Ausable Chasm

The 200-foot deep fissure is one of the United States’ original tourist attractions

Oh, sure, you say you’re too cool to be amazed by a hole in the ground. But this is a heck of a hole: 2 miles long, up to 200 feet deep, Ausable Chasm began being formed shortly after the last ice age ended as a waterfall steadily ate its way through soft sandstone. Industry followed soon after Europeans came across the chasm in 1765; the power of the falls drove machinery. The chasm entered private hands in 1870 and has been open as a tourist attraction ever since.

At a glance

Chasm open year-round; snowshoes or cleats required in winter.
“Classic tour” includes a hike followed by a raft trip through the deepest part of the gorge; “adventure trail” requires visitors to wear a harness as they clip onto a wire bolted into the side of the chasm.
Chasm also operates a campground.