He got there, discovered a tiny hamlet of a couple of buildings and only one guy, but a fascinating history/story/folklore. This place is on private property. from the guy who obviously didnt want me back there. One of the most storied sites in all of southern New Jersey is a mysterious body of water known as the Blue Hole. Thanks again for the work you do.. It is a clear blue body of water situated in the middle of a dense forest, with many similar such lakes in its immediate vicinity. The one problem that I had going back is that a man gave me the wrong directions when I asked him. Just a short hike down some stairs you arrive at … Hear more audio stories HERE. The quiet was soon shattered however, by the echoes of shotgun blasts from a nearby firing range which rang through the tranquil forest. As we approached the Blue Hole though, the atmosphere seemed to change. According to Beck (who never let a good story get in the way of the truth), it was bottomless and cold year round, yet never froze over all the way in winter. National Park, NJ Saved By One Man Who Saw The Master Plan; Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum~ A Place With Some Historical Flair; New Hope Winery~ Is a #1 Finery Of Top-Notch Wines; New Jersey; NJ; Old Deptford Strangers Burial Ground~ You're No Stranger If You Are Buried Here. Trailheads –  39° 37.196’N,  74° 53.797’W. A furnace and a forge were both in operation here by 1802, and were taken over by Samuel Richards (remember that name, it’ll be back a lot this post) early in the 19th century. Once the road ends, you end up on a very wide and spacious trail, which leads maybe 1/4 mile to the Blue Hole itself. Some who have been lucky enough to escape its clutches have claimed that they actually felt something, perhaps the Jersey Devil himself, pulling them down into the chilly depths. Looking for Skywalker… in Ireland (a trip to Skellig Michael), Beech Cliff Trail – Acadia National Park, Maine, Appalachian Trail – All of Maryland – Day 2. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Others refer to all of the crystalline turquoise lakes in the Pine Barrens as blue holes. The birds were heard no more and in their stead was an eerie silence. the blue hole I have been to the blue hole last summer. The purpose of these regulations is to increase public safety and reduce impacts to the environmental resources. There have been alot of people who’ve done that over the years. I remembered you had to park at the gun range (I remember hearing shotguns the entire time we explored back in 2003), but I couldn’t find any gun range! Township police were assisted by five law enforcement officers from the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. When you watch the video below, you won’t believe it was shot in New Jersey… but gorgeous water holes exist in the Garden State, hidden in the Pine Barrens. South Jersey Trails is four years old! That’s the coordinates for the parking lot as put into Google Maps. Others claim that it is what geologists call a pingo. Blue Hole The Blue Hole is located in the Pinelands of Monroe Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey and Winslow Township, Camden County, New Jersey. Some say that the only blue hole is located in Winslow, the infamous hideout of the Jersey Devil. The #55 issue of Weird NJ Magazine: Your Travel Guide to New Jersey’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets, is now available. Though I do miss the mountains of the Blue Ridge Parkway, I am so grateful there are beautiful places in NJ to hike! Please do not visit without express permission from the land owner. Old quarries that have filled with water form blue holes in New Jersey. Where are Glory Holes in New Jersey, United States? Thanks for all your information. The water was supposed to be bring blue, as contrasting with the usual iced tea colored Egg Harbor River within ten steps or so of the Blue Hole. Sweet, thanks for the report. The trail is primarily used for walking and nature trips and is accessible year-round. Anyhow.. And it was a great day. The old landmark was the sign for the shotgun range, but that range has since closed, and there is no sign. Thanks dude. (long story why).. The park offers RV spaces as well as tent camps. This small city of 15,000 people on the shoreline saw 6 murders in 2013. The three-day operation concentrated on wooded areas around Blue Hole off … Its waters remain curiously cold, even in the hottest summer months, averaging about 58 degrees. I’m a map nut, but most are private property folks. How could we not go find it? One of the first places we decided to visit was the famous Blue Hole of Winslow (as covered by Beck in his book More Forgotten Towns of Southern New Jersey). Located deep in the Pine Barrens of Winslow, on the border of Camden and Gloucester Counties, this small but legendary pool is said to not only be bottomless, but also a frequent pit stop of the Jersey Devil. The Blue Hole Park, Salina: Address, Phone Number, The Blue Hole Park Reviews: 4.5/5 Thanks.. and God bless you! But hiking isn’t what hooked me on the pine barrens all those years ago (and boy, what great hiking there is there), it was the history. Located deep in Monroe Township, The Blue Hole is located in the Pinelands of Monroe Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey and Winslow Township, Camden County, New Jersey. It is a clear blue body of water situated in the middle of a dense forest, with many similar such lakes in its immediate vicinity. The arid-desert diving destination gained popularity in … The park includes approximately 4.0 miles of trails, picnic areas, a community pavilion, playscape, basketball court, sand volleyball court, amphitheater, and the Blue Hole Swimming Area. Unlike most bodies of water in the Pine Barrens, which bear a coloration similar to tea due to the high content of iron, tannic acid, and suspended sediment,  the water of the Blue Hole is perfectly clear. Other pics from 2003, because I took them, I might as well share them. The surface of the Blue Hole was as still as glass, and a thermometer that we’d brought to measure its temperature read a chilly 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Hike on a dirt road off Piney Hollow Road, leading northwest into the Winslow Wildlife Management Area. I place much of the blame for my interest in the place at the feet of James Rolfe (of Angry Video Game Nerd fame) who featured it in one of his student films “The Legend of the Blue Hole” and immortalized this otherwise mediocre little lake. It was only 5 mins. One of a series of Waking Weird episodes which can be heard broadcast live every Monday at 8:39 am (EST) at WFMU FM and WFMU.org. The region has four state forests, and because it is so sparsely populated, it has a reputation as a backwater region in New Jersey. Our trip to blue hole nj kind of a letdown but it was creepy. The REAL BLUE HOLE is an old spring located near where I was stuck in the sand. Back in 2003, there was more of it left, but still not a whole lot. Blue Hole Dive Center (santarosanm.org) is an 80-foot-deep well along Route 66 in northeastern New Mexico. One of the most storied sites in all of southern New Jersey is a mysterious body of water known as the Blue Hole. For starters, she isn’t very clear (although still not the same brown color that most pine barrens waterways are). Once I was on the trail, it was easy. The thought is that she might have filled in a bit over the years. Thank you for your website and all your time! DEC has issued special regulations for the Blue Hole and Peekamoose Valley because of the huge increase in visitors. Problem is, despite the upgrades in technology (Mike and I used to get by on memory, county maps, a few topo maps we sprang for, and a healthy amount of “I’m sure we’ll see it.”), I couldn’t figure out where it was. The popular area brings many families to swim, camp, and fish nearby the park. The coordinates that you can use in navigation applications to get to find Blue Hole quickly are 39.6219045,-74.8780808 I just moved back to South Jersey for the first time in 35 years! National Park, New Jersey Circa the 1930's to Now. The Blue Hole is hardly spectacular, but the walk through the woods on a nice day is worth the effort anyway! Due to this boom in popularity, a permit is now required to access this destination on weekends and holidays from May 15 to Oct. 15. It's a heavily forested area covered in sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil that is well suited for cranberries, orchids, and carnivorous plants. When I took my then-2yo, we came from the other direction by bicycle and forded Egg Harbor River. National Park, New Jersey Circa the 1930's to Now. The Blue Hole is approximately 130 across, almost perfectly round, and has steep banks. The park features picnic areas, restrooms, and wading areas. All contents ©Weird NJ and may not be reproduced by any means without permission. If you aren't obsessed with South Jersey folklore, you may be disappointed by the Blue Hole. This fact accounts for why the water does not contain the same murky color as the river, and might also be the reason for the mysterious surges of current. That’s where I lived for the past decade — deep South in Roanoke amidst the awesome mountains. Map of Glory Holes in New Jersey (United States) where have anonymous sex. The Ten Most Popular South Jersey hikes!!! Just follow the ridiculously massive blazes, you can hardly miss them. Apparently, it was 1973. The address is roughly 254 Piney Hollow Road, Winslow, NJ, although of course there aren’t really addresses out there. Located deep in the Pine Barrens of Winslow, on the border of Camden and Gloucester Counties, this small but legendary pool is said to not only be bottomless, but also a frequent pit stop of the Jersey Devil. Blue Hole is no longer one of the best kept secrets in the Catskills—it's now one of the most popular swimming holes in the Northeast. Tales of unexplained whirlpools which suck down hapless swimmers have long been part of the Hole’s lore. I stumbled onto the Piney Hollow Preservation land last weekend and — through resarch — located this site: http://www.njwildlifetrails.org/PineBarrensTrails/Sites/tabid/1698/Scope/site/Guide/PINEBARREN/Site/325/Loop/CGCS/Default.aspx I would be entering from the Black Horse Pike, so I will try those directions on my next visit. If you have any type of group or need any volunteers for trail maintenance or editing (I am a former journalist with a daily newspaper in NJ and a current high school English teacher), I would very much enjoy being part of your group! Listing for informational purposes only. Scientific rational does little to lessen the mysteries of this curious body of water though, which seem to run as deep as the Blue Hole itself. After the furnace and forge closed down, a pair of paper mills was established … The Blue Hole is located in the Pinelands of Monroe Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey and Winslow Township, Camden County, New Jersey. This one is a real pain to find, I got totally lost when I went to find it, and that was after I’d been there! Located deep in Monroe Township, The Blue Hole is located in the Pinelands of Monroe Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey and Winslow Township, Camden County, New Jersey. Camden County College Trails – Blackwood, NJ, Beaver Branch Park/Green Acres Park – Runnemede, NJ, Big Timber Creek (South Branch) Paddle – Deptford, NJ to Westville, NJ – 8 miles, Manasquan Floodplain Trail – Allaire State Park – Wall Township, NJ. The big cabin comes furnished with one bed and a couch, as well as a restroom with stool and sink, while the small cabin comes with one full-sized bed and no restroom. According to Beck (who never let a good story get in the way of the truth), it was bottomless and cold year round, yet never froze over all the way in winter.