Fame is not always a good thing. It all started last summer when a national publication listed a local swimming hole as one of the Top 5 in the country.

Peekamoose Blue Hole, a beautiful place on Rondout Creek where really cold water rushes through the rocks and forms a very deep pool at the end, was soon overrun by tourists, refuse, fires, human waste, and glass, according to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation(DEC)

As many as 700 people crowded into the small area on a weekend day, which resulted not only in the awful mess people left behind, but also an overwhelming of the parking areas which then spilled out all along Peekamoose Road.

Local communities also expressed safety concerns with the road not being passable by emergency service vehicles due to blockage by illegally parked cars and concerns with the sheer number of visitors.

As a result, the DEC have issued these emergency regulations for Peekamoose Blue Hole, effective immediately.

1. Hours are now restricted, except for the nearby designated camping area, to one half hour before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset.

2. I can't believe we actually have to say this but, it is required that visitors use the portable restroom facilities for human waste disposal and the dumpster for all other waste.

3. Camping is prohibited as well as all fires (including charcoal fires, wood fires, gas grills, propane stoves or other portable stoves) and the use of portable generators at the Blue Hole. (Limited use of the above will be allowed at the nearby designated camping area only)

4. Parking is limited to designated parking areas (parking along the shoulder of the road is already prohibited by the Town and is a Tow Away Zone)

5. Glass containers, radios and other audio devices are prohibited.

These emergency regulations are in effect for 90 days. The development of permanent Site Specific Regulations for the property, that mirror the emergency regulations, is currently underway and there will be an opportunity for public input.

 

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