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It looks like a giant, calcified molehill from the outside. Or maybe a concrete yurt that someone forgot to paint. Honestly, if you’re driving through the pastoral, Swiss-themed streets of Midway, Utah, you might miss the Crater Midway Utah entirely if it wasn't for the signs leading to the Homestead Resort. But inside that 55-foot-tall limestone dome is a geological fluke that shouldn't really exist—a geothermal spring that stays a consistent 95 degrees Fahrenheit all year long.
It’s weird. It’s humid. And it’s one of the only places in the continental United States where you can get SCUBA certified at 6,000 feet above sea level in what is essentially a giant, natural thermos.
This Isn’t Actually a Crater (Geologically Speaking)
Let’s get the terminology straight because "crater" is a bit of a misnomer. When we hear that word, we think of meteors or volcanic eruptions. This is actually a geothermal spring that spent about 10,000 years building its own house.
Basically, snowmelt from the nearby Wasatch Mountains seeps deep into the earth, gets heated by the planet's internal fires, and then hitches a ride back up to the surface. As the water rises, it picks up a massive load of minerals—mostly calcium carbonate. When that water hits the air, the minerals settle. Over ten millennia, those deposits built up higher and higher, creating the beehive-shaped dome we see today.
There’s a hole at the very top. That’s the "blowhole" where the dome breathes. For a long time, the only way into the water was to rappel down through that hole like an 1800s adventurer. Thankfully, the owners eventually tunneled through the rock at ground level, so you don't need a harness and a death wish to take a soak anymore.
Why Divers Love This Place
It’s bizarre to see people walking around a landlocked mountain valley in full neoprene wetsuits and oxygen tanks. But the Crater Midway Utah is a bucket-list spot for the diving community.
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The water is roughly 65 feet deep. Because the temperature is so high—usually hovering between $90^\circ\text{F}$ and $96^\circ\text{F}$—it’s like diving in a bathtub. You don’t need a thick wetsuit for warmth; you mostly wear one to protect your skin from the mineral walls.
Visibility can be a hit or miss. On a good day, you can look up and see the blue Utah sky through the hole in the ceiling while you’re 40 feet underwater. It’s ethereal. On a crowded day, the silt kicked up by swimmers can make it feel a bit like diving in miso soup.
Professional instructors like those from Dive Utah or Neptune Divers use this spot for open-water certifications. Think about that. Instead of freezing in a murky lake or flying to the Caribbean, local students can practice their buoyancy and regulator recoveries in warm, mineral-rich water while a blizzard is happening outside. It’s a massive advantage for mountain-state divers.
What’s at the Bottom?
Don't expect shipwrecks or coral reefs. The bottom is mostly silt and a few "treasures" dropped by tourists over the years. There are platforms suspended at different depths for training purposes. If you look closely at the walls, you’ll see the intricate, rippled texture of the tufa rock, which looks like frozen waterfalls made of stone.
The Therapeutic Soak
Not everyone is there to dive. Most people just want to float.
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The mineral content is high. We’re talking calcium, magnesium, and sodium. While the resort doesn't make specific medical claims, anyone who has soaked there will tell you that the buoyancy feels different than a chlorinated pool. You feel lighter. Your skin feels slightly slicker.
It’s a sensory experience. You’re floating in the dark, looking up at a single shaft of light piercing through the steam. The acoustics are wild; sounds echo off the limestone walls, creating a hushed, cathedral-like atmosphere that makes it hard not to feel a bit zen, even if there’s a group of kids splashing twenty feet away.
The Logistics: Don't Just Show Up
This isn’t a public park. The Crater Midway Utah is privately owned by the Homestead Resort, and they run a tight ship.
- Reservations are mandatory. You cannot just walk in. The crater has a strict capacity limit to keep the water clean and the experience "relaxing" rather than "claustrophobic."
- Time slots are short. Usually, you get 40 minutes in the water. It sounds short, but in 95-degree water, your heart rate actually stays elevated. You’ll feel "cooked" by the time your session is over.
- Bring a towel. The walk from the changing rooms to the crater entrance can be chilly in the winter, even though the tunnel itself is heated by the steam.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often assume the water is stagnant. It isn’t.
The spring is constantly flowing. Thousands of gallons of fresh, hot water cycle through every day, which is why the clarity stays relatively decent despite the number of people soaking in it. It’s a living, breathing geological feature.
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Another misconception is that it’s a "hot spring" in the sense of a boiling cauldron. If it were $110^\circ\text{F}$, you couldn't dive in it safely; your internal body temperature would spike too fast. At $95^\circ\text{F}$, it’s the "Goldilocks" zone—warm enough to be therapeutic, cool enough to allow for physical exertion like swimming or scuba.
Exploring Midway Beyond the Rock
If you’re making the trip to the crater, you’re in Midway. It would be a crime to leave immediately after your soak.
Midway was settled by Swiss immigrants in the 1800s, and they took the "Swiss" part very seriously. The architecture in town is full of gingerbread trim and flower boxes. In the winter, the town hosts the famous Ice Castles—massive, man-made ice structures that look like something out of a Disney movie.
If you're hungry after the crater, go to Bakery 43. Their pastries are legit. Or, if you want to lean into the Swiss vibe, hit up Simon’s Restaurant for some schnitzel.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
To get the most out of the Crater Midway Utah, follow this specific sequence:
- Book at least two weeks in advance. If you’re eyeing a weekend or a holiday, make it a month. Use the official Homestead Resort booking portal.
- Opt for the "Soak and Snorkel" package. Even if you aren't a diver, wearing a mask and snorkel lets you see the underwater rock formations and the divers below you, which is half the fun.
- Go during the "Golden Hour." Try to book a slot about an hour before sunset. The way the light hits the steam rising out of the top hole is incredible for photos (though your lens will fog up instantly).
- Stay hydrated. This is the most important tip. The combination of the 6,000-foot altitude and the 95-degree water will dehydrate you faster than you realize. Drink a full liter of water before you enter the tunnel.
- Check the weather for Guardsman Pass. If you’re coming from Salt Lake City or Park City in the summer, take the scenic route over the pass. If it’s winter, stick to Highway 40; the pass closes and you don't want to end up stuck in a snowbank.
The Crater is a reminder that the earth is still doing weird, cool stuff beneath our feet. It’s a 10,000-year-old limestone thermos that lets you swim in the middle of a mountain. It’s worth the 40-minute drive from Salt Lake, even if you just go once to say you stood inside a rock.