A helpful Homestead Crater Review: This hot spring in Midway, Utah, is a unique and incredible spring in the Salt Lake City area. With a depth of 65 feet and an average temperature of 95 degrees, the beehive-shaped geothermal hot spring crater offers a one-of-a-kind hot spring experience. Be sure to make a reservation!
The Homestead Crater, also called the Utah Crater, is an epic hot spring you must visit if you’re in the Salt Lake City area! Only a 45-minute (or so) drive from Salt Lake, it’s a truly unique experience to dip into the warm (92-95°F) water in an underground crater that’s 65 feet deep. It’s open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., so there’s a time for you to visit whether you’re an early bird or a night owl.
Oh, did I mention that you can go scuba diving or get certified in scuba diving there? By the time we were leaving, we were already planning to come back for our scuba certification. More on that below!
Have general hot springs questions? Check out our Hot Springs FAQ for everything you’ll want to know!
The first point to note is that you must make a reservation! We tried to go when my mom, aunt, and uncle were visiting, but could not get a spot for all of us while they were in town. It does fill up pretty quickly, so plan ahead. We were in Salt Lake for a few weeks, so we were able to make a reservation for the two of us with about 5 days’ notice. We went mid-week at 4:30 pm. It would be fabulous to go at night, too, when it’s all lit up.
When you arrive, you’ll come through a tunnel on what looks like the side of a hill. You’ll enter a space with rocky walls. There are a few changing rooms on the right, lockers to store your belongings, and life jackets on the wall. Check in with the attendant, who will inform you to put on your life jacket and show you where you can put your towel/phone/shoes/whatever else you didn’t put into the locker. And then it’s off to the crater water!
When we were there, only about 10 people were swimming, and another 10-15 were taking a scuba certification. They limit the number of people at one time, so it never feels too crowded. There are two sectioned-off portions of the pool on the sides of the dock where you can sit, but we spent our time floating around on our life jackets. The water isn’t hot like a hot tub, but more like a warm bath. We were there on a warm day, and it was the perfect temperature not to overheat but to stay perfectly warm. On a cold day, yoy’ll likely wish it was a little warmer (if you love scalding baths, like I do :P)
After about 45 minutes, someone came out to tell us about the history of the crater, how it was formed, how they discovered the widest point and created the tunnel at that spot to allow people to go in and swim, and how 136,000 gallons of water flowed through the crater per day!!! He answered a bunch of questions we had been wondering, and it was honestly fascinating to hear how such a unique place came to be.
Is it worth it?
In my opinion, yes, it’s definitely worth checking out. We loved it and highly recommend visiting it if you have the time while in the area. For $15-18 (depending on whether you go on a weekday or weekend), it’s a super unique experience.
Are reservations required?
Yes, reservations are required for all activities at the Crater, including swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving. It’s recommended to book in advance, especially during peak seasons. Reservation blocks are good for one hour.
Location & How to Get There
The Homestead Crater is about 45 minutes outside of Salt Lake City, and close to Park City and Heber City.
From Salt Lake City, take I-80 East toward Park City. Merge onto US-40 East toward Heber City. Take the exit for UT-113 toward Midway, then follow signs to Homestead Resort. The Crater is located on the resort property.
Onsite Accommodations
The Homestead Crater is on the property of the Homestead Resort, which offers a diverse range of accommodations designed to cater to various preferences and group sizes. You can see all of their accommodations on the Homestead Resort website.
Is it RV-friendly? The resort has a large parking lot that can accommodate all sizes of RVs for parking while you visit the crater, but there is no RV camping allowed on-site.
What to expect
The Crater’s mineral-rich water maintains a temperature between 90°F and 96°F year-round. Visitors can enjoy activities such as swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving. All guests are required to wear life jackets while in the water.
The cost for access to the Homestead Crater is $15 per person (over 8 years old) on weekdays, and $18 per person (over 8 years old) on weekends and holidays. The cost for children aged 3-7 is $12 on weekdays and $15 on weekends/holidays. Children under 2 are free. This includes a 40-minute swim session.
This doesn’t include anything except for access. You can add on snorkeling gear for $8 per person!
One of the coolest things about this is the scuba diving option! If you have your certification, you can scuba dive in the crater. It goes 65 feet down! If you’re not yet certified, you can get scuba certified here for $650 over a few days. You can also update your scuba certification for $200. We plan to go back next year to get certified. We asked while there and were informed that it takes 2 to 3 days, approximately 4 to 6 hours per day, to obtain your certification.
I recommend making reservations well in advance! We tried to go when we had family visiting but couldn’t get a reservation for all of us. We ended up needing to make reservations about a week ahead of time.
What should I bring?
You’ll want to make sure you bring:
- Towels
- A bathing suit
- Sandals to walk around the property and/or water shoes to wear in the water
Life jackets are provided and required, but you are welcome to bring your own.
Food Available Onsite
There is no food available right at the hot springs itself, but there are restaurants at the surrounding resort that you can stop by for a bite to eat during your visit.
Is it open year-round?
Yes, the Homestead Crater is open year-round, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., every day.
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