The weather is not perfect, but we have started to get some good days, and there is no better way to spend a beautiful, dry day than to visit Purgatory Chasm in Sutton, MA. Put on your hiking gear, pack a picnic, and maybe even bring the dog. Definitely bring your camera. The park is open from sunrise to sunset, year-round, and is free to the public.

As you drive down Purgatory Road there are several parking lots, all of them being fairly close to the entrance of the chasm, which is the major attraction. Approximately one-quarter of a mile in length, the trail brings you over and under granite rocks with walls of granite on each side as high as 70 feet. Be sure to wear appropriate footwear to avoid slipping. We went a few days after some of the rain and there were still a few muddy spots, so be prepared to get a little dirty. Blue paint marks the path of the trail as you go along. You do not have to follow it, but it can be helpful if you are looking for an easier way through. Rock climbing is prohibited without a permit.

There are several trails around the chasm through the woods. Maps are available at the entrance to help guide you. There are five main trails, the shortest being .25 miles and the longest being 1 mile; of course, you can (and in some cases, have to) put some of them together. The trails on either side of the chasm are great to take as they offer spectacular views of the rocks below. Five of the rock formations have clever names, such as ‘Fat Man’s Misery’ and ‘Lover’s Leap.’ Look for the signs as you hike along.

The visitor’s center is a small building on the opposite side of the street of the chasm entrance and has some basic information as well as bathrooms. Beyond this building are several areas with picnic tables and grills as well as a very nice playground, which has three main areas: the main structure, a swing set, and a spinning, webbed ride. The playground itself is very new and safe for the kids. The spinning thing is worth talking about a little more. Picture your standard playground carousel and add a webbed netting that creates a cone from the outside of the platform up about 10 feet, so it looks like a big upside down ice cream cone. Kids get inside, hang on the outside, or climb to the top and the adults spin it around. We are not sure who had more fun, the dads running around trying to spin this thing as fast as they could or the kids hanging on as they screamed in pure joy!

The picnic areas are located throughout the park and are perfect for a family outing or a large play date with friends. There are plenty of picnic tables and outdoor grills available to use. You may want to bring some money: an ice cream truck is known to park near the entrance of the chasm.

Mom Says: This was one of my favorite places to go hiking when I was young and I am excited to share that with my husband and son. The best part about the chasm is that the granite rocks keep it cool, so even on a hot, humid day you can stay outside and cool down. Fall is a beautiful time to go to check out the leaves changing color.

Dad Says: This place was jammed packed with adults, kids and dogs and was a great time. I was surprised at how many youngsters were able to navigate their way through the Chasm. You know it’s a good place when you hear “This is awesome” and “Look Dad, I’m sliding like Spiderman” from the kids.

Purgatory Chasm State Reservation
Purgatory Road, Sutton, MA
www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/purg.htm

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 9th, 2009 at 1:40 am and is filed under Parks, Places to Go. If you use RSS, you can subscribe to the RSS feed , or if you would rather receive an e-mail, please subscribe to the e-mail in the lower right hand corner of this page. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.