The Great Gulf is a glacial
cirque
A (; from the Latin word ') is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from Scottish Gaelic , meaning a pot or cauldron) and (; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform ...
, or amphitheater-like
valley head formed from a glacier by erosion, located in the
White Mountains of
New Hampshire. The cirque's walls are formed, from south to north, by the mountainsides of
Mount Washington (6,288 ft/1917 m),
Mount Clay (5,533 ft/1686 m),
Mount Jefferson (5,716 ft/1742 m),
Mount Adams (5,799 ft/1768 m), and
Mount Madison (5,366 ft/1636 m). It is drained by the
West Branch of the
Peabody River.
The Great Gulf Wilderness is a protected
wilderness area encompassing the cirque of the Great Gulf, and is part of the
National Wilderness Preservation System
The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federally managed wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally designated wilderness areas is coordinated by the Na ...
. Established in 1964, Great Gulf is New Hampshire's oldest and smallest wilderness area, comprising just .
See also
*
List of U.S. Wilderness Areas
*
Wilderness Act
References
*Daniell, Gene, and Smith, Steven D. ''White Mountain Guide''. 27th ed. AMC Books, 2003. .
External links
Great Gulf Wilderness- Wilderness.net
- GORP
Landforms of Coös County, New Hampshire
Mount Washington (New Hampshire)
Cirques of the United States
Landforms of New Hampshire
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