Gulf Hagas: Maine’s Grand Canyon

Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall: The 3.5 mile section of the Pleasant River known as Gulf Hagas is an amazing place to spend a day hiking and exploring. The river has carved a 400 foot deep gorge through slate bedrock, and is commonly referred to as Maine’s “Grand Canyon”. Visitors can enjoy views of the impressive waterfalls and swim in plunge pools along the river by hiking the well maintained trails along its course. It comes as no surprise that Gulf Hagas is registered as a National Natural Landmark. This area is also home to Katahdin Iron Works and remnants of the old blast furnace still remain. The Appalachian trail can be accessed here and features nearby White Cap Mountain with killer north woods views. The Nature Conservancy maintains a 35 acre preserve along the river, another National Natural Landmark, known as the “Hermitage” featuring some of Maine’s oldest and tallest White Pines. There are endless recreational opportunities here including fly fishing, snowmobiling, hiking, swimming, snowshoeing, kayaking, and rock and ice climbing. This amazing canyon has something for everyone to discover.