Desert of Maine

Location: Freeport, Maine

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A desert in Maine? Are you crazy? Nope, there is in fact a desert in Maine. Located just outside of Portland you find a large area of sand known as the Desert of Maine. This 40-acre land is comprised of glacial silt which is what makes it a desert and not just a sand pit.

In 1797 the Tuttle family moved to the 300 acre farm that once covered the Desert of Maine where they successfully raised crops of potatoes and hay for several years. Failure to rotate crops thereafter, combined with massive land – clearing and overgrazing resulted in severe soil erosion that exposed this hidden Desert. As the spreading sand grew uncontrollable, the Tuttles surrendered, leaving the Desert to it’s destiny.

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