Scuba Dive in America’s Warmest Springs Where 30-Foot Blue Pools Bubble Up in Rural Utah

Meadow Hot Springs, Utah

Utah’s most impressive hot spring might be its most understated. Meadow Hot Springs is nothing but three pools in a field – but those pools are crystal clear, comfortably warm, and deep enough to float in.

The catch? You’ll share the parking area with cows, but it’s totally worth it.

These Cool Landowners Let You Soak for Basically Nothing

You can jump in these hot springs for free, thanks to some seriously generous landowners who keep it open through a simple honor system.

Just drop what you think is fair in one of the wooden donation boxes scattered around the property.

The Water Is Crazy Deep and Has Claimed Lives

Don’t let the crystal-clear water fool you – these pools are seriously deep. The main pool bottoms out at 27 feet, with underwater ledges that create real hazards.

Since 2019, four people have drowned here, including a man found beneath a rock ledge after diving under. Warning signs went up in 2020, but there are no lifejackets provided.

On sunny days, you can see about 15 feet down into the water, which makes it deceptively inviting. The depth catches a lot of people off guard.

You Can Literally Swim Through Underwater Tunnels

Below the surface lies a legit underwater cave system. Local divers have mapped about 50 feet of passages connecting at least two of the pools.

These naturally formed tunnels developed over thousands of years as hot mineral water slowly dissolved the limestone.

Scuba Divers Travel Across the Country to Dive Here

Scuba enthusiasts make special trips to dive in the middle of this Utah cow pasture. The main pool’s 30-foot depth and incredible visibility make it perfect for diving.

Local dive shops from Salt Lake City run monthly expeditions here, and someone’s installed a permanent guide rope to the deepest part. Some technical divers have hit 32 feet at the very bottom, which requires special gear.

The Bottom Is Covered With Lost Wedding Rings

In 2023 alone, a local diver recovered 12 wedding rings and managed to return 8 to their owners after posting photos online.

The most valuable find was a $4,800 platinum diamond ring returned to a Colorado visitor in 2024. There’s even a silver bracelet from 1976 embedded in mineral deposits at the bottom of the second pool.

A Volcano Made These Pools Thousands of Years Ago

These pools exist because of ancient volcanic activity from 10,000-24,000 years ago when Lake Bonneville (a massive prehistoric lake) was receding.

About 30 minutes away, you can check out Tabernacle Hill, a lava tube from the same volcanic period. The hot water bubbles up from an underground cave at exactly 106°F.

The pools are in the Black Rock Desert volcanic field, which covers 700 square miles in Millard County. The white mineral rims around the pools grow about 1-2 millimeters thicker every year.

Cows Sometimes Fall Into the Springs and Drown

When the protective fences came down, the local cattle started wandering into dangerous territory. Ranch owners lost three cows worth $4,500 in 2022 alone. The western pool occasionally contains cow poop due to its location near grazing areas (gross, but true).

People Used to Harvest Fancy Salad Greens Here

Before becoming a soaking spot, locals gathered water cress from the springs’ runoff area, which they called ‘The Slew.’

This nutritious plant thrived in the mineral-rich waters. Historical records from 1912 show that water cress was harvested and sold to markets as far as Salt Lake City.

The calcium and magnesium in the water created perfect growing conditions for the plants.

Parents Taught Kids to Swim by Literally Throwing Them In

Back in the 1920s, the Thompson family had a hardcore swim lesson approach – they’d take their kids to the springs, toss them in, and tell them to figure it out.

Jacob Thompson won regional diving competitions in 1926 and 1928 after learning this way. The family kept up this tradition for three generations, and surprisingly, none of the kids drowned despite the intense method.

Each Pool Has a Completely Different Temperature

The three pools sit in a triangle about 700 feet apart from each other, each with its own unique temperature.

Recent measurements from January 2025 clocked the main pool at 102°F, the middle one at 87°F, and the coolest at 72°F.

This gives you options – too hot in the first pool? Head to the cooler ones. The temperature variety is pretty unique for natural hot springs.

The Springs Get Shut Down When People Misbehave

The most recent shutdown lasted 8 months in 2021 after visitors trashed the place.

The longest closure stretched 14 months from 2017-2018 following vandalism of the protective fencing.

Alcohol, drownings, and property damage have all triggered temporary shutdowns as well.

Tropical Fish Live in the Pools Year-Round

The springs host an unexpected mini-ecosystem of exotic fish. Wildlife biologists found 6 different species of non-native cichlids in the third pool in 2024, likely dumped by aquarium owners.

Some fish grow up to 12 inches long and survive year-round thanks to the consistent water temperatures. The third pool (the one with the dock) has the most fish. They’ll nibble your feet if you stay still in the shallows – like a free fish spa treatment.

Farmers Grew Vegetables Faster Using Hot Spring Water

In the early 1900s, locals used the warm, wet ground near the springs for growing vegetables when the rest of the area was too cold.

Historical records from 1915 show tomatoes grown here ripened 3 weeks earlier than anywhere else in the county.

Visiting Meadow Hot Springs

Meadow Hot Springs sits on private land south of Fillmore but welcomes visitors 24/7. Take I-15 to exit 158, drive south through Meadow, turn right onto the dirt road 1.5 miles past town, and continue west for 4.8 miles.