Visiting Purgatory Chasm in Sutton, MA is a wonderful outdoor adventure that awaits you and your family almost all year round. I first visited Purgatory Chasm when I was about 10 years old, as part of a day trip with a nearby family. It was exciting then and surprisingly, now decades later, there is a space left that breaks your business with rock displays. The only way to get a full sense of the uniqueness of this Massachusetts DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation) park is to drive to Sutton, MA and drive a few hours to Purgataory Chasma.
Certainly the place of Purgatory Chasmat is far removed for the better. People who come and live in Massachusetts often divide the state into two parts: Boston and the area around Boston in the eastern part of the state and the area around the Berkshires at the western end. Less time is spent in finding some places of historical or scenic wonder. Discovering the clearing chasm and free fun with your family will require a trip to the central part of the city. You will find Purgatory Chasm by exiting Rt 146 to Exit 6 on Purgatory Rd. at Sutton.
This simple exit will take you off the road and into the woods of Purgatory Chasm State Reservation. It won’t take you but a moment to realize what you did wrong in a very special place. All around you, even while you’re in the parking lot, you can see uneven, rock-covered land in every direction.
The main activities here are hiking and exploring. The central feature is a quarter-mile dividing line or chasm which cuts between the high stone walls on either side.
What you will find if you take the time to read the park information posted along the trail or to the visitor center is that the Chasma Purgatory was not created by water flowing through and carving canyons over thousands of years as with Grand Narrows. In the fact of Purgatory Chasma shows a very little in the way of flowing water and exposed roots can give a novice hiker plenty of challenge before even getting tangled up in rocks.
DCR has done an excellent job in enhancing what has been offered at Purgatory Chasma in Sutton over the years. You could come and enjoy the rocks for many years. But today’s park with many new picnic tables set against a wooded and rocky site, many of them have been placed. equipped grill ups. I dug a large room at the bottom, which is adjacent to the visitor center. It is understood to accommodate the number of children. There is also an open field where groups can gather and play ball, go around or meet before going out or meeting. Now home.
They especially invite all citizens families, senior citizens, school groups or anyone exploring the wonderful outdoors. because the Massachusetts DCR does not offer this area to one and all at all. Come for a walk, a hike, some exploration or if you are brave enough to come to the lip of “Sliding Rock”, that is the main reason for what can be a wonderful day visiting Purgatory Chasm, Sutton, MA.
www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/purgatory
