Blue Hole
Monroe, New Jersey · on Blue Hole · Winslow Wildlife Management Area
Verified · 4 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- pond
- ACCESS
- Local spot, unofficial
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Blue Hole
Blue Hole is a small, unusually clear and cold circular pond in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, sitting on the Monroe Township/Winslow Township line within the Winslow Wildlife Management Area. Unlike the tea-colored, tannic waters typical of the Pinelands, it appears strikingly blue, likely because it is fed by groundwater rather than surface streams, and it has long been a local swimming destination despite swimming and diving there being technically illegal.
The Blue Hole sits in the sandy pine-and-oak lowlands of the Winslow Wildlife Management Area near the Great Egg Harbor River, isolated since a mid-20th-century storm destroyed the wooden footbridge that once gave easy access; today it is reached only on foot or by off-road vehicle over narrow, unmarked pineland trails.
Swimming at Blue Hole
The pond is small (roughly 70-130 feet across depending on the source) but reportedly very deep for its size (up to about 100 feet), with clear, notably cold water (roughly 50-60°F even in summer) that contrasts sharply with the murky, tannin-stained water typical of nearby Pine Barrens lakes and streams. It has been used informally as a local swimming hole since at least the 1930s and remains popular in summer, though local lore and warnings describe alleged drownings, sudden temperature changes, and a soft 'sugar sand' bottom, and it suits confident, experienced swimmers rather than families or waders given the cold, deep water and lack of any supervision or facilities.
The hike in
- To the water
- Roughly 2-3 mi one-way on foot from the parking clearing to the Great Egg Harbor River crossing, then about another 100 yards (one football-field length) beyond the creek to the Blue Hole itself.
Difficulty: hard - not a maintained trail. The path is unmarked and hard to follow, the creek crossing has no bridge and can be impassable depending on water level/flow, and the surrounding terrain is swampy pine-barrens sand; the area also overlaps active hunting grounds.
Trailhead: No named/marked trailhead. Access is via an unmarked sandy woods road branching off East Piney Hollow Road roughly 2 miles southeast of Winslow (Camden/Gloucester county line area); the road narrows to a barely-visible sand path heading uphill into the forest, and you park where it becomes impassable by car.
The historic wooden footbridge over the Great Egg Harbor River that once gave direct access was destroyed by a storm (sources vary on decade: 1940s per Weird NJ, 1960s per Wikipedia) and was never rebuilt; only the old bridge abutments remain on each bank. When the creek is too deep/fast to ford at that crossing, one trip report describes an alternate route of roughly 5 miles through swampy sections of the Winslow WMA to reach the Hole while avoiding the crossing.
One hiker's trip report describes hearing nearby shotgun fire during a visit, underscoring that this is active hunting-season terrain, not a maintained park trail. Illegal ATV/ORV use has also been documented in the WMA (a Feb. 2020 enforcement action impounded 14 unregistered vehicles), and the land manager has been criticized for the total absence of marked trails, signage, or parking infrastructure at this site.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
Not ideal for young kids
Multiple independent sources agree this is not a family spot: water stays around 50-60°F year-round, the pond is reputed up to ~100 ft deep with a soft 'sugar sand' bottom near the banks, local lore includes drowning warnings that parents use to keep kids away, and reaching it requires an unmarked forest path plus an unbridged creek crossing through an active-hunting WMA with no supervision or facilities.
Parking
Free
No formal lot. Visitors drive a dirt/sandy access road off East Piney Hollow Road until the sand becomes too soft to continue, then park in a small clearing where the road effectively ends and continue on foot from there.
Restrooms
None on site
No restrooms or any built facilities are reported at or near the Blue Hole; it is a remote, undeveloped spot inside Winslow Wildlife Management Area.
Water clarity
Clear
Every source consulted (Wikipedia, Weird NJ, a personal trip report, NJ Monthly) independently describes the water as strikingly clear and blue-tinted - a sharp visual contrast to the tea-colored, tannin-stained water typical of surrounding Pine Barrens lakes and streams - which locals attribute to a groundwater-fed origin rather than surface runoff.
What regulars say
A personal trip report (losthistory.net) recounts finding no usable bridge at the old creek crossing - only the original stone/wood abutments remain on either bank - and having to consider a roughly 5-mile swampy detour around the WMA to reach the Hole when the direct creek ford wasn't passable; the same account notes hearing shotgun fire nearby, a reminder that the WMA sees active hunting use. Weird NJ's on-site account adds that local families explicitly warn children never to swim there, citing rumored past drownings and an unnervingly soft, 'quicksand'-like sandy bottom near the banks, and that the water measured as cold as 50°F on an autumn visit versus a typically cited ~58°F average.
Backstory
In the 1930s the Blue Hole was a popular local picnic and swimming spot with bridge access over the Great Egg Harbor River; that footbridge was destroyed by a storm (reported as either the 1940s or 1960s across sources), leaving the site accessible only on foot or by off-road vehicle since. It has accumulated Pine Barrens folklore, including claims it is bottomless and associations with Jersey Devil sightings, and was the subject of the horror short film 'Jersey Odysseys: Legend of the Blue Hole' by James Rolfe.
Blue Hole: FAQ
Is Blue Hole kid friendly?
Multiple independent sources agree this is not a family spot: water stays around 50-60°F year-round, the pond is reputed up to ~100 ft deep with a soft 'sugar sand' bottom near the banks, local lore includes drowning warnings that parents use to keep kids away, and reaching it requires an unmarked forest path plus an unbridged creek crossing through an active-hunting WMA with no supervision or facilities.
How hard is the hike to Blue Hole?
A hike is required, about Roughly 2-3 mi one-way on foot from the parking clearing to the Great Egg Harbor River crossing, then about another 100 yards (one football-field length) beyond the creek to the Blue Hole itself. to the water. Wear real shoes, since approaches to natural swim spots are often rocky or rooty.
Where do I park for Blue Hole?
No formal lot. Visitors drive a dirt/sandy access road off East Piney Hollow Road until the sand becomes too soft to continue, then park in a small clearing where the road effectively ends and continue on foot from there.
When is the best time to visit Blue Hole?
summer
What are the rules at Blue Hole?
Swimming and diving are technically illegal at Blue Hole, though enforcement is described as rare.
What water body is Blue Hole on?
Blue Hole is on Blue Hole, a natural pond verified in USGS hydrography data.
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