A Family Adventure


Tyson, Emilie & Isaac

Purgatory Falls morning hike

November 29, 2015
Emilie Phillips

For Isaac’s next short hike we went to the lower Purgatory Falls, just 20 minutes north of the house. From the lower falls parking lot, there are several small loops. We picked the longest of them, a little over a mile long.

This loop turns right off the main trail just after leaving the parking lot. The path sees less use than the main path, so it’s relatively easy to follow through the New England woods and rock walls. It climbs a little bit and then drops down to the stream well above the falls. All of it easy walking for Isaac.

Snacks on top of the rock
Snacks on top of the rock

The section of trail along the stream is highly braided and feels overused. As we hiked back along the stream, we paused here and there to take pictures and splash in the water. We stopped off at an over cropping above the stream to enjoy a snack. There were a few other people out, including one group with hunting rifles.

Tyson and Isaac by lower Purgatory Falls
Tyson and Isaac by lower Purgatory Falls

At the waterfall proper, I saw people taking group photographs in nice lighting, so I made Isaac and Tyson pose for photos. From there the heavily worn trail departs from the stream and skirts an old gravel quarry back to the parking lot.

We headed home for an early lunch before rock climbing.

Other times we have hiked much father upstream to the upper falls and the Devil’s Bean Pot but that was too far to hike this time.

Written November 29, 2015, updated August 23, 2020