One of the
most incredible spots I have visited thus far is also one of the most
dangerous. It is located in the town of
Sutton, Massachusetts tucked in the picturesque Blackstone River Valley. It was designated a state park in 1919. The basics are that Purgatory Chasm is a
naturally formed, quarter-mile long granite gorge. The walls on either side of the chasm rise as
high as seventy-feet.
It does not
take very long to see how imposing Purgatory Chasm is. The wooden sign pointing to the beginning is
within sight of the opening. The
scattered boulders around the entrance make it seem virtually impassible, and
at some points I thought it was. There
are warnings as soon as you begin your journey.
I highly recommend only attempting this during nearly perfect
weather. Even the slightest inclement
weather would make hiking through the chasm a dangerous nightmare.
There are
some safe patches where you will walk the bare ground, but those are offset by
large boulders that must be traversed as well.
Most of the dangerous work has been done, there are blue lines marking
the safest route to take along the floor of the chasm. One thing to watch for are the stream of
chipmunks darting across the chasm floor, it became a game for me to see just
how many of them I caught sight of. There
are spots along the chasm route that have unique names to them. They include: His Majesty’s Cave, Lovers
Leap, Devil’s Pulpit, and Devil’s Corn Crib.
Though
hiking the cliffs of the chasm is discouraged there is nothing stopping someone
from trying. I witnessed several people
doing just that. Seeing them make it
safely to the top of the sloping rocks I decided to find my own place to try
the same. Since I am writing this I
obviously succeeded. The climb was not
overly difficult, especially since I chose an easier path to the top. I wanted to see the chasm from above but not
kill myself attempting it. For those of
you wishing to see it from above but not willing to risk life and limb fear
not, I shot a video of my time there and I am including a link to it.
An
incredible natural spot, Purgatory Chasm is somewhere that everyone should
visit. In addition to the gorge there
are two miles of hiking trails around the gorge as well. There is also a playground near the visitor’s
center for kids who might not be able to safely navigate the chasm. Of course the chasm itself is the main
attraction as it should be. Use care and
caution when crossing the quarter-mile granite chasm, but also take the time to
enjoy the natural beauty as well. This
is a true gem in the Blackstone River Valley.
Have fun and happy traveling!
Purgatory Chasm: 198
Purgatory Rd., Sutton, Massachusetts
Take I-495
to Exit 13B for I-95, take Exit 4 to get on I-295. Take Exit 9B for Rt. 146, take Exit 6 for
Purgatory Rd. Keep left at fork for
Purgatory Chasm, destination will be on right.
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| The entrance |
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| Lovers Leap |
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| How the chasm looks from the inside. |
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| People I saw rock climbing before I tried it myself. |
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| Looking down from above. |
1 comment:
Such an interesting name...
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