Desert of Maine

The Desert of Maine is a sandy landscape made of glacial deposits surrounded by pine forests. The dunes cover about 40 acres and create an unusual mix of open sand and thick woods.

This area was productive farmland in the 1800s until the Tuttle family's farming methods damaged the soil so severely that erosion destroyed the vegetation. The once-fertile farm gradually turned into the sandy landscape that exists today.

The Desert of Maine represents the consequences of land mismanagement and serves as an educational site about sustainable farming practices.

You can walk marked trails across the dunes and visit a museum with geological information about the site. The location also offers bottles of sand from the area as a souvenir for visitors.

Despite its name, this place receives more rain and snow each year than most deserts around the world. This mix of dry ground and wet weather creates a rare geological oddity.