Purgatory Chasm State Reservation
Encyclopedia
Purgatory Chasm State Reservation is a state park in Sutton, Massachusetts
. The park, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
, is notable for its 0.25 mile (0.402335 km) long, 70 feet (21.3 m) deep chasm of granite
bedrock featuring abrupt precipices and boulder caves in which ice lingers into the early summer. The reservation is open to picnicking and hiking; rock climbing is allowed by special permit only. Purgatory Chasm was declared a state park in 1919.
According to the most recent research, the chasm was created when glacial meltwater from a burst ice dam ripped out blocks of bedrock at the end of the last Ice Age (14,000 years ago).
The reservation is located off Route 146 on Purgatory Road.
The reservation includes picnic areas with grills, a visitor's center, and a playground.
Image:Purgatory chasm plaque.jpg|A plaque found on the north end of the chasm.
Image:Purgatory chasm view 3.jpg|Looking south into the chasm, second view.
Image:Purgatory chasm lovers leap.jpg|Looking up at "Lovers Leap."
Image:Purgatory chasm kings cave.jpg|Looking into "His Majesty's Cave."
Image:Purgatory chasm tall rock 1.jpg|A tall rock formation at Purgatory Chasm.
Sutton, Massachusetts
-Library:The Sutton Free Library was established in 1876. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Sutton spent 0.7% of its budget on its public library—some $18 per person.-Education:...
. The park, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Department of Conservation and Recreation (Massachusetts)
The Department of Conservation and Recreation is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. As of May 24, 2011 the Commissioner of the DCR is Edward M. Lambert, Jr...
, is notable for its 0.25 mile (0.402335 km) long, 70 feet (21.3 m) deep chasm of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
bedrock featuring abrupt precipices and boulder caves in which ice lingers into the early summer. The reservation is open to picnicking and hiking; rock climbing is allowed by special permit only. Purgatory Chasm was declared a state park in 1919.
According to the most recent research, the chasm was created when glacial meltwater from a burst ice dam ripped out blocks of bedrock at the end of the last Ice Age (14,000 years ago).
The reservation is located off Route 146 on Purgatory Road.
Recreation
There are 2 miles (3.2 km) of hiking trails around the chasm. Although the park is open year round, the chasm itself is closed to hikers and climbers during the winter months because of ice hazards.The reservation includes picnic areas with grills, a visitor's center, and a playground.
In art
A book of poems by Susan Edmonds Richmond titled Purgatory Chasm, a song by Holly Hanson of Neptune's Car titled Lover's Leap (The Purgatory Chasm Song), and the Steve Ulfelder novel Purgatory Chasm were inspired by hikes in the chasm.Gallery
Image:Purgatory chasm plaque.jpg|A plaque found on the north end of the chasm.
Image:Purgatory chasm view 3.jpg|Looking south into the chasm, second view.
Image:Purgatory chasm lovers leap.jpg|Looking up at "Lovers Leap."
Image:Purgatory chasm kings cave.jpg|Looking into "His Majesty's Cave."
Image:Purgatory chasm tall rock 1.jpg|A tall rock formation at Purgatory Chasm.
