Luckily I've got access to miles of tidal mud nearby but what I really want to do this season is have some fun in a quarry. I've noticed a lot of people here indulge in this so I'd love to hear some advice on how to do so without getting caught.

When is the best time to go? Obviously public holidays are ideal but is any time during weekends/after business hours usually safe? What about entering these places? Most quarries I see are fenced off. Should I sneak in somehow or should I choose an open site instead? Most importantly, what if someone catches me in there? Has anyone here been caught before? If so, how did you handle it?

I know mudding anywhere in public comes with a certain risk of getting caught but quarries to me just seem sketchier than most. Is it worth the risk?

Legit question. My only ever experience with mud was in the pitch black of night when playing a capture the flag game with a large group of people. Mud around here isn't that plentiful, just water with rocks. Strangely enough, there is a rock quarry not 5 miles down the road from me. However, it is definitely a more dangerous area, and a large construction site that is razor wire fenced off and always filled with large work vehicles. I don't think it's a place I'd want to go get my jollies even if it had a nice inviting pool of creamy mud. I'd rather not get crushed to death by boulders.

I think if I lived close enough to a place in mind, or had the opportunity to spend a few days in it's vacinity, I'd scout it out really well, maybe walking around it a couple of times with a pair of binos. Better still; find someone who already knows a site, and is willing to share details; easier said than done.

The lure of quarry mud is intense for me, plus there isn't much tidal mud close to me... so quarries are a target.

I use google earth and a detailed photographic website to look for the best locations. Ease of access is the key. I walk straight into the quarry I go to... on a Sunday... or public holidays.

However, I did get caught entering a quarry once... got seen climbing through a fence by a farmer who contacted the owner. He caught me and my partner before we could get naked or muddy. He asked what we were doing and I was completely honest with him.... he just laughed and asked us to leave.

Quarries are risky and dangerous places... but if you find the right one... the mud is amazing... a warm night time visit can be real fun.

Probably one of the more important things to research is whether or not the quarry you find is an actual location for excavation of clays and gravel, or a settling pond area for things like strip mines. Excavation quarries are okay, but tailing ponds - which can look just like them - can contain some fairly unhealthy stuff like heavy metals and other nasty chemicals. It usualy takes literally seconds to figure it out via company profiles and stuff google, though. Also, remember to watch for signs suggesting possible health hazards once you get on-site.

Having done both quarry mud is really great.

I nearly got caught in the quarry on a bank holiday but I think I parked my car too close and I think drew attention to it.

Both have there advantages

Yeah I'll probably visit at night just to scope some places out, but day time is way sexier imo.


Thanks dude, this is helpful info.

I've been in all kinds of mud (and from wearing nothing to full body spandex!) and can say with certainty that quarry mud is the best...it is perfectly creamy, can be extremely deep (I've been in mud deeper than I am tall!), has various thicknesses to match what you like best, and is very easy to wash off!

Most quarries are really hard to access (and a lot of them for good reason), so as others have said, you have to find one that is pretty friendly about being casually "open" to the public (for example, has areas that people like to bike through, or maybe even go fishing near). The quarry I go to the most is one that has no fence, and a walking trail that basically leads right up to it.

The most important thing to do before contemplating doing quarry mud is to read up on trespassing statutes in the jurisdiction the quarry is located in as that is a large component of the risk involved. Always have a couple of stories rehearsed in your mind, for instance, something about taken short if you've only just hopped over a fence when you have an official encounter on up to if you're caught in the mud. Keep in mind that in some jurisdictions it can be important to never confess any sexual aspect of your activities no matter what someone or a camera thinks you were doing. And last, have the phone number of a good lawyer in advance.

Yikes, now I'm getting scared.

Is the danger of getting caught part of the appeal for you guys? If not, how do you enjoy yourselves with those thoughts running through your mind?

There is a kind of frisson that comes with sneaking into quarries.... and as our fellow quarry men have said: best to find one that has tracks that lead straight into them...... no fences to crawl through or gates to jump over.

If you do get sprung you can then say that you didn't know it was private property.... thought it was a walking trail and you thought it would be a good idea to cool off in the mud.

For me, the desire to sink into deep smooth clay (only found in the settling ponds of sand quarries) is so powerful it out-ways my fear of getting caught.

Constant concern about getting caught is part of the price of admission. Sometimes the mudpit area is relatively inaccessible and hidden from view so there is not much concern, other times it can definitely detract from the experience.

In the UK (correct me if I'm wrong) trespass is a civil matter so the police won't be called.

The bigger concern would be ending up in the local newspaper, regional papers in my area would make it a front cover lead and you'd by on their web site named and ridiculed. For your family and friends lots of collateral damage potentially.

I understand that risk is possibly part of the attraction, there is the risk detailed above, also if your going at night and get stuck - possible hypothermia (doesn't take that long) and possible drowning and no one looking for you as no one knows your there...

But the mud/clay looks awesome and it was Rob Blaine's mud scenes that meant I bought his videos in preference to anyone else's