Gulf Hagas

Gulf Hagas Facts

This remote, ruggedly beautiful, yet little-known, marvel of geological processes bears the somewhat deceptive name of Gulf Hagas. It’s quite obviously not a gulf, but is in fact a magnificent gorge cut through the surrounding terrain over a vast span of time.
It’s not known when the first European settler in the region discovered this amazing site. The local Native American tribes, however, long knew of this wonder’s existence. That’s true because archaeological evidence of their presence dates back as much as 7,500 years.
In modern times, though, the location presently constitutes one of 14 National Natural Landmarks in the region in which it formed. It thus represents an extremely popular, if quite difficult to access, tourist area. It’s open to the public, for a fee, during the regular season.
It also forms part of the indescribably majestic Appalachian Trail, which extends a total of 2,200 mi (3,500 km). In fact, the section in which it lies itself forms the last 100 mi (160 km) of the magnificent trail. It’s also considered by many to be the most highly remote portion.
The opportunities for hiking therefore quite obviously form a primary appeal to visitors to the captivating Gulf Hagas. Its pure scenic beauty, however, also attracts many viewers. Other popular attractions to the site include kayaking its waters, though only for experts, and fishing.

Gulf Hagas Physical Description

The stunning Gulf Hagas quickly earns the appreciation of those individuals fortunate enough to visit its remote setting. That holds true due to numerous attributes, of course. Though it’s by no means the largest such feature on earth, it nonetheless boasts some respectable dimensions.

The beautiful gorge possesses a total length measuring approximately 3 mi (4.8 km). Much of that length, though, holds a strongly twisting, winding nature. While its walls naturally vary greatly in height across its length, these features reach a maximum height of 130 ft (40 m) in some locations.

A branch of the charmingly-named Pleasant River also flows through its length. Between it sheer vertical walls, the course of the river flows over an extraordinarily rocky bed. Numerous regions of rapids also appear along its length. Numerous small but lovely waterfalls also dot its course.

Along its expanse, though, the gorgeous flow also drops relatively significantly. More precisely, its total elevation drops a total of 370 ft (110 m). Due to this comparatively steep decline, the flow becomes quite strong in some regions, creating the powerful rapids for which its often known.

Not to be outdone, the width of the remarkable Gulf Hagas also, quite naturally, varies along its entire stretch. This variation becomes notably extreme in some places. In some sections, it attains a width of as much as 150 ft (45.7 m). In others, however, it narrows to as little as 26 ft (7.9 m).

Gulf Hagas Location, Formation, and Ecology

The astonishing beauty of Gulf Hagas formed in a region of the globe already very well known for its marked abundance of various geological marvels. That’s because this visually tantalizing creation of Nature formed within the greater region that now constitutes the continent of North America.

More precisely, though, the breathtaking gorge formed in the region that now comprises the lovely state of Maine, in the United States. There, the marvel of geology purely by chance lies in the approximate middle of the state. It’s also situated about 90 mi (140 km) from the city of Bangor.

The section of the Appalachian Trail in which this wonder lies also happens to bear the alternate name of the Hundred-Mile Wilderness. That formed 400 million years ago. That occurred due to the convergence of tectonic plates. It’s part of what geologists call the Carrabassett formation.

At that time, vast mud deposits slowly crystallized into the mineral slate. This now comprises the majority of the bedrock in its region. That mineral created sharp, angular edges when fractured, but wind erosion later smoothed these out. This further shows in the nature of the canyon walls.

Flora and fauna both abound within the stunning confines of Gulf Hagas. In fact, its course wends its way through one of the last remaining virgin old growth forests in the entire region. Enormous eastern white pines line its banks in numbers, some reaching as much as 150 ft (46 m) in height.

Many animal and insect species also currently make their homes within these forests, among the accompanying spruce and fir trees. Along with the usual small animals native to the region, such as the snowshoe hare, larger mammals, including various deer and elk, also call the area home.