We did a birthday party at The Crater, the hot spring inside a natural dome, located at Homestead Resort in Midway, Utah.
All in all, it was fun. The kids enjoyed it and that made the trip worthwhile. However, I was a little disappointed. To me, it was not as fun as I expected.
The water is very nice. The water stays warm (90-96 F) year-round. The water does not have a sulphur smell or any unpleasantness. It felt nice on my skin.
The crater dome is fun to see. The water carries minerals. As it exits the ground, minerals are deposited and, over many years, they have created a natural dome. When Anglo settlers arrived, the water flowed out of the top of the dome, which rises about 55 feet above ground level. A tunnel was constructed, allowing the water to flow out at ground level, and an entrance was carved through the rocky mineral deposit. So now the dome is hollow. It is somewhat like climbing into an eggshell. To me, that was kind of cool.
Everyone is required to wear a flotation device (life jacket), regardless of age or swimming ability. That restricts movement. I understand the need. The water is about 65 feet deep, and the company needs to mitigate liability. If a problem occurs and someone sinks, it would be a recovery and not a rescue. But the dang life jackets make it pretty much impossible to do anything but float and splash around.
People scuba dive at The Crater. That experience is available if you want to spend the money.
The water is dark. The rocks are dark. There is not much to see down in the depths.
The swim-and-soak experience is expensive. It costs $30 per person, children and adults alike. And the time in the water is only about 40 minutes.
The check-in process is cumbersome. You have to list all members of your party, and adult guardians have to sign a release of liability form. When I booked, the confirmation email had a link to complete the check-in forms online before we arrived, but the link did not work. So, by the time you check in and get into your life jacketet, there is only about 40 minutes left to play.
We had fun. The kids enjoyed the experience.
I probably won't be back.