Katahdin Iron Works

It's been a few years since I had been up to Katahdin Iron Works.

Once upon a time, it was a place where they smelted iron ore and put it on a southbound train. Now, everything is gone except the ghostly ruins of the iron operation, well off the beaten track.

The furnace:

It's private property, but you can access trails that run through it for a fee. Part of the Appalachian trail runs through it- the final brutal stretch before Katahdin know as the 100 mile wilderness.

It's a good place for day hikers to break in new hiking boots, as there are plenty of loops of varying lengths and elevation gain. We hiked up to and along the rim of Gulf Hagas falls, which is kind of the main attraction in the area.

While calling it the "Grand Canyon of Maine" is a bit too grandiose, it is a beautiful spot to dip into the icy cold water and have lunch.

Getting there does require you to ford a knee-deep stream and navigate the big, slippery rocks on the bottom. Hilarity is sure to ensue as someone in your party is bound to have a spill.

Not me, of course. Not this time.

The reward: getting to hike through The Hermitage, one of few old-growth virgin forest left in the North East. Huge old white pines stretch halfway to the sun in this grove.

And, of course, the falls.