people and using water guns. While splashing your friends (and sometimes parents) can be fun, as soon as someone else catches the collateral, it becomes a lot less fun. It’s gotten to the point where we’ve almost banned squirt guns altogether, because it’s very rare that someone outside of the group gets hit with a stream of water.
This also goes with throwing things to each other in the pools. First things first, it needs to stay in the same pool. If not, we’ll confiscate the toy. Also, if your receiving skills are so bad to the point where the ball goes through your hands constantly and hits someone else, we’ll take it. You can get it back on your way out.