Are there deserts in Maine?

Are there deserts in Maine?

Maine evokes images of lush pine forests and quintessential New England lighthouses, but tucked away next to the coastal town of Freeport, Maine, lies an unexpected site: over 40-acres of sand and silt, dubbed the Desert of Maine. Layers of glacial silt piled up as high as 80 feet in some parts of southern Maine.

Does Maine have sand dunes?

Coastal sand dunes are fragile and dynamic resources that only comprise about two percent of Maine’s coastline. These dunes act as natural barriers that protect the shorelines from storm events that cause erosion.

Does Maine have a desert climate?

Maine’s desert is in Freeport and while the surrounding area looks normal, the desert itself has overtaken homes and farmland.

Why does Maine have a desert?

The story of this strange place began more than 10,000 years ago, Mr. Doyle explained, when the glaciers of the last Ice Age slowly scraped the soil and ground rocks into pebbles and then to a sandy substance known as glacial silt, forming a layer up to 80 feet deep in places in southern Maine.

Is the desert in Maine a real desert?

The Desert of Maine is not a true desert, as it receives an abundance of precipitation. The surrounding vegetation is being allowed to encroach on the barren dunes. The land that encompasses the Desert of Maine was purchased by the Tuttle family in 1821.

Is the desert in Maine man made?

The state doesn’t have a real desert—it gets too much precipitation for that. Nonetheless, it has rolling dunes that weren’t trucked in to create a kitschy attraction. So how did it get there? The desert, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year, owes its origins to nature, with a little help from man.

Who owns the Desert of Maine?

Mela Heestand
FREEPORT, Maine — Mela Heestand and her husband bought Desert of Maine in late 2018. One of their first changes was to tear down a large fence that cut off the view of the desert from non-paying customers.

Is the Desert of Maine man made?

Are dogs allowed at the Desert of Maine?

​The Desert of Maine is tobacco- and drug-free — no smoking or vaping please. Well-behaved dogs on a leash are welcome!

What happened to the Desert of Maine?

The farmhouse burned down in 1919. In 1926, Henry Goldrup purchased the land for $400 ($7.50/acre), and converted it to a tourist attraction. The site is preserved as a natural curiosity, hosting a gift shop, a sand museum, and a farm museum.