Purgatory Chasm State Reservation is a

protected Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although th ...

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

in Sutton,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. Located within Blackstone Valley, the reservation is managed by the

Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) 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. The DCR's mission is ...

History

Previously owned by the Whitin Machine Works, Purgatory Chasm was declared a

in 1919. The reservation is notable for its , chasm of

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...

bedrock In geology, bedrock is solid Rock (geology), rock that lies under loose material (regolith) within the crust (geology), crust of Earth or another terrestrial planet. Definition Bedrock is the solid rock that underlies looser surface mater ...

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 Meltwater is water released by the melting of snow or ice, including glacial ice, tabular icebergs and ice shelves over oceans. Meltwater is often found in the ablation zone of glaciers, where the rate of snow cover is reducing. Meltwater can be ...

ripped out bedrock at the end of the last

Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gree ...

. Purgatory Chasm is open to the

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

, although the chasm is closed to

hikers Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

during the

winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures ...

season because of icy hazards. There are of hiking trails, and

rock climbing Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...

is allowed by permit. The reservation also includes picnic areas, a visitor center, and a playground.https://www.mass.gov/locations/purgatory-chasm-state-reservation

In popular culture

*A 1992 episode of

Rescue 911 ''Rescue 911'' is an American informational docudrama television series that premiered on CBS on April 18, 1989, and ended on August 27, 1996. The series was hosted by William Shatner and featured reenactments (and occasionally real footage) of e ...

concerned events at Purgatory Chasm. *Scenes from the 2015 film ''

The Sea of Trees ''The Sea of Trees'' is a 2015 American drama mystery film directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Chris Sparling. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Ken Watanabe, Naomi Watts, Katie Aselton and Jordan Gavaris. The film is about an American ma ...

'' were filmed at Purgatory Chasm.

Gallery

File:Purgatory chasm plaque.jpg, A state plaque on the north side. File:Purgatory chasm view 3.jpg, Partial view of the park, looking south. File:Purgatory chasm tall rock 1.jpg, A rock formation. File:Purgatory chasm kings cave.jpg, View of King's Cave. File:Purgatory chasm lovers leap.jpg, View Lover's Leap. File:Purgatory chasm view 1.jpg, Partial view of the park, with visitors.

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Protected areas established in 1919 State parks of Massachusetts Landforms of Worcester County, Massachusetts Rock formations of Massachusetts Parks in Worcester County, Massachusetts Sutton, Massachusetts