West Branch Pleasant River (Piscataquis River)

For other streams in Maine named West Branch Pleasant River, see West Branch Pleasant River (disambiguation).
West Branch Pleasant River
Basin
Progression Pleasant River
– Piscataquis River
– Penobscot River
Main source Maine
Source elevation 1,460 feet (450 m)
River mouth Pleasant River
45°21′55″N 69°03′12″W / 45.3654°N 69.0533°W / 45.3654; -69.0533 (West Branch Pleasant River)Coordinates: 45°21′55″N 69°03′12″W / 45.3654°N 69.0533°W / 45.3654; -69.0533 (West Branch Pleasant River)
Mouth elevation 350 feet (110 m)
Country United States

The West Branch Pleasant River is a 36.1-mile-long (58.1 km)[1] tributary of the Piscataquis River in Piscataquis County, Maine. From a location north of Fourth West Branch Pond (45°36′32″N 69°16′08″W / 45.609°N 69.269°W / 45.609; -69.269 (West Branch Pleasant River source)) in Shawtown (Township A, Range 12, WELS), the river runs about 18 miles (29 km) counterclockwise around the White Cap Mountain massif, then about 18 miles (29 km) southeast to its confluence with the East Branch of the Pleasant River in Brownville.

The Appalachian Trail crosses the West Branch (45°28′44″N 69°17′19″W / 45.4790°N 69.28865°W / 45.4790; -69.28865 (Appalachian Trail x West Branch Pleasant River)) at The Hermitage Preserve in Bowdoin College Grant East (T.7 R.10 NWP). The Hermitage contains a roughly 35-acre (14 ha) grove — one of the few stands of old-growth Eastern White Pine remaining in New England. Just upstream from The Hermitage is Gulf Hagas (45°29′10″N 69°19′34″W / 45.486°N 69.326°W / 45.486; -69.326 (Gulf Hagas gorge)), a 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) water-formed canyon. The river falls 500 feet (150 m) in the canyon, including multiple waterfalls. Gulf Hagas and The Hermitage are among the 14 National Natural Landmarks in Maine, designated in 1968 and 1977 respectively.[2][3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed June 22, 2011
  2. ↑ "Gulf Hagas". National Natural Landmarks. National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). Retrieved 2010-06-08.
  3. ↑ "The Hermitage". National Natural Landmarks. NPS. Retrieved 2010-06-08.


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