Blue Holes

A New Jersey "Blue Hole" is a sand quarry that has filled with water from the aquifer below. These are very dangerous places. This is because, although the visible part may look like a Caribbean beach, the underwater sides of the quarry are steep and unstable, and merely walking near the edge can cause a collapse into the hole. The water is deep and cold, and the victim is quickly overcome by shock and hypothermia and drowns.

I have marked a few of the bigger and more notorious Blue Holes that might look like good places to go on a satellite image. They are not. Most Blue Holes are either state-owned or private property, and strictly illegal (and stupid) to trespass.


South River
( 40.43920, -74.36810 )

  1. Raritan River - Edison ( 40.48791, -74.38382 )
  2. Raritan River - Sayreville ( 40.47450, -74.35606 )
  3. South River - Old Bridge ( 40.41228, -74.36362 )
  4. South River - Sayreville ( 40.45397, -74.37222 )
  5. South River - South River ( 40.45838, -74.38361 )

My preferred launch point is on the river behind the little strip mall off Route 527 / Old Matawan Rd. I have never had a problem parking here, although I don't think this would be a good place for a large group to show up. Entry can be messy if the water is low. I wouldn't wear white. The launch site is pretty muddy at low tide, try to hit this spot when there is plenty of water.