Chasm Loop Trail

The Purgatory Chasm hike is DCR's blue-blazed Chasm Loop Trail: about 0.5 mile, rated moderate, starting with a scramble over boulders on the chasm floor and finishing at the Glacier Chair, a rock overlooking the chasm entrance. It is short, but slow, because you climb over and between rocks for the first few hundred feet. DCR recommends sturdy footwear, asks you to avoid the trail during or soon after rain, and closes it in winter when the rocks ice over.

Is Purgatory Chasm Hard?

Harder than the distance suggests, easier than a mountain. DCR calls the terrain moderate. The difficulty is all in the footing: the chasm floor is a jumble of boulders, so you step up, down and across rock rather than walking a path. DCR puts the boulder climbing in the first few hundred feet. After the trail turns left out of the chasm, it loops back past two narrow squeezes, and DCR says you can skip the bigger one, Fat Man's Misery, and go on to the smaller Devil's Corn Crib.

DCR's tips for the hike: take your time and plan a few footsteps ahead, help the others in your group, stay on the blazed trail, and don't climb on the chasm walls.

How Long Does It Take?

DCR doesn't publish a walking time for the loop. Its guided Chasm Hike, which covers about the same half mile and stops to talk about history, rock formations and wildlife, is scheduled for one hour. Plan on at least that if you want to stop at each formation, and longer with small children or if the rock is busy with people.

The Route, Start to Finish

1. Start across the street from the visitor center, at the chasm entrance near the pavilion. DCR's tour begins at the bronze dedication plaque just inside.
2. Scramble along the chasm floor past His Majesty's Cave, Lover's Leap and the Devil's Pulpit. This is the boulder section.
3. Reach the far end of the chasm and the Devil's Coffin, just before a footbridge where the trail turns left.
4. Loop back through the woods to Fat Man's Misery, then the smaller Devil's Corn Crib.
5. Finish at the Glacier Chair above the chasm entrance, then follow the blue blazes back to the pavilion by the old stone building.

Each formation, with DCR's distances and stories, is on the rock formations page.

What to Wear and Bring

• Rubber-soled shoes or hiking boots. That is DCR's advice on its trail map, and the boulders make it non-negotiable.
• Your trash, on the way out. DCR runs the park as carry-in, carry-out.
• A leash if you bring a dog. DCR's map asks that dogs be leashed; see the rules page.

Can Kids Do the Chasm Hike?

Families do it, but go in knowing it's a scramble. DCR aims its guided Chasm Hike at ages 8 and up and asks that children be with an adult. Younger kids may do better on the playground and the easier trails, or on the smaller Devil's Corn Crib squeeze instead of Fat Man's Misery.

Is the Chasm Trail Open in Winter?

No. DCR closes the Chasm Trail during the winter season because of slippery, wet conditions. The rest of the park stays open sunrise to sunset, and DCR lists cross-country skiing among its activities. The other five trails are the winter option.

Guided Chasm Hikes

In September and October 2026, DCR ran a free guided Chasm Hike on Fridays from 11 am to noon and on weekends from 2 to 3 pm, meeting at the pavilion at the mouth of the chasm, plus a 15-minute Chasm Primer talk at 10:30 am Friday through Sunday. No registration needed. Schedules change by season; see programs for the current list and the number to call.

Good For

• A short outing: the whole loop is about half a mile.
• Kids 8 and up who like to climb, with an adult nearby.
• A dry fall day, when DCR still runs its guided chasm hikes (September and October in 2026).

Maybe Skip If

• It's wet or icy. DCR says to avoid the hike during or soon after rain.
• Anyone in your group has trouble with uneven footing. Skip the chasm floor and walk one of the other trails.
• You're pushing a stroller or using a wheelchair. DCR's paved, accessible Spring Path is the better choice.