Homestead Crater — Attraction in Midway

Very Misleading Experience (Bait & Switch style place): My visit to Homestead Crater today was certainly… unique (I hope, but I’m 100% sure it’s not). Arriving at 1:30 PM for my scheduled 3:30 PM slot, I was initially pleased when a woman at the activity center offered me an early entry if I checked back in with her at 2:40 PM if there were any no-shows. Luckily, there was one, and I was told to head over to the crater to check in. The check-in process at the crater around 2:48 PM was straightforward enough, though the subsequent list of rules felt excessive. No swimming, no diving, no going underwater – just floating, and everyone must wear a very large life jacket. By the time I finally got through the lengthy spiel and into the water, it was nearly 2:52 PM. It's worth noting that during this check-in, which occurred over 20 minutes after my initially offered early entry time, three different people – including the owner and the two staff members who later denied me my true swim time – had ample opportunity to inform me that accepting the early entry would impact the duration of my time in the water. This vital information was never shared. I enjoyed a brief 15-20 minutes of floating before it was time for the group to exit. Given that I had entered the water much later than everyone else, I inquired to be sure I could have a few extra minutes. The response was confusing – the staff member, whose grandfather apparently owns the property, simply told me to be the last one out. Seeking clarification, I spoke with the staff at the desk as everyone else was leaving. I explained that I had only been in the water for about 15 minutes of my supposed hour-long booking (though it turns out the actual swim time is only 40 minutes, with 10 minutes on either side for "getting ready," despite the expectation to arrive in your swimsuit). To my dismay, I was informed that because I had been moved up, my time was not extended and I had to leave with everyone else. This lack of communication was incredibly frustrating and shiesty. Had I known my swim time would be significantly cut short by accepting the early entry, I would have simply waited for my original 3:30 PM appointment. This crucial detail was never mentioned. Further compounding my disappointment, upon returning to the activity center to express my frustration, two other staff members confirmed that I would not receive any extra time. One of them, ironically, was the same person who had checked me in 20 minutes late at the crater (who also didn’t inform me at all that my float time would be affected). It felt like a bait-and-switch. The sheer number of restrictions – essentially limiting the experience to passive floating in a life vest for a mere 15 minutes – was baffling. After voicing my concerns about the poor communication and the restrictive nature of the experience, I was finally offered a few extra minutes back in the water. However, this felt like a belated and insincere gesture after I had already walked barefoot across the parking lot in my swimsuit after talking to 3 other people to address the issue. Only after I mentioned I run a blog to review and visit places around the US online and would be leaving a review did they offer these extra few minutes. In summary: Homestead Crater offers a truly unique geological setting for a soak. However, the experience is significantly hampered by a long list of inflexible rules, a surprisingly short actual swim time, and a concerning lack of clear communication regarding scheduling and time allowances. The fact that multiple staff members, including the owner, failed to inform me of the reduced swim time despite having the opportunity to do so during a delayed check-in only exacerbates the feeling of being misled. Potential visitors should be aware of the many limitations and ensure they fully understand the time allocation before agreeing to any changes in their booking. Waste of time, will not...

They really need to offer adult-only sessions.

The Homestead Crater is visually stunning — a natural thermal spring inside a dome of rock, with warm blue water and incredible acoustics. It should have been peaceful and relaxing, but our experience was unfortunately the opposite.

There were loud teenagers shouting obscenities like “penis” just to make each other laugh, and kids jumping into the water, which was the one rule staff gave us — don’t jump in because of the divers. Despite all this, no one was warned or asked to stop. I know the staff are not babysitters but I think some boundaries should be set. In such an echo-filled, enclosed space, it completely shattered the calm and made it hard to enjoy the setting. My partner is sensitive to loud noise, so it really affected him.

To make matters more confusing, you’re not allowed to swim — only float. And while snorkelling is offered, there’s not much to see underwater. It’s hard to understand why swimming isn’t permitted when scuba diving is allowed. Maybe it’s about safety or protecting underwater ledges, but nothing is explained, so you’re left guessing. The rules feel inconsistent.

Booking was frustrating too. I messaged three weeks ahead to book a scuba dive and had to chase them for a reply. Eventually, they said there were no slots. When I asked about other dates, they immediately knew they were full, which made me wonder if anyone had actually checked the first time. It left me feeling like they weren’t interested in taking beginner divers. Communication, both online and in person, really needs work — and looking at other reviews, I know I’m not the only one who’s found it poor.

We did go ahead and book a snorkel session. They ask you to arrive in swimwear and ready to go because the session time starts immediately. But when we arrived, we were left waiting outside in the heat for over five minutes past our time, with no shade and no one giving instructions — just a printed sign on the door. It made the whole operation feel a bit unorganised.

The lockers don’t come with locks either. We asked the staff member by the life jackets and got a shrug and “we ran out.” Not very reassuring when you’re putting things like wallets and car keys in there. My partner was particularly anxious about that.

There is a small car park, which was useful — especially since parking info isn’t made obvious on the website.

The crater itself is beautiful. I got some great photos, and the warm water really is lovely. But it’s hard to enjoy when the environment around you feels like a chaotic public pool.

I’d probably return — I still really want to scuba dive here — but only if they offer adults-only sessions or better manage behaviour. This place has huge potential, but it’s let down by poor communication, unclear rules, and a general lack of care for the visitor experience. Honestly, it’s baffling they got something as simple as locks and timing wrong in a place this special.

Please, please, please have adult...

The start of the day went well, the office personell were friendly and had everything organized and easy to follow instructions. We knew what to expect out of this trip. It’s a hole maybe 60’ in diameter and 65’ deep. The only place in almost 600miles to get open water certified in winter.

The issues started to arise as the regulations of the crater were met. For those who are scuba diving be warned. Leaving gear in the hall or on the deck is not allowed. In fact the moment you are done you are required to bring all equipment out to your vehicles. Do not stop to dry off or get warm gear on. You are expected to take your gear out dripping wet with or without footwear. It is not allowed to place gear outside the door of the entrance to get dried off before entering into the winter temperature of 32 degrees or less. So you move as quickly as possible to get gear to the car while icicles are starting to form on clothing and face, but facing the cold is not enough. The walkways were not cleared of snow nor was any ice melt placed on the walkways the steeply slapped to the parking lot and thus the fall risk increases.

The issues with the entrance/exit hallway continued with the attendant yelling at one of our divers to get their gear and get out. Although their significant other had taken both sets of gear and headed to the vehicle.

Dripping wet, freezing, and dealing with snow and ice all participants of scuba face hypothermia and potentially catastrophic falls. After taking all gear back to the vehicles you rush back into the entrance to get dried off and warm.

Truly there must be a better solution to this. Just rushing divers out of the crater into the elements without the opportunity to dry off is not acceptable.

Solutions include a heated tent outside of the entrance for divers to place their gear and then return to dry off.

Suffice to say, any diver traveling during winter must be ready for a polar bear plunge after diving.

There are also regulations of not diving below 40ft. This was in place due to the silt at the bottom of the crater taking a significant amount of fun out of the ordeal. This is understandable to a certain degree for the water is certainly clearer when the bottom isn’t kicked up.

Honestly, the environment seems incredibly hostile...