Greenville

Tours

Katahdin Cruises. The Moosehead Marine Museum runs three- and four-and-a-half-hour afternoon trips on Moosehead Lake aboard the Katahdin, a 115-foot 1914 steamship converted to diesel. There are also a number of special cruises, including themed evening cruises, a July 4th fireworks trip, and, on the last Saturday in September, the annual eight-hour "Head of the Lake Cruise." Also called The Kate, the ship carried passengers to Mt. Kineo until 1938 and then was used in the logging industry until 1975. The boat and the free shoreside museum have displays about the steamships that transported people and cargo on the lake more than 100 years ago. 12 Lily Bay Rd., Greenville, ME, 04441. 207/695-2716. www.katahdincruises.com. 3-hr trips $33, 4½-hr trips $38. Late June-Columbus Day, 3-hr cruises Tues.-Sat. 12:30, except on select Wednesdays, when trips are 4½ hrs; also special cruises. Board on shoreline by museum.

Gulf Hagas. In a very remote area east of Greenville accessed by gravel roads, hiking trails lead from Katahdin Iron Works Road to Gulf Hagas, a National Natural Landmark with chasms, cliffs, six large waterfalls, pools, exotic flora, and rock formations. Slippery rocks make for difficult hiking along the gorge rim. Hiking from either of the two parking areas to the gorge and around a loop that includes the rim trail is an 8-mi, all-day affair. Or you can hike to the first waterfall en route and then back to the parking lot. It's about 3 mi roundtrip from both the Upper Gulf Parking Area to Stairs Falls on the gorge's west end and from the Gulf Hagas Parking Area to Screw Auger Falls—the gulf's most spectacular drop—on its east end. You must ford the Pleasant River near the outset of this trail. This is easily done in summer when the water (about 150 feet wide) is knee-deep, but use extra caution in spring or after heavy rains, when the river is swifter and deeper. The Hermitage, a rare patch of old-growth pine, rises beyond the waterway. From Greenville, take Pleasant Street east (road becomes gravel) 11 mi to the Hedgehog checkpoint, follow signs to the Upper Gulf Parking Area (2½ mi) or the Gulf Hagas Parking Area (about 6½ mi). From Millinocket, take Route 11 south about 32 mi to the Katahdin Iron Works Road sign, continue 7 mi on a dirt road to the Katahdin Iron Works checkpoint, follow signs to the Gulf Hagas Parking Area (about 7 mi) or the Upper Gulf Parking Area (about 12 mi). From mid-May to mid-October, fees are charged at checkpoints (closed in April, late October, and November, but roads are still accessible), where you can buy trail maps and get hiking and parking information. 15 mi east of Greenville, access is by logging roads, ME.

North Maine Woods. North Maine Woods manages the private gravel roads to this very isolated area—yield to logging trucks. 92 Main St., Ashland, 04732. 207/435-6213. www.northmainewoods.org.

More Sports and Outdoors

• Biking
• Fishing
• Park-Sports/Outdoors

• Rafting
• Seaplanes
• Tours