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Downeast Desert This 12,500-year-old natural phenomenon is just minutes from the beach.
If you’ll be heading to the Maine coast this summer, you might consider taking a side trip to “the desert.” Located in the coastal city of Freeport—more well known for its outlet shopping than an arid climate—the Desert of Maine is a 40-acre expanse of sand deposited by the retreating Laurentide Glacier, which covered New England with an ice sheet nearly two miles thick for thousands of years. The sand was buried beneath a layer of topsoil 56
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and vegetation until the late 1800s, when the land was cleared for farming. Over time, deforestation, overgrazing, and agricultural activity led to erosion, which revealed the shifting dunes. Today, the Desert of Maine is a popular tourist attraction. The site is home to a museum, a campground, nature trails, a café, and a gift shop. The desert’s largest dune is 65 feet tall. desertofmaine.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
TEXT EMILIE-NOELLE PROVOST
