Purgatory Chasm State Reservation

Purgatory Chasm State Reservation
Purgatory Chasm State Reservation
Purgatory Chasm
	View of Purgatory Chasm, looking south, in 2008.
	Location within Massachusetts.
Location	198 Purgatory Road; Sutton, Massachusetts 01590
Coordinates	42°07′45″N 71°42′43″W / 42.12917°N 71.71194°W
Length	2.14 mi (3.44 km)
Area	100 acres (40 ha)
Elevation	472 ft (144 m)
Established	1919
Operator	Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Website	Website

Purgatory Chasm State Reservation is a protected state park in Sutton, Massachusetts. Located within Blackstone Valley, the reservation is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

History[edit]

Previously owned by the Whitin Machine Works, Purgatory Chasm was declared a state park in 1919.^[1] The reservation is notable for its .25-mile-long (400 m), 70-foot-deep (21 m) chasm of granite bedrock with abrupt precipices and caves. Various theories have been proposed to account for the creation of the chasm. According to one source, it was created when glacial meltwater ripped out bedrock at the end of the last Ice Age.

Purgatory Chasm is open to the public, although the chasm is closed to hikers during the winter season because of icy hazards. There are 2 miles (3.2 km) of hiking trails, and rock climbing is allowed by permit. The reservation also includes picnic areas, a visitor center, and a playground.^[2]