Purgatory Chasm State Reservation

Simply the greatest place to spend your summer. There’s nothing that could possibly be WRONG with such a beautiful place — it’s clean, well maintained and peaceful. I spent hours and hours here in the summer w my friends. I love purgatory.

Nice spot to have a small picnic lunch, with beautiful ocean views. Can be very romantic if the crowds aren’t around.

Parking was a reasonable prize, I didn’t know where to find the maps but I did make my way around the park pretty easily– decent experience for my first time hiking.

So much fun! My kids, husband and self had a blast there! Huge rocks to climb, caves and great trails.
Never experienced a hike like that before.
Great for kids age 6 or 7 and up. Dogs allowed but I would not take a little dog.
Wear sneakers and take a back pack with water and bug spray.
$ 5 parking
Picnic tables and grills
Fun geocaches hidden there too
Look forward to going back

This is a terrific length hike for kids. I started bringing the kids here when my youngest was about 3. It was enough to give me a heart attack watching him climb over the rocks. Now he’s 7 and it is really one of everyone’s favorite hikes.
There is lots of climbing over rocks and it’s not for worrywarts. There are some very steep cliffs that I don’t let the kids near.
The area is striking with huge rock cliffs and gorgeous pines.
There is a great picnic area and terrific playground covered with giant pine trees shading the area.
Don’t miss sliding rock,

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Beautiful, fun, adventurous, great for young children! We went on a holiday weekend and had a blast. It was our first time here, we brought our three children (barely 3, 4 & 6) and a friend (9). All the kids loved it as did my husband and I. The younger two needed some assistance in some of the area, but more watching out for them in case they started to slide or fall. Our 4 year old is low in self confidence when it comes to physical activities, I have noticed a huge change since we went and learned how to maneuver the rocks and trails herself. The park was beautiful, lots of wonderful trails. An awesome playground for the kids with lots of shaded picknic tables and fire pits for lunch. Indoor restrooms at the visitor center. Highly recommended! My friend use to go with a baby in a backpack regularly and said it is completely manageable that way as well.

Wow, I’ve never ever given an outdoor spot a one star review, but this place is just awful. The parking lot is dangerous and there were so many people here you couldn’t hear a damn thing except screaming children sliding down a boulder as their negligent parents looked at their smart phones. The chasm itself had an injured hiker removed the day before we got here and looking up online after, hundreds of people have been injured here and some have died. It’s nothing but a series of boulders and cliffs so crowded with people you can barely move through it. It is in no way a place for nature lovers, a peaceful place to be alone and would be impossible for children, the elderly and most unfit people to even utilize anything here. I don’t know how this place is even allowed to be open to the public. Purgatory is a great name for it because for the brief time I was here I just suffered.

Rocks were a little slippery today due to rain conditions

It is a big, beautiful park with plenty of parking and trails.
The chasm was inexplicably filled with screaming children though, so even though this is obviously an unsafe place for little kids, avoid if you want a quiet day.

Purgatory Chasm is a small state reservation out in Sutton, MA. About an hour from the city, it’s not the most fun/​quick drive, but in the right weather, it’s absolutely worth it.
The chasm is not your typical trail-​through-​the-​woods hiking experience. It’s a chasm of granite bedrock with trails that take you through, over and around the 70ft drops.
Although the trails are very short (.25 miles to 1 mile), they can be VERY dangerous. Small children will find some of the rock climbing very difficult and will need assistance most of the way. Hyper children who don’t listen should not be taken here!!!
On the weekends, it can get quite busy, especially with families/​kids. On weekdays, it is deserted and a beautiful place to hang out. I climbed alone one day and it was amazing. Best in the fall to appreciate the excellent views/​foliage.
There are several picnic tables out front. On the weekends, there is also a food truck selling hot dogs, ice cream, etc. Trail maps are available at the entrance of the chasm, but they are easy to follow by checking every couple of feet for colored blazes.
I wish there were more difficult or longer trails, but Purgatory Chasm is still one of my favorite places.

Amazing state reservation, has a wonderful playground for kids, dog friendly and plenty of trails to hike. Picnic tables & charcoal grills to use.

Please. If you’re thinking of going to Purgatory Chasm, do not bring your children. Or, just stick with walking on the trails, having a cook-​out in one of the campimg areas or playing on the playground.
Today was a gorgeous day and my friends and I wanted to be outside. I suggested we go to Purgatory Chasm as neither of them had ever been and I had only been once for a very short period of time; it was kind of un-​memorable. The drive up 146 North from Providence is a straight shot and actually quite enjoyable.
Upon arrival, we were all shocked at just how many people had the same idea that we did; the place was PACKED! All of the lots were full, people were parking in the roads and in the campsites. We all enjoyed climbing over the massive boulders and taking in the enormity of Mother Nature, however; the only downfall of today was that there were simply TOO many people and way too many children. This place isn’t kid friendly and if you must bring your children, they should be older and not still in diapers, as I witnessed today. A large family was entering the chasm as we were leaving and I noticed there were 3 children all under the age of 5; one of the boys was around 2 years old and could barley walk. The father asks for the «easy way» and I told them there isn’t an easy way here, it’s all fairly difficult terrain.
I would highly recommend visiting Purgatory Chasm if you haven’t yet been and are thinking about it. I wouldn’t recommend going after a large rainstorm as the rocks can be slippery and there is a higher risk of slipping and/​or falling. Wear sneakers, bring a pack with you so you can stop and enjoy a light lunch or snack. I’m sure this place is even more awe-​inspiring in the fall with the lovely foilage.

Some steep rock climbing but manageable for most. Saw wide range of ages enjoying the descent into the chasm. Wear proper footwear and you should be okay. Make sure to seek out the fat mans misery and devils corn crib. Kids love it. Lots of free parking and rest area with playground at entrance to chasm at visitor center.
Great exercise for the whole family. Plan on spending an hour or 2 there. Lots of picnic tables for enjoyment as well.

Came hiking here a month or so ago. We started off completely on the wrong side if the reservation and kept stumbling upon the highway, a horse farm, and electric wires. Disappointed and with sore feet, we loaded back into the car and left in the opposite direction we came from, and oh my my, there was the actual chasm!
We parked the car, re-​upped on water and went for it! Going into the chasm is far easier than the return, so don’t bite off more than you can chew and go in way too far. We did the basic length of the cavern and then went down the path directly in front of where it dumps you down to the refreshing little waterfall and circular cave.
Very nice to be in an area where climbing is allowed an encouraged. Many other chasms/​caverns/​gorges have stairs and board walks erected within them.

Oh how dangerous I came here with my family and they have a very cool playground for kids. then once I got on a rock“Slip“I feel flat down. we then walked about 5 minutes into the chasm and my kids played on playground very big and then we left to go home.

Pretty great :)
I came here the other day with my girlfriend and we got to experience the descent into the chasm. It was pretty fun feeling so small among those rocks. I very much enjoyed the fact that it felt like a familiar level of Halo that I had played and also like a scene from Skyrim… Not that I’m an obsessive gamer or anything.
We only did the basic Chasm descent since the sun was going down quickly but just that alone was worth the trip and I would already recommend that people come out just based on that experience.
One thing did bother me though, there seemed to be a lot of burners and alcoholics about. I’m fine with that shit but I just thought it was super odd. In California our burners are adventurous and they respect other people by taking their business into the forest, they don’t hang around on the trails looking suspicious and guilty for no reason just to be annoying.
I figure this happened because of the late hour of our visit but it was still odd. It’s not like the sun was gone or anything. There were only three other people out there who weren’t lighting up or drinking suspiciously from red cups. It all felt very nineties… drinking and having fun is great but not when you put yourself in an environment that other people go-​to to get away from that shit.
So yeah, maybe go earlier in the afternoon? Or maybe on the weekend.
I’m used to nature and I’ve been to tons of national and state parks, but this was still a great visit.

I’ve driven by Purgatory for years and never went until Junior, after a camp field trip, started nagging me to go. I need to listen to the kid more often. Purgatory offers up a few great hours of hiking, nature, and fun. Scrambling over the rocks is not for the faint of heart or infirm, but if you’re in good health, this is a hell of a good time. Be careful up on the rim trails, as you can get pretty close to the edge. Like an idiot, I brought in water bottles but no backpack. Sometimes I needed both hands to steady myself. I’ve learned my lesson. Bring a pack!
In addition there’s a great playground, slide rock for the kids, and a visitor center with nice clean bathrooms. Overall, Purgatory is well worth the trip.

My shorts, covered in mud, blood, rips, and sweat are about to be thrown in the trash. My legs have wounds that need to be tended to. I’m so filthy that if I were a cartoon I would have dozens of off white, wavy lines emanating from me. It was a fantastic morning.
I spent a lot of time here as a kid and don’t go nearly enough as an adult. My buddy had been here dozens of times, but I was still able to show him some places that he had never seen. That little hole in the ground? It actually lead down to a chamber, 20 feet under the rock, more than big enough for the two of us to explore. The caves are a blast to explore and the rocks are even more fun to climb. Come with a sense of adventure and a willingness to get dirty and you will have a great day.
Everyone always talks about their last meal and what they would eat if they were on death row. If there was such a thing as a last place where you’d get to spend your last day then I would probably pick Purgatory Chasm.

ive been going here since i was a little girl. still go to climb rocks and just have fun. sometimes the ice cream dude is there. theres a park for extremely lil kids. basically you go here to chill and enjoy the nature around you haha :)

What a great little park to go and spend time with family and or friends. Make sure you take a lunch. Lots of benches and nice little areas to eat and hang out.
Nice hidden gem.