Hiking,Waterfalls & Swimming at Gulf Hagas Maine!

Yesterday (Sunday) was all about fun, reconnecting with nature and adventure! My husband, son and I decided to go hike Gulf Hagas. For those of you who are not familiar with the Maine canyon, you need to go see it! You start out by driving into Katahdin Ironworks where you pay a gate fee to be able to use the road. Then you go over the small bridge and follow the signs that lead you to the parking lot of Gulf Hagas, they have some very well maintained outdoor potties that you might want to use before you hit the trail. Let me backtrack to getting ready for your trip, things you should bring: a hiking partner to share the experience with, water, a snack, some form of water shoes, bathing suit, towel and a small hiking bag to carry your items. What to wear: athletic shorts, breathable top, crosstrainer sneaks and sunblock.

The trail head is located at the end of the parking lot, it is a short hike to the water that you must cross.....this is where the water shoes come in handy! The depth of the water can vary so you should be careful sometimes the current can get a bit feisty, that's another reason to bring along a friend. On the other side of the water there is a bench that you can sit to dry your feet off and put your hiking shoes back on, then you follow the trail around the corner and up the slight incline to your first sign. Screwauger falls is a little over a mile hike and so worth it! The hiking trail is quite easy and fairly shaded in the summer. You can also take a dip in several pools and smaller falls along the way, they are perfect for young and older alike. Swimming at Screwauger is the best of them all, you do not have to jump into the swimming hole, there is a flat rock that lets you slip right into the water as you can see in the picture above.

The Appalachian Trail is also a part of Gulf Hagas so you get to see some hikers from all over. We met a hiker that was doing the 100 mile hike and was headed to Mt. Katahdin, I love meeting interesting people it gives you a different view of what is going on in your world.

You should definately go and do this hike, it is not that hard and soooo beautiful! We have a video of our adventure with lots more footage on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCZo5azVptcGEyr07vADZ1A

Check out some hiking gear that we recommend below:

We had this jerky yesterday and honestly it is the best tasting jerky I have every had! This price is better than what we paid at the local convenient stop!

Perfect size for a day hike and it has a bladder for water which is sooo convenient:

Light weight, breathable and comfortable: