Don’t Swim At Notorious ‘Devil’s Hole’: Cedar Grove Police

CEDAR GROVE, NJ — As the summer weather ramps up and local swimmers seek places to beat the heat, there’s one place in Essex County that should remain off the list: “Devil’s Hole” in Cedar Grove.

Earlier this week, Cedar Grove police announced that officers are stepping up patrols at the “attractive nuisance” – which is frequented by thrill-seeking teens. Offenders are being issued tickets, authorities added.

The increased enforcement is a result of a new municipal ordinance that prohibits swimming, wading or bathing in public recreation area waters and waterways, the Cedar Grove Police Department stated.

The local swimming hole is located in the area of Community Park, nestled in a deep ravine in the Peckman River. The area is “extremely hazardous,” with dangerous rock ledges leading up to the water’s edge, police said.

In 2014, a teen drowned while swimming in the water after a tragic jump into the swimming hole, which has surprisingly swift currents and is lined with rocks underneath the surface.

• See related article: Newark Teen Dies After Jumping Into Devil's Hole in Cedar Grove

“The area has been posted with signage at multiple entry points stating that swimming, wading, or bathing in the waters is prohibited,” Cedar Grove police stated. “Officers are making frequent patrols of the area and are issuing summonses to those in violation of the ordinance.”

Authorities in Cedar Grove issued a similar warning about swimming at Devil’s Hole last year.

• See related article: Cedar Grove Officials Warn About 'Devil's Hole': Sewage Runoff, Deadly History

"It's a rite of passage to go to Devil's Hole, usually in your preteens," a Cedar Grove resident told News 12 New Jersey after police issued last year’s warning.

"Social media has destroyed it, you know?" another resident told CBS New York. "One guy puts a video jumping… All of a sudden, you've got gangs of people coming out of nowhere."

The infamous swimming hole is fed by the Peckman River, a tributary of the Passaic River which winds through Essex and Passaic counties and has a long history with runoff from nearby wastewater treatment plants.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the Peckman River has "diurnal fluctuations at low flow due to patterns of sewage effluent entering river upstream."

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Photo: Cedar Grove Police

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