Known by Māori as Te Apiti, the gorge itself features in Māori mythology as the consequence of a show of strength by Okatia as he made his way to the sea. Hacked into the steep sides of the gorge on each side of the river are a road, now permanently closed, and a little-used railway. Since the indefinite closure of the Manawatu Gorge road, the Saddle Road and the Pahiatua Track now provide the easiest access between the east and west coasts of the southern North Island.