Homestead Crater
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Homestead Crater is a resort hot spring listed near Midway, Utah. Reported soak temperature: 94°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
Open daily year-round for timed ~1-hour soak/swim sessions inside the limestone dome at ~$30/person — reservations strongly recommended (sessions cap ~20 people and sell out, especially weekends and ski season); also the only warm-water scuba site in the continental US; life jackets are mandatory and provided, arrive 15 minutes early or lose your slot.
Checked September 2026 · verified on the operator’s site · 5 sources ↓
Staying overnight?
Stay in Heber Valley for a separate reserved session at Homestead Crater.
Midway is under a mile from the spring.
We may earn a commission from bookings through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Before you go
- Status: Reservation or permission required — confirm via Homestead Midway Utah — Visit the Crater (hours, $30/1-hr, reservations).
- Cost: Reported $30 — confirm current rates before visiting.
- Getting there: Developed resort — confirm operating hours and any reservation requirement.
- Water: Reported soak temperature 94°F — always test the water before entering.
- Rules: Reported clothing required; pets reported not allowed — confirm current rules.
- Conditions: check weather, fire closures, and land-manager alerts the week you go — mountain access changes seasonally.
- Reservations/permits: None — timed activity reservation via Homestead Resort site/booking line (435-654-1102)
- Booking: Reservation required.
- Best time to go: Weekday sessions have the most availability; book winter weekends and holidays far ahead — it sells out
- Clothing reality: Official: swimsuits required — family-friendly commercial attraction. Not clothing-optional.
- Kids: Allowed.
- Cell service: ok — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Tunnel entrance to crater deck; pool entry via ladder/steps — limited mobility accommodations; call resort for specifics
- Reservations strongly recommended — slots cap ~20 people and sell out; walk-ins only if space remains
- Arrive 15 min early — late arrivals forfeit the slot
- Sessions are short (~40–60 min) — wear your suit under clothes; small changing rooms
- Mandatory life jackets provided — no personal floaties/inner tubes
- Bring your own towel (provided only for resort guests); snorkel gear rents separately
- 65-ft deep water — this is not a shallow soaking pool
- Check in at the resort Activity Center before walking the tunnel to the crater
- Hazard: 65-foot-deep pool — non-swimmers must use provided life jackets
- Hazard: Humid enclosed dome; acoustics amplify noise
- Hazard: Slippery deck
About this spring
Bucket-list geothermal wonder: a 55-foot limestone dome formed over ~12,000 years enclosing a 65-foot-deep mineral pool held at 90-96°F year-round. The only warm-water scuba diving site in the continental US — soaking, swimming, snorkeling and scuba by timed reservation at Homestead Resort. Fee: ~$30/1-hour session; reservations required. Book in advance — slots sell out; arrive 15 min early. Deep water (65 ft).
The Homestead Crater — 'The Crater' locally — is the largest of the geothermal 'hot pots' scattered around Midway: a beehive-shaped travertine dome about 55 feet high and roughly 400 feet wide at its base, enclosing a pool 65 feet deep. The dome built up over approximately ten thousand years as Wasatch Range snowmelt percolated one to two miles underground, was heated, and rose back to the surface depositing mineral sediment; an 8-14-foot layer of silt still blankets the crater floor, and the water holds at 90-96°F year-round.
Early visitors had to rappel through the natural opening in the dome's top; a 110-foot tunnel bored through the north side in the 1990s now provides walk-in access, and The Crater opened to the public on July 12, 1996. Operated by Homestead Resort, it is billed as the only warm-water inland scuba diving site in the continental United States, with timed soaking, swimming, snorkeling, diving and paddleboard sessions by reservation and mandatory life jackets. It served as a filming location for the 2010 film 127 Hours.
Directions & trailhead access
Homestead Resort, 700 N Homestead Dr, Midway, UT — ~50 min east of Salt Lake City via I-80/US-40 to Heber, then south to Midway.
Utah geothermal context
Utah's springs surface along the Wasatch Front fault system and across the western desert basins. Canyon sites like Fifth Water can flash-flood in storms and close under avalanche danger in winter; desert sites like Meadow involve long graded-road approaches through open range. Elevation changes of thousands of feet mean 'the weather' varies wildly by site.
What a resort site means here
A resort spring is a commercial operation: developed pools or tubs with controlled temperatures, changing facilities, and usually day-use fees or lodging packages. Expect posted rules (swimsuits, quiet hours, age limits), staff on site, and in many cases required reservations — especially on weekends and holidays.
Best time to visit
Year-Round (Best: May – October)Pool temperatures and access can change with weather and season. Outdoor ambient temperatures fluctuate significantly across Utah. Late spring through autumn offers the most comfortable road access.
Fact sheet
| Reported soak temp | 94°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 94°F |
| Trail access | Recorded coordinates — access unverified |
| Access fee | Reported $30 — verify |
| Clothing policy | Reported clothing required |
| Pet policy | Reported no pets |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | Homestead Midway Utah — Visit the Crater (hours, $30/1-hr, reservations) |
Homestead Crater FAQ
Is Homestead Crater open right now?
Open daily year-round for timed ~1-hour soak/swim sessions inside the limestone dome at ~$30/person — reservations strongly recommended (sessions cap ~20 people and sell out, especially weekends and ski season); also the only warm-water scuba site in the continental US; life jackets are mandatory and provided, arrive 15 minutes early or lose your slot. (Status verified on the operator’s site, last checked September 2026.)
Is Homestead Crater free?
Homestead Crater is listed with reported fees near Midway. Fees are reported; confirm admission, parking and permit costs with the site manager.
What temperature is Homestead Crater?
Homestead Crater has a reported soak temperature of 94°F and a historical source temperature of 94°F in survey records. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Homestead Crater clothing optional?
Homestead Crater is listed as swimsuit-required in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.
How do you access Homestead Crater?
Homestead Crater is a private venue with paid public admission. Confirm current hours, fees and booking requirements with the operator before visiting.
Where to stay in Midway
Stay in Heber Valley for a separate reserved session at Homestead Crater.
Midway is under a mile from the spring.
We may earn a commission from bookings through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Sources & references
- Homestead Midway Utah — Visit the Crater (hours, $30/1-hr, reservations) — operator · 2026-09
- Hot Springs Atlas — Homestead Crater (slot length/capacity details) — community · 2026-04
- Roam States — Homestead Resort & Crater guide — community · 2025-09
Additional references for this record; a source link does not guarantee current conditions.
Details above were verified against the named sources on their listed dates — conditions change, so recheck before traveling. · How we verify our data · Report a correction
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