Blue Hole

Blue Hole

Catskills

The Blue Hole on Rondout Creek in the Sundown Wild Forest The Blue Hole on Rondout Creek in the Sundown Wild Forest
41.9182, -74.4215

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. 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. This refreshing oasis is worth a visit but visitors...

The Blue Hole is a deep swimming hole on Rondout Creek in the Sundown Wild Forest. Brace yourself as you stand on top of the cool rock ledge: the blueish-green water below you is cold. It may take your breath away. It may be the closest you ever want to come to the polar bear plunge. You jump anyway. After you swim to the bank, you’ll have a hard time coming up with a more refreshing way to...

  • The Blue Hole is open from sunrise to sunset.
  • No glass bottles. Pack cans or plastic instead. Glass is a bad idea because it breaks, which is dangerous for barefoot swimmers who walk along the bank.
  • No BBQs. This means no charcoal fires, wood fires, gas grills, propane stoves or other portable stoves.
  • No portable radios or stereos.
  • No camping....

Prepare For Your Destination

Let's Go

Trip Reports

rate experience
August 09, 2017
1
The ecological devastation of Blue Hole will go down in Catskill history as the moment when we recognized internet promotion as a destructive force in conservation efforts. This once beautiful natural water attraction has not been protected and is now host to intense recreational use. There are upwards of a thousand people each weekend who BBQ, set up tables and music and leave bio-hazard waste. Maintenance is not in keeping with Title XIV and it is a crime.
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bouvfan
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