Blue Hole (New Jersey)
Encyclopedia
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 it's immediate vicinity. The water has warm and cold spots, averaging 58 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The color is very unusual, as most lakes and ponds in the area are brownish due to large deposits of bog iron
and the presence of tannic acid
. The Blue Hole is circular and about 70 feet (21.3 m) across. In the 1930s, the Blue Hole was a popular party and swimming spot. A wooden footbridge over the Great Egg Harbor River
that once made the Hole easily accessible was wiped out by a storm in the 1960s; now it can only be reached on foot.
A number of legends exist: that it is bottomless with powerful currents, that the water is freezing cold year-round, and that the Jersey Devil
is active in the area.
After people became afraid of it, the blue hole was largely abandoned. Perhaps farmers and families in the area warned children against going to the Blue Hole because the Jersey Devil lived there, and it would hurt or steal them. Locals still go to the area and use it as a party spot. It is interesting to note the presence of many other 'blue holes' in the immediate vicinity, as well as quick sand and other seasonal ponds and lakes that form from springs seeping from high water table levels. What can not be so easily explained is the color of the lake compared to other brackish waters in the vicinity.
Pine Barrens (New Jersey)
The Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands, is a heavily forested area of coastal plain stretching across southern New Jersey. The name "pine barrens" refers to the area's sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil, to which the crops originally imported by European settlers didn't take well...
of Monroe Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey
Monroe Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey
Monroe Township is a township in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 28,967....
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 it's immediate vicinity. The water has warm and cold spots, averaging 58 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The color is very unusual, as most lakes and ponds in the area are brownish due to large deposits of bog iron
Bog iron
Bog iron refers to impure iron deposits that develop in bogs or swamps by the chemical or biochemical oxidation of iron carried in the solutions. In general, bog ores consist primarily of iron oxyhydroxides, commonly goethite...
and the presence of tannic acid
Tannic acid
Tannic acid is a specific commercial form of tannin, a type of polyphenol. Its weak acidity is due to the numerous phenol groups in the structure...
. The Blue Hole is circular and about 70 feet (21.3 m) across. In the 1930s, the Blue Hole was a popular party and swimming spot. A wooden footbridge over the Great Egg Harbor River
Great Egg Harbor River
The Great Egg Harbor River is a river in southern New Jersey in the United States. It is one of the major rivers that traverse the largely pristine Pinelands, draining of wetlands into the Atlantic Ocean at Great Egg Harbor, from which it takes its name....
that once made the Hole easily accessible was wiped out by a storm in the 1960s; now it can only be reached on foot.
A number of legends exist: that it is bottomless with powerful currents, that the water is freezing cold year-round, and that the Jersey Devil
Jersey Devil
The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature or cryptid said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey, United States. The creature is often described as a flying biped with hooves, but there are many variations...
is active in the area.
After people became afraid of it, the blue hole was largely abandoned. Perhaps farmers and families in the area warned children against going to the Blue Hole because the Jersey Devil lived there, and it would hurt or steal them. Locals still go to the area and use it as a party spot. It is interesting to note the presence of many other 'blue holes' in the immediate vicinity, as well as quick sand and other seasonal ponds and lakes that form from springs seeping from high water table levels. What can not be so easily explained is the color of the lake compared to other brackish waters in the vicinity.
External links
- Trip report (maps, photos, directions)
- Inquirer Suburban Story on the Blue Hole
- Great Directions and Jersey Devil related lore