Gulf Hagas

Gulf Hagas is a gorge located in the mountains of central Maine and is often referred to as the Grand Canyon of the East. The West Branch of the Pleasant River cuts through the earth for three miles creating a vertically walled slate gorge with numerous waterfalls. A trail follows the rim of the canyon offering hikers views of the falls and its geology. The gorge is long; the river drops in this distance boasting walls. Gulf Hagas is one of 14 National Natural Landmarks in the State of Maine, and is open to the public for a fee during the regular season.WhereGulf Hagas is part of the Appalachian Trail (AT) Corridor. For a short distance the Gulf Hagas Rim Trail follows the AT, a hiking trail extending from Georgia to Maine. The section of the AT which goes through Gulf Hagas is called the Hundred-Mile Wilderness. This is the final of the AT and is viewed by many as the most remote and difficult portion.Most people access Gulf Hagas by driving through Katahdin Iron Works, a State Park and historic site where iron ore was once smelted. Gulf Hagas is a, 2 hour and 20 minute drive from Bangor, Maine. From Portland, Maine the drive is a 3 hours and 40 minutes, trip.HistoryLogs were once driven through the gorge to provide fuel for the smelting operations which took place at Katahdin Iron Works. Later, pulp wood used to make paper was floated through the Gulf. A few spots within the gorge were as narrow as and were referred to as the Jaws. These spots caused log jams and were widened by the log drivers using dynamite. Log drivers are responsible for naming most of the major waterfalls and rapids in Gulf Hagas. The Gulf was previously owned by the paper companies, Great Northern Paper Company and Sappi.