NEW MEMBER OFFER!

Get 35% off GOES, your essential outdoor guide

LEARN MORE

GET MORE WITH OUTSIDE+

Enjoy 35% off GOES, your essential outdoor guide

UPGRADE TODAY

Catskills Swimming Holes Being Loved to Death

The Peekamoose Blue Hole sometimes sees 1,000 visitors per day. Are more regulations necessary?

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.

For decades, Peekamoose Blue Hole has been a Catskills favorite spot for hikers and swimmers—but summer crowds that used to rarely top 30 per day are now approaching a thousand. Worse, they’re leaving more trash behind. Same goes for Kaaterskill Falls and Kaaterskill Clove. Local officials are working on various solutions, from etiquette lessons to massive cleanup days to increased rules and regulations.

Popular on Backpacker