A Utah couple wanted a place where they could practise scuba diving without travelling to the ocean. Their solution was to build a $2 million backyard swimming pool with 360,000 gallons of water, a 90-foot man-made mountain, five waterfalls and an underwater tunnel that takes divers down to a depth of 26 feet. Called “The Mountain”, the pool was built at a home in Springville, Utah. It stretches 140 feet long and 60 feet wide, and includes a 300-foot lazy river, a hidden grotto, winding pathways and a water slide concealed inside the mountain.As reported by FOX 13 News, the unusual pool was featured on Animal Planet’s television programme ‘The Pool Master,’ hosted by pool designer Anthony Archer-Wills. The project was designed for a homeowner who loved mountains and scuba diving, the broadcaster reported.
A 90-foot mountain in the backyard
The pool’s main feature is a 90-foot artificial mountain designed to resemble the natural landscape around the property. It includes five waterfalls, several hidden pathways and two bridges that wind towards the top. Archer-Wills described the structure as one that “emulates the natural surroundings perfectly”, according to FOX 13 News. The mountain is not just decorative. A hidden water slide runs for 60 feet through the structure before dropping into the pool below. There is also a secluded grotto tucked behind the waterfalls, giving swimmers another place to explore. The pool’s design combines these features with a 300-foot lazy river, allowing the owners to swim, float and explore different parts of the property without leaving home.
A tunnel that lets the owners practise scuba diving
Photo: Crazy World
Scuba diving was one of the main reasons the couple commissioned the pool. Utah is far from the ocean, so having a deep-water area at home offered them a place to practise. According to FOX 13 News, a concealed entrance inside the mountain leads to a tunnel measuring 54 feet long and five feet wide. The tunnel reaches a depth of 26 feet and connects to the main pool. The underwater section is intended for scuba-certified divers. It allows them to put on diving equipment and practise underwater skills without travelling to a coastal diving location. As reported by Scuba Diving magazine, the $2 million project included the 54-foot tunnel, five waterfalls, the lazy river and a hidden 60-foot slide in the year 2014.
A kitchen, bridges and hidden spaces
The pool also has facilities for spending time outdoors beyond swimming and diving. According to FOX 13 News, the mountain houses a full kitchen with granite countertops, stainless-steel cabinets, a refrigerator and an eight-burner grill. The bridges and paths offer access to the upper sections of the structure, while the hidden grotto and winding passages give the mountain several enclosed spaces to explore. The combination of water features, diving facilities and kitchen space makes the backyard pool more elaborate than a conventional residential swimming pool.
A $2 million project featured on television
The project came to wider attention when it appeared on ‘The Pool Master,’ a programme that follows pool designer Anthony Archer-Wills as he transforms residential outdoor spaces. The pool cost approximately $2 million to build. In its 2015 report, Scuba Diving magazine highlighted the project as an example of how a private swimming pool could be designed around a specific hobby. For the Utah homeowners, the central purpose was practical as well as recreational: they wanted somewhere to practise scuba diving close to home. The result was a 360,000-gallon pool built around an artificial mountain, with five waterfalls, a lazy river, a hidden slide and a 26-foot-deep underwater tunnel.
