The Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, New Mexico is an iconic roadside attraction on Route 66, nut its history dates back long before The Mother Road. Or any roads for that matter.

Starting with Native Americans long before the arrival of Europeans, to Conquistadors, cowboys, railroad passengers, roadtrippers, and possibly even Billy the Kid, the Blue Hole has been a popular spot to stop during a long journey for centuries.

The water in the Blue Hole comes from a cave system near its bottom that generates about 3,000 gallons of water per minute. The constant refreshing of the water leads to it being remarkably clear. The water completely cycles out about every six hours.

The Blue is about 80 feet deep and 80 feet in diameter at the surface. It widens the deeper it goes until the diameter reaches 130 feet across. The water keeps a consistent 62 degrees year-round. Winter is apparently the busiest diving season, with other dive sites in the area being too cold.

The cave system at the bottom of the Blue Hole has led to the death of three divers, and is gated off to prevent access because of the danger of exploring it.

On our visit the weather was a bit too cold to go for a swim, but we explore the area surrounding the Blue Hole and talk about it's history.

The Blue Hole is located at: 34.941378763662165, -104.67323900001657

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