Parking & Directions

Parking at Purgatory Chasm is on site at 198 Purgatory Road in Sutton, and DCR charges a daily fee from May 9 to October 26 (2026 season): $5 for cars with Massachusetts plates and $20 for all other plates. Outside those dates there's no daily fee. Your rate is set by your license plate, not where you live, and a Massachusetts annual state parks pass ($60) covers it.

Where to Park

Purgatory Road runs right through the reservation, and DCR's trail map shows parking areas on both sides of it, close to the chasm entrance, the visitors center and the playground. Put 198 Purgatory Road, Sutton, MA 01590 in your GPS; that is the address DCR publishes, and its park page links to Google Maps directions from there.

Park only in marked parking areas. The forest roads inside the park have gates that DCR uses to keep cars out; walkers are welcome past them, vehicles are not.

2026 Parking Fees

DCR charges its daily parking fee at Purgatory Chasm from May 9 to October 26. The fee is $5 for vehicles with Massachusetts plates and $20 for vehicles with out-of-state plates. DCR decides resident or non-resident by the license plate, so a Massachusetts resident driving a rental with out-of-state plates pays the higher rate.

Fee seasons change year to year, and DCR posts each year's dates on its park page. Check there before an early-May or late-October visit.

Annual and Senior Passes

• Annual parking pass: $60, valid January 1 to December 31, for Massachusetts residents only. You need a Massachusetts driver's license and a Massachusetts plate, and the pass covers only the one plate on your order. DCR sells it online through YODEL.
• Senior lifetime pass: $10, Massachusetts residents only.
• Borrowed passes: DCR says some libraries and recreation centers lend an annual pass for free. Ask at your local library.
• No fee at all: DCR waives the daily fee for vehicles with a disability plate or placard, a Purple Heart plate, or a disabled veteran plate.

Questions about passes go to DCR's parking pass office at (617) 626-1420 or mass.parks@mass.gov.

What the Parking Fee Gets You

The fee covers the day. There is no separate entrance fee, and DCR's programs are free. Facilities near the parking areas include restrooms, picnic areas, a playground and the visitors center. See kids and families and programs.

When to Arrive

The reservation is open sunrise to sunset, every day. DCR doesn't publish how busy the lots get. Searches for Purgatory Chasm peak in August, so on summer weekends, arriving early is the safe bet.

Getting There Without a Car

DCR doesn't list public transit to the reservation, and we couldn't confirm any. Plan on driving. Bicycles aren't allowed on the park's trails, per DCR's map.