The Jersey Devil, sometimes called the Leeds Devil, is a legendary creature said to inhabit the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey. It is often described as a flying 2-footed creature with cloven (divided) hooves, but there are many variations.

The most popular version of the Jersey Devil legend begins in the 18th century when Deborah Smith from England immigrated to the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey to marry Mr. Leeds, a rather vain man who wanted several heirs to continue the family name. Consequently, the new wife was continually pregnant. After bearing twelve healthy children, she was dismayed to be pregnant with her thirteenth. She cursed the unborn child, saying that she would rather have the devil's child than another Leeds. Apparently, her wish was granted as the new child had cloven hooves, claws, and a tail. The horrible newborn proceeded to eat the other Leeds children and the parents, before escaping through the chimney to begin its reign of terror.

An important piece of the Jersey Devil legend concerns its supposed home at the Blue Hole located near Winslow, New Jersey. According to popular folklore, the blue hole is the bottomless gateway to all evil.

The Blue Hole is located in the Pinelands of Winslow Township, New Jersey. The Blue Hole is a body of water in the middle of woods that is clear blue and always freezing cold, even in the summer, with a very steep shoreline. The clear blueness was unusual because most lakes and ponds in the area are brownish. Around the 1930s, the Blue Hole was a very popular party and swimming spot. There was a bridge that went over the Great Egg Harbor River that made the Hole easily accessible that was wiped out by a storm about 40 years ago.

The history of the Blue Hole is shrouded in legend and myth, much of which has no basis in reality. Legends concerning bottomless depth, icy coldness, and powerful currents, are generally thought to have no basis in reality. For example, the bottom of the Blue Hole can clearly be seen on a day when visibility is above average.