Top Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in Wasatch County

An old hot spring provides a fun and inexpensive dive for beginners and advanced alike. It is a 55-foot tall, beehive-shaped limestone rock that nature has hollowed out and filled with 90' to 96' crystal-clear mineral water. The Homestead Crater is the only warm water scuba diving destination in the continental US and it attracts many diving enthusiasts and those wishing to get certified in a comfortable environment. The hole in the top of the dome lets in light while keeping in the heat. You can dive this year-round and it is a popular place for scuba classes and in-water certification. Homestead Crater is located in Midway, Utah, just outside Park City.

Easy dive area, shallow lagoon. Bottom is mostly mud, some brush. Access varies depending how high the res is. Vis is usually pretty poor with a fair amount of algae. Nice area to practice; dry suit, navigation. Altitude dive, over 5,000'. More information http://www.utahdiving.com/deercrek.htm

Beach dive moderate slope into lake bottom channel. Gets deeper naturally as you head towards the dam. Some fish. Several distinct ledges to follow at roughly 20', 50' and 80'. Topography underwater roughly follows that above water in that area. Bottom is soft and easily stirred, not a lot of vegetation. Altitude Dive, over 5,000'. More diving info - http://www.utahdiving.com/deercrek.htm

Gradually slopes out toward the lake, and depth here depends on the time of year and recent water trends (I have seen this place exposed before). Some downed trees and cage looking plant skeletons. Lots of rocks, a few small fish, and a few bottles/cans here and there. Not a whole lot to see. At 25 feet or so it gets fairly dark when a cloud blocks the sun. Towards the end of the dive the wind picked up pretty bad (35mph or so) and visibility dropped to around 2-3 feet and had to hold hands with buddy to navigate back toward entry point. A lot of boat traffic in this area, and despite a big yellow float and a flag I still had a Jet Ski shoot right over us twice! No noticeable thermocline while we were there. Water was about 65F and we were comfortable in 7mm wetsuits, no gloves or hoods. Parking area very near, walk in access.