Carved into ancient granite and filled with rumored relics and deliberately placed wrecks, Mystery Lake invites divers to explore a largely uncharted freshwater world just outside of Raleigh — every dive a fresh mystery waiting to be solved.
Situated at 536 Old Quarry Rd in Wendell, North Carolina, Mystery Lake Scuba Park occupies a former granite quarry lake that has been open for scuba diving since July 2017. Originally operated as the Rockton Quarry by the Wake Stone Company from the turn of the 20th century until the early 1950s, the site later served as the Town of Wendell's water supply before being purchased by private owners and converted into a freshwater dive destination. Visitors approaching the water entry pass the town's abandoned water filtration building and a concrete holding tank — tangible reminders of the lake's layered history. Below the surface, divers encounter impressive underwater granite cliffs and overhangs alongside an eclectic mix of sunken features. Added attractions include a Piper airplane, a short bus, a full-size school bus, and a NASCAR fiberglass body, while explorers have also uncovered a conveyor structure, large quarrying gears, a mine car, pipes, and metal cords left over from the quarry era. Rumored contents — a crane, a motorcycle, stolen cars, and even cremated remains — ensure the lake lives up to its name as a largely unexplored natural wonder. The quarry lake supports a lively freshwater ecosystem of bass, bluegill, mosquitofish, catfish, carp, freshwater eel, paddlefish, turtles, and five large koi. Reservations are handled through an online booking system, currently open for training course students, instructors, and annual pass holders; the park also hosts the annual Polar Plunge on New Year's Day — a charity dive benefitting MADD that is open to all divers and spectators.
Wendell, United States
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