Homestead Crater
| Location: Homestead Resort at Midway (Wasatch County). Click here for map. This is a natural hot springs cavern inside a
large rock dome, accessed by tunnel. The Crater is a commercial site -- hours are 10 am to
8 pm, and you must pay to enter. Rental equipment is available on-site. It's best to call
to reserve your scuba time (1-800-327-7220). The crater is open year round. Picture by Bruce Argyle |
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The Dive: Water temperature is 96 degrees. The dive area
is about 60 feet wide, with a depth 65 feet. (Note: to avoid stirring up silt, divers are
asked to limit their depth to 45 feet.) Visibility is around 40-50 feet. Photo
looking up from water level to the opening in the rock dome straight above. The
light hitting the water makes it a luminous blue. |
Getting there: From Utah County, take I-15 to the Orem 800 North exit.
Go east on US-189 up Provo Canyon and continue past Deer Creek Reservoir. Immediately
after the lake, turn left on U-113towards Charleston/Midway. At the stop sign in Midway,
turn left and follow the signs to the Homestead Resort.
Salt Lake City/Ogden: Take I-80 eastbound up Parley's Canyon. Exit at US-40/US-189 and go
south past the Jordanelle Reservoir. Just after descending from the dam, turn right
towards Midway/Wasatch Mountain State Park. After a few miles, you'll arrive in Midway.
Turn right at the stop sign. Follow the signs to the Homestead Resort.
| Services: There's actually a miniature dive store right
in the tunnel leading to the crater. Complete equipment rentals are available. Scuba and
snorkeling lessons are taught here (by appointment). Non-divers are welcome to swim around
or just sit in Utah's largest hot tub. Hours are 10 am to 8 pm, year-round. To fill out
your day, the resort can arrange cross-country skiing, snowmobile or sleigh rides, horse
rides, golf, mountain biking, etc. Diving doesn't get any cushier than this. Divers Gary and Brian Argyle prepare their gear on the floating dock near the tunnel entrance, picture Bruce Argyle |
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Exposure: These luminous azure-blue waters are toasty warm.. No exposure suit is needed. In fact, you may get overheated if you dive immediately after running, tennis, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, etc. (We'd just completed 18 miles of mountain biking on the Jordanelle Perimeter Trail before making this dive. Cameraman Bruce had to climb out a couple of times because of overheating caused by rapid swimming -- trying to position himself for that "perfect shot" -- like the one below.)
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The cavern is hourglass shaped, with the narrowest width about 35 feet. At
the 65 foot bottom, a layer of silt hides coins, bottles, and other "treasures."
(Divers should stay OFF the bottom; leave the treasures for the archeologists. This is a
dive to just relax and enjoy the soothing warm water. You'll be asked to limit your depth
to 45 feet or less.) Gary cruises through the azure blue, while a snorkeller passes overhead. View upward at 20 feet, Nikonos V w YS-50 strobe, 35 mm lens. Bruce Argyle, June 12, 1998. |
| The walls of the crater are mineral deposits left by the hot spring
waters. Cruise around and look at the different shapes and contours. The entire 55-foot
dome was deposited one molecule at a time by waters flowing up through the crater. Brian inspects the wall at 50 feet. Picture Bruce Argyle, Nikonos V with strobe, 35 mm lens. June 12, 1988 |
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Through the on-site scuba professional, the Homestead Crater
offers a one-hour "scuba experience" for non-divers. This is a toasty,
relaxing introduction to scuba diving. Gary and Brian Argyle perform a buddy check before descending from the dock. Picture by Bruce Argyle |
Our recommendation: This is a great spot to renew your skills (or to check out new equipment) before heading for the ocean. Especially in the winter. But you probably figured that out already. Cruise in a circle along the walls as you descend, looking at the rock formations. Practice buoyancy control while hovering by the wagon wheel.
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Getting there: From US-189 coming up Provo Canyon, turn north (left) on U-113 at the end of Deer Creek Reservoir. Drive into Midway. 3.2 miles after leaving US-189, at the main intersection in the middle of Midway, U-113 turns right. Turn LEFT at this intersection. Go 4 blocks until the road turns right, then go 2 blocks north and turn left (west). 1/4 mile later, the road turns north again. 1/2 mile after the turn, you'll see the Homestead resort on your right. Crater GPS is N 40° 31.429' W 111° 29.091'.
Contact:
The Homestead Resort
700 North Homestead Drive
Midway, UT 84049
435-654-1102
800-327-7220
www.homestead-ut.com
This dive site review was compiled by Bruce Argyle with his sons Gary and Brian on June 12, 1988.
