The Desert of Maine is a privately owned attraction at 95 Desert Road in Freeport, about two miles north of exit 20 off I-295. It is not a true desert. Freeport averages about 50 inches of precipitation a year, and a desert gets 10 or less. What visitors see is a stretch of glacial sand that was buried under forest and farmland until farming exposed it again. The attraction is closed for the season and reopens May 1, 2027. Adult admission to the dunes is listed at $21.
Desert of Maine quick facts
- Address: 95 Desert Rd, Freeport, ME 04032. Phone 207-250-2550.
- Season: closed now; the site says to come back May 1, 2027. The train runs about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily in July and August and on weekends in May, September and October, depending on staffing, weather and maintenance.
- Dunes admission: adults $21, youth (ages 4 to 19) $17, students with ID $17.
- Mini golf: adults $13, youth and students $12.
- Combo ticket: adults $32, youth and students $27.
- Dogs: leashed dogs are allowed in the Desert. Only service dogs are allowed on the mini golf course.
These are the prices the Desert of Maine lists on its own site as of November 7, 2026. Prices for the 2027 season may change, so check before you go.
Is it really a desert?
No. It is a glacial sand deposit. Toward the end of the last ice age the Laurentide Ice Sheet covered New England, and the glaciers began melting about 15,000 years ago. By about 13,500 years ago the Freeport area had risen out of the sea, and about 12,500 years ago it became a sink for wind-blown sand. Plants and later a forest held the sand in place until farming exposed it again.
Sources differ on size. Wikipedia describes a 20-acre expanse of barren sand, while Maine’s tourism listing says 40 acres of dunes.
How the Desert of Maine got its sand
- 1821: the Tuttle family bought the land and farmed it.
- 1800s: poor farming practices wore out the soil, and sheep overgrazing stripped the topsoil and exposed the sand underneath.
- 1890: the Tuttles abandoned the land, which locals called the sand farm.
- 1925: Henry Goldrup bought it for $300 and opened it as a tourist attraction, naming it the Desert of Maine.
- 1938: a house built on the site was later buried in sand during the park’s World War II closure and dug out during the redevelopment.
- 2018 and 2020: the attraction changed owners in 2018, and a redevelopment began in 2020, with the town authorizing a special zoning district for the site.
What your ticket covers
Daily admission covers the dunes, the nature trails, the Living Museum exhibits, the Tuttle Farmhouse and the train, which loops through part of the dunes and woods. The Desert’s own pages differ on whether the train is a narrated tour or mainly a way to get around, so ask when you arrive. There is a one-mile loop that includes the Ecology Walk.
The site also lists a Gemstone Village, a Fossil Dig, a Geology Lab, the Historic Tuttle Barn and a snack bar. We could not confirm which of these cost extra, so check at the welcome center.
Mini golf
The 18-hole mini golf course takes about 30 to 60 minutes. Holes 4 through 7 have stairs and an incline, which matters for strollers and wheelchairs. Same-day replay is half price.
Discounts and season passes
- 10% off: seniors (65 and over), active-duty military and Dunes passholders.
- 20% off: groups of 20 or more.
- 50% off: SNAP, EBT, WIC and MaineCare. Per the site’s FAQ, only the military and senior discounts apply to online purchases.
- Dunes Pass: $70 individual, $130 for two, $250 for a family of up to four.
Camping at the Desert of Maine
There is a campground among the pines at the edge of the dunes, with options from traditional sites to glamping. The site lists no rates, and bookings are through desertofmaine.com/campground. For other options see our Maine campgrounds page.
Planning your visit
The Desert is a short drive from downtown Freeport, which we cover on our Freeport page. Because the season runs from May 1 and the train only runs on weekends in the shoulder months, summer weekdays and fall weekends are the safest times for the full visit. Call 207-250-2550 if you are coming in May, September or October and want the train.
Sources: Desert of Maine (hours, prices, camping, dogs, mini golf), Wikipedia (history and geology), VisitMaine (acreage figure). Checked November 7, 2026; hours and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Featured photo: the Desert of Maine, Freeport, by Daderot, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.