Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Liberia Tubmanburg Bomi Blue Lake

Bomi Blue Lake

An abandoned mine pit is now a beautiful, colorful attraction.

Tubmanburg, Liberia

Added By
Tony Dunnell
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Bomi Blue Lake.   Figula Photography/Getty
Bomi Blue Lake.   Sahmeditor/Public Domain
The surrounding area.   Sahmeditor/public domain
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

When the Liberia Mining Company began to abandon its operations in Bomi County in northwestern Liberia, it left behind a series of pit mines. But as nature began to reclaim these scars in the Bomi Hills, one of the pits filled with water, creating a beautiful blue lake.

Back in the 1960s and ‘70s, the LMC began operations in the Bomi Hills near the town of Tubmanburg. The company dug a series of huge pits to extract iron ore from the hills, but by the late 1970s, the ore reserves were deemed depleted and the company closed its operations.

The LMC left a landscape pockmarked by pits, so much so that locals began to wryly refer to the Bomi Hills as the Bomi Holes. And the mining company had left so quickly that they even abandoned some of their equipment at the bottom of the craters.

It was a mess, but one that nature slowly began to reclaim. And as it did so, one of the largest pits took on a whole new life of its own. Despite being stuck up in the hills and isolated from any obvious sources of water, the 300-foot-deep pit began to fill with water, likely fed by a spring somewhere down below.

By the end of the 1990s, the lake looked like a totally natural formation. And in 2007, Senator Richard Devine, in whose constituency the lake was situated, began to promote the wonders of what he billed as “a natural phenomenon and …. a wonderful sight to behold.”

"One thing is certain about this lake," continued the Senator, "Whether rain or shine, it never rises above its banks, nor does it dry. The water level is absolutely stable. It's a wonderful sight, a haven for hotel and casino development, and of course water sports."

Senator Devine’s enthusiasm certainly helped draw attention to the Blue Lake, named for its clear blue waters. But so far, hotels and casinos have yet to set up around the lake. There are a few weathered wooden pavilions, but little else. Still, it’s certainly a pretty spot for a picnic.

Despite the lake’s mining history— and the possible presence of mining equipment at its bottom—it was, for a while, the source of bottled Blue Lake mineral water. And it seems that the waters are clean and free from pollution.

But before you go for a swim, as many do, you might want to know about certain sightings by  United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) soldiers stationed in the area. These soldiers have apparently spotted some big snakes in the lake, and locals sometimes speak of a particularly large boa living near the waters of the Blue Lake.

Related Tags

Lakes Mines Snakes Water

Know Before You Go

Blue Lake, also known as Bomi Lake, is located in the Bomi Hills, about three miles north of the town of Tubmanburg. If you’re feeling fit you could hike up to the lake from Tubmanburg. Otherwise, find someone in town to take you up there in a 4x4 vehicle.

Community Contributors

Added By

Tony Dunnell

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe

  • Kerry Wolfe

Published

May 20, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://sitesofliberia.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/blue-lake-in-bomi-county/
  • https://www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-162299183/the-wonders-of-liberia-s-blue-lake-the-discovery
  • https://books.google.com.pe/books?id=ElYD-kYiLtMC&pg=PA81&lpg=PA81&dq=The+Wonders+Of+Liberia%27s+Blue+Lake%22&source=bl&ots=ysCiGWpb7v&sig=ACfU3U0xfQjaBTbaYP0zCdVzllLsOI1KBA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwid8_L5qI_iAhVlplkKHfzuBUUQ6AEwDnoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=The%20Wonders%20Of%20Liberia's%20Blue%20Lake%22&f=false
  • https://freewheely.com/2013/09/for-a-swim-in-the-open-pit-of-the-bomi-blue-lake/
  • http://www.traveladventures.org/continents/africa/blue-lake-bomi.html
Bomi Blue Lake
Tubmanburg
Liberia
6.89999, -10.827185

Nearby Places

Robertsport Ghost Ship

Robertsport, Liberia

miles away

Abandoned Ducor Hotel

Monrovia, Liberia

miles away

Liberian National Museum

Monrovia, Liberia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Liberia

Liberia

Africa

Places 7
Stories 2

Nearby Places

Robertsport Ghost Ship

Robertsport, Liberia

miles away

Abandoned Ducor Hotel

Monrovia, Liberia

miles away

Liberian National Museum

Monrovia, Liberia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Liberia

Liberia

Africa

Places 7
Stories 2

Related Places

  • Ashton’s Flash

    Wincham, England

    Ashton's and Neumann's Flashes

    Formed by the collapse of salt mines and later used for dumping industrial waste, these lakes are now part an unusual, biodiverse parkland.

  • Opalsøen (The Opal Lake)

    Allinge, Denmark

    Opalsøen (The Opal Lake)

    Once a granite mine, this beautiful lake is the perfect place to cliff jump and zipline in Denmark

  • View of the Venus Mine looking to the south.

    Tagish, Yukon

    Venus Silver Mine

    The picturesque remains of an abandoned silver mine slope down to Tagish Lake in the Yukon.

  • The lake.

    San Bernardino County, California

    Searles Lake

    This sun-scorched lakebed contains samples of half the natural elements known to humankind.

  • Velka Amerika

    Vysoký Újezd, Czechia

    Velka Amerika

    This former quarry is now a picturesque gorge that hides a sunken lake.

  • Eagle-Shawmut Mine

    Jamestown, California

    Eagle-Shawmut Mine

    Hidden beneath a lake for decades, this brutalist mine has now emerged from beneath the receding waters.

  • Billion Gallon Lake

    Bonne Terre, Missouri

    Bonne Terre Mine

    The world's largest man-made underground caverns offer unparalleled underwater wonders.

  • A turquoise Lago Coatepeque.

    El Salvador

    Lago Coatepeque

    This color-changing crater lake in El Salvador is occasionally impenetrable to sunlight.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.