Venture Out: Purgatory Chasm

Revisit your younger days when you hopped in the car, started the engine and drove off in search of something fun. The Sunday Patch Passport maps out where you can go on a 15-, 30- or 60-minute drive from your home. You won’t want to miss these unique stops on our trip.

First stop: Purgatory Chasm

Purgatory Chasm, located about 30 minutes outside of Woonsocket is as dangerous as it is stunning. This is not a place to bring your very young children (unless you plan to carry them) or sandals. The chasm is a quarter mile long gap in the middle of the Massachusetts woods, hemmed in by granite walls reaching up to 70 feet high and littered with giant rocks that makes visitors feel as if they're stuck in a gravel driveway version of "Honey I Shrunk the Kids." 

Inside the chasm are a number of iconic features, such as Lovers' Leap, a 70-foot high platform over the chasm where frustrated lovers are said to jump to their deaths, Fat Man's Misery, a slim crack in granite rock that slender individuals can skirt through, and Devil's Pulpit, a circular rock formation where the devil and his compatriots allegedly plot their next moves.

Although the origin of the chasm is debated, the predominant theory is that it was caused by a "sudden release of dammed-up glacial meltwater near the end of the last Ice Age, approximately 14,000 years ago," according to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation website.

A trail map, easily obtained at the visitor's center or below the welcome sign at the front of the trail, provides vistors with a guide to seeing the park. The map shows hikers how to get to many of the long trails that surround the chasm, such as Charley's loop, Old Purgatory Trail and Little Purgatory as well as the locations of its well-known features. 

The park is open year round. Make sure to bring rubber soled shoes or boots because the rocks can be slippery (especially when wet.) On hot summer days don't forget to to bring plenty of water. Side trails that shoot off of the main trails can be fun to follow, but also easy to get lost, a cellphone can be a savior if this happens. The park also has plenty of picnic areas available, which can be reserved through the Massachusetts DCR. The Chasm is located in Sutton Mass. at 198 Purgatory Road. You can find more information at the park's website -http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/purg.htm.

Second Stop, 30 minutes: Roger Williams Park Zoo

Third Stop, 60 minutes: Block Island