Date: 11 Dec 2022

Location: Crater Hot Spring, UT

A comet flying into a planet or moon leaves a bowl-shaped scar on the surface. A violent eruption from a volcano leaves a caldera that is sometimes filled in to form a lake. Hot boiling water spewing out of the earth from geysers will even cause formations called craters. Crater Hot Spring didn’t just form a bowl, it formed a dome. At first, it was a bit perplexing how such a formation could have been made. Was it a comet? A caldera of a volcano? Perhaps a geyser? There is only one way to find the answers to those questions. Go there in person.

The artwork of nature is slow. It is said the Earth is 4.5 billion years old. Formations can take hundreds of thousands of years to tens of millions of years to form into what we know them today. Crater Hot Spring was formed by hot mineralized water coming to the surface. Over time the minerals formed over the spring. When it was first discovered water was still coming up out of the top.

To turn it into what it is today, a drain was installed to lower the water. Then a tunnel was drilled for the entrance. It is estimated that about 100 gallons refill the crater every minute.

At 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 Celsius) it meets the minimum requirement to be classified as a hot spring. However, some qualifications might vary. There was a great deal of steam in the confined space.

It is privately owned, but several activities are offered. We were allowed to enter and take several pictures. At a depth of 65 feet (about 20 meters), swimming and diving are allowed. However, if you are there to swim life vests are provided. You can even get scuba-certified here. We were told there are a few interesting things to see on the way to the bottom. Including the spring where the water comes up.