Blue Hole (New Jersey)
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| Blue Hole | |
|---|---|
| Location | Gloucester County, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 39°37′35″N 74°53′45″W / 39.626495°N 74.895971°WCoordinates: 39°37′35″N 74°53′45″W / 39.626495°N 74.895971°W |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. width | 70 ft (21 m) |
The Blue Hole is located in the Pinelands of Monroe Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey. It is a clear blue body of water situated in the middle of a dense forest. 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 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 about 40 years ago; 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 abandoned. Farmers and families in local areas warned children of going to the blue hole because they believed the jersey devil lived there, and it would hurt or steal them.
[edit] References
More Forgotten Towns of Southern New Jersey, Chapter XX by Henry Charlton Beck, first published 1937 ISBN 0-8135-0432-5
[edit] External links
- Trip report (maps, photos, directions)
- Inquirer Suburban Story on the Blue Hole
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