Wonderful experience for all ages!Amazing light hiking trails, show case such a diverse natural environment. Beautiful in the desert and the wooded areas. Activity centers for kids of all ages. Strongly recommend visiting, especially as theyre expanding the attraction list. Look forward to seeing more historic and environmental themed exhibits in the future. Wonderful, polite, professional, and enthusiastic staff.Restrooms were very clean and accessible for all abilities and ages. Current owners are doing an exceptional job planning their future.

A really nice campground near the desert - campsite was wooded and private. Fun games available to play - playground size jenga, corn hole and connect four. Nicely renovated showers (small) and nice bathrooms. A sink to wash dishes and a convenient kiosk to buy firewood and snacks/beverages. There was a digitalCheck in check out also. Camp guests can access the desert before and after tourist hours - short hikes near the campground. Interesting site - unusual history! A kids playground is open and also they have a nice gift shop - great gifts for kids. Staff were helpful. No one on site was available but they answer calls promptly. We enjoyed our stay - much nicer than state campground on the rest of our trip.

Visited with the wife, will be coming back with our kids. Great place to spend a few hours to walk the paths, hike the dunes, learn more about the history there and just overall relax. Campground on-site which well be looking to take advantage of in the future.

So fun. Digging for gems was the best. Plan on camping here in the future. Great for kids but Im 46

Pretty neat place! Definite fun and interesting for the whole family, but especially for the kids! Check out the Gem Village, you can turn the kids loose in there! And all that sand will have them worn out soon along with the playground up at the front as you come in. Definitely family oriented and definitely worth a visit. Thanks!

What an interesting place! We werent exactly sure what to make of this when we found this online, but glad we have ventured this way to check this out. We spent about 2 hours exploring the area, including the deserts, various trails, gemstone park, gift shop, playground, barn and cafe. The trail is self-guided, with various information signs along the main desert path, and lots of places and take neat photos. There is a cost to get in, children are a little bit less than adults, I believe we spent about $50 for two adults and two school aged children. The employees were very nice, one even provided some additional information as we were walking and exploring the trails. The center appears to be adding new areas to the compound, such as a mini-golf course to and Pavilion which will be done in the next year according to the nice employee at the welcome center. Glad we decided to check this place out! Now when we play the game Two Truths and One Lie, we can add visiting a desert in Maine to our truths.

Wasn’t sure what to expect but wow what an interesting place!! Lots and lots to see if you’re fan of nature. Definitely recommend a visit - well worth the $16 admission.

Its a cool pile of sand with a story behind it. Someone figured they can make money from it, so they overcharge you to see it, and to see all the things they will build in the future. Good for kids for sure, but adults, not real, there are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better hikes around that dont cost as much.

Even on a rainy day, this is a great place to visit. A desert, right there in Maine. Great story, energetic staff, and there are many things planned for the near future. The things soon to come will bump this place to a five star attraction for sure!

Fantastic place to camp. The campground is beautiful and the sites are decently large. Very clean restrooms and individual shower facilities. The owner is a wonderful person and has put his heart and soul into this property. He personally does much of the work. This is a hidden little gem.

Really nice stop with a laid back atmosphere. Spent most of my time filling the holes my dog kept digging 😅 he had a great time!

Really fun place to visit with kids. My own were 7&9 on our visit, they had a blast. Although, I think it would be an even better fit for slightly younger kids. There were several kid themed activities which made it super interactive. We had a great visit to the desert!

Tent campers paradise! Tent lots are very spacious and mostly flat. Each site comes with a fire pit, water spigot, and an electricity box to plug electronics in to charge. The bath house is extremely nice with private HOT showers and a nice bathroom. They also have a sink with hot water to wash your dirty dishes! There are snack, drinks, and firewood available 24/7 at a kiosk. They have a nice area with games to play as well. This was one of the nicest campgrounds I’ve ever been to. They really have thought of everything!All the way from SC and would love to go again one day!

This was so cool! My 18 month old had so much fun on the natural playground, the gemstone village looking for cool little rocks and finding her way through the labyrinth, and just scratching in the sand dunes with a stick. Several informational signs for older kids/adults to read throughout. Also nice walking trails. Would recommend!

A sweet little detour built with children and families in mind. The owners are still adding attractions to the property so in the next couple of years it should be a really neat place to stop! We were there for about an hour. The place has an interesting history and made for some fun photos.

Really fun place to explore, would be great for small kids. New owners have made huge improvements to the adjoining campground as well

Fun attraction. Great for little kids, history buffs and trail seekers. They have a wonderful playground and gem labyrinth for the kids! The labyrinth is great because there are places for the kids to dig, climb and have imaginative play. For example they have hobbit holes! Definitely going to be taking my kids here more often.

Nice little adventure. Hot as hell tho.

This is the weirdest place Ive been on Maine. Loved walking around in amazement.

Okay dude straight up this places was kicking awesome! The trails and everything outside is open but the museum and the gift shop are closed so if you want to see the desert and the dunes you can but you just cant shop. I went when it was coved in snow unfortunately but its still a cool sight to see! One day I will be back! This is a must for anyone in the area!

Very cool experience. The price is high for what they offer, but it was still neat. Not only is there a desert, but there was the coolest playground Ive ever seen. Very creative and maze like. Ive seen a lot for kids and Im jealous Im not a kid to play on it. They also had some easy hiking trails through the woods and some historic things to see along with the desert.Its looks like in the future, there will be a few other activities like finding gems for kids and a mini golf section. But would definitely recommend.

Something to do. Basically went to get a better idea of the geology of the place and how it went from farmland to desert. The information signs along the way fill in all that. Its in rough stages. There are new owners and they are building 3 new attractions for late 2021/early 2022. Mini golf, fossil search and gem dig. We did walk the very easy loop trail. There is also a camp ground, but we didnt stay there.

A little overpriced but very interesting.

Great stop. Well worth the time spent walking around and the admission. Definitely planning a stop there next fall with my kids and grandchildren. Interesting place and some cool history.

This place is amazing! Theres nothing like it you have to come and experience it for yourself. The owner is amazing and let me run some rc cars there off season rehabbing from spine surgery. Great place a must stop while in Maine.

Nicely located between Brunswick and Portland. Great wash house facility and the camp ground was really clean and well kept.Only knock was on the pricing for wood. Should price it so that it comes to $20 with tax. Not $21.20. Make it easy to drop a $20.Anyhow, I fully recommend this nicely kept campground.

I really didnt mean to spend 2hrs here but somehow we did. Really seems like they fixing the place up for more things to see. Guy gave us a nice brief story about the place and then you just walk your own way. Worth a swing by if youre near.

We went camping there few years ago. Seeing a desert in the middle of Maine was incredible. I remember the temperature difference between the forest and the desert. Our kids had fun and so did we. We still have the little bottle of sand our kids made in the souvenir shop. The story the guide told was really interesting and fascinating.

Cool local spot to explore and learn about how a desert exists in Maine.

I went this past weekend with friends. Great place for kids but also fun for adults! Id been about 3years ago when it was under different owners, but the new owners have done an incredible job adding to the experience. Easy walk, lots of signs with historical information, and some cool photo opportunities. I highly recommend checking it out if in/near Freeport!

We had such a wonderful experience at this campground! The campsite itself was lovely, and the amenities are mind-blowing -- seriously, the photos people have posted of the bathrooms dont do them justice, theyre even nicer in person. We were also pleased with the other campers! Everyone was so friendly and respectful of the quiet hours. Honestly, cant think of a single complaint, and we will absolutely return.

Stayed there last week for one night. Wished we would of stayed for longer, the place was amazing! Our kids loved every minute of being there. The facilities were great. And the guys working there (Jeremy and Thomas) were super friendly and helpful. Will definitely go again in the future.

Definitely a nice place to bring the kiddos.The have a lot of history to that place which makes it extra fun to learn about the past.

Great attraction. Informative signage. BEACH WHEELCHAIR available so my daughter (currently with broken kneecap) could visit the dunes!!!! Friendly, helpful staff. Yummy muffins in Oasis. Fun gift shop.We also stayed in the campgrounds in our small 19 foot trailer. Immaculate restrooms, great self service camp snack shop (with ice cream!), level sites, and good spacing so no one is too close. Full hookups (30 amp/water), and dump site . Sites suitable for small trailers/ vans/popups and tent campers. Highly recommend!!!

Such a cute place! Theyve clearly done a lot to improve it over the last few years and I think its only going to get better. Great camping spot for families. We had a great time!

The word on the street is that this place is under new ownership. I don’t know the experience one might have had under the old owners, but this place is wonderful. I stayed a night in my teardrop camper parked in the campground. The bathrooms are nicer than those in my home. The attention to detail in the campground and the desert attraction is awesome. The signs explaining the history of the area, and the kids maze are amazing. I’m so excited to see where they land after all the improvements are finished, but this place is still great to visit now. The three people working the visitors center were inviting and accommodating on arrival. I’m so happy we came to visit and we will definitely be back with our son soon.

Really enjoyed this campground for a night, the showers, bathrooms, and self service area are legitimately as nice as any campground across the country.The Desert of Maine itself happened to be free the day we arrived thanks to LL Bean and our kids loved it all and could spend the whole day on the dunes or digging for gems. Kind of unique compared to most campgrounds So it was a great stop.

Awesome local gem! My kids are almost 3 and almost 6, and both had a blast from 9 to 11 easily. Cant wait for the new attractions coming 2022!

A very interesting place to see. Not a true desert but a huge glacial deposit of the softest sand youve ever felt.Not much else to see but interesting to see a huge sand deposit in the middle of a wooded area.$10.00 admission for everyone over 5.

Fun roadside attraction showcasing a bit of geology, some history, over farming and classic Americana. Super friendly staff. Campgrounds are closed for 2020. The $10 entrance fee is worth the roughly hour long self guided tour of the yellow loop. There are several other trails but you may want to head here soon as this Desert is shrinking!

Different experience and must watch place.

Beautiful amenities and wonderful staff! The owner and employees were incredible and made our stay special. We extended our stay but still wanted more. The sand was incredible and the story/history of the property made the experience that much more! Thank you Doug and the staff!!

This is such a great place to visit for families, couples or anyone looking for something different. The Desert is really well organized and there are many opportunities to take pictures.There are enough activities to keep everyone in your group occupied for hours and they have events planned to keep everyone coming back for more.The guide was very friendly and did a great job explaining the history behind the desert and recommended some spots to focus on. There were delicious fresh baked blueberry muffins for purchase at the desk- definitely worth the purchase!Overall highly recommend this spot to any curious adventures!

Stopped here the other day and was very impressed with the awesome staff who know their stuff. It was overcast with a bit of rain but the heavy rain held off till I finished exploring the desert. It cost $10 per adult to visit which is reasonable for maintaining the property and everything they offer. Due to covid we could not have a tour guide but the signs posted around the area help. I plan to stop again next time I visit Maine and hopefully it will be a sunnier day

Able to walk on dunes in the snow, building was shut and there was construction but still worth having a visit and reading some signposts for learning.

Great way to enjoy a fall day. History and hiking. Nice to just be outside.

My boyfriend and I just got back from a 3 night stay here and we both loved it, we had a wonderful time. The cleanest campsite I have ever been to, hot water for showers, friendly staff. We stayed at site number 6, which was one of the farthest from the bathrooms so I thought that might be an issue for me (I am currently pregnant and often need extra bathroom trips these days) but I was pleasantly surprised to find our site had a shortcut to the bath house trail right beside our site. Very family friendly with a ring toss, corn hole, giant connect 4, and jenga for guests to enjoy as well as a big wooden playground. We want to come back when our baby is old enough to enjoy with us!

Wonderful visit! The new owners are doing a lot to maintain and improve this gem. Highly recommended. The staff was super friendly too.

If you like roadside attractions this is a neat spot to visit! I enjoyed my time here and finally got to check it off my bucket list. Has a loop trail that is easy to walk and not very long and sands from deserts all around the world!

This isn’t the same Desert of Maine from my childhood! They have done a ton of work and it was a great time for the kids with lots of activities and play areas.The food was also really good. I told the cashier that the hotdogs were excellent (yes a hot dog) and she said that the owners insist everything is an 11 out of 10. I am looking forward to going back once they do some more additions like the mini golf course.

Friendly staff. Nice detour on way to Acadia. Spend a couple of hours with the family exploring and did the ridge hike.

It was overpriced for two people to look at sand. Their wasnt a whole lot to do. Their is a nice childrens playground, but thats about it.

We visited yesterday and they are clearly doing some construction. The visitor center is closed and there are no bathrooms, but they are allowing you to see the desert and walk the trails for free, so thats cool.

It would be nice if you posted your hours on Google. I just wasted my time driving out here to find that the desert was closed. I assumed - erroneously - that since this was a naturally occurring thing, I wouldn’t have to pay someone for the privilege to look at it. Maybe this business could update their google details to make that more clear.

Very cool. We were looking for a place to camp for the night and arrived at dusk. They were closed for the winter. There was a sign that said it was fine to stay and or look around, but please leave a donation. We had no idea where we were and it was too early for bed so we explored. It was well into dark when we got back to the truck. We had alot of fun using a flashlight doing our little self tour. I would recommend it as a fun stop, especially with kids.

So weird but in a good way. Would recommend.

We had a great time at Desert of Maine. Very interesting history. I would recommend this place for sure!!!

I learned to swim here as a child while my grandparents kept their RV here. I came back as a adult and its still well worth the visit. I hope to bring my kids here someday. Such a fun experience.

Cute little place and it’s cheap to go take a look. It’s better for kids.

Yes, there truly is a desert in Maine. We really enjoyed the tour. They took very good care of my wife and her service dog. Our tour guide was funny, informative, and kept us moving, as we traveled through the desert on a Jeep with no name.They have a small campground there we didnt know about until we arrived, it is nice, secluded sites, some with E/W/S. This place was on our Bucket List and is one of Americas unique oddities and worth a visit.

They have made a lot of updates it is great. Cool place to take the kids

It didnt start out great but after hearing from the manager and I explained he understood better..thank you..we are willing to give it another vo..have a great rest of your day..

Beautiful had a great time on the sand and on the lovely trails will definitely come again

I thought it was just sand. Its so much more!

Simple but cute. Bathrooms were AMAZING! I think they should sell lobster rolls hehe.

We absolutely adored traveling to and staying at the Desert of Maine. The grounds were well kept, tenting area spaces were spacious and comfortable, bathrooms excellent and the desert is absolutely beautiful. I would highly recommend this as a weekend outing to anyone interested in having a fun, wholesome weekend with loved ones!

Interesting but.possibly over hyped?Recommend if you have time

Very friendly staff, fun pit stop on our way up North. Worth stopping of you have the time.

Loved it, the kids and Adults had a nice time and enjoyed it .

Its a cool place to visit but its very overpriced for the actual experience. My kids thought the jewel search was the best part 😵‍💫

It was fun and amazing the staff are really nice and the cafe also amazing!

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit!

This was a wonderful experience. The tour was educational and interesting. Seeing the land and the effects of man is humbling.The butterfly experience is cool too.

Nice little hike but also somewhat pricey. There were a lot of earthworms hanging from the trees

Fun cc ski place. Sweet

Very fun and its not that hot.

Its not a tourist attraction but rather a playground for kids. If you haven seen sand before, you are not a tourist.

Nice disc golf course here. Entirely sand so walking was a little difficult.

I liked it very much it had lots of sand and it was a new Outlook on living in maine it was my first experience seeing the desert and was a very enjoyable time

Great place! Very fun and neat spot!

Its a crazy sight to see and it may not be around for much longer as the surrounding forests continue to encroach. Definitely make a point to see it if you are in the area!!

Although i was a little skeptical at first, the desert of maine was 100% worth it. the staff really seemed to know information about the land and were eager to answer any and all question! a unique and exciting way to appreciate the natural beauty of maine!!!

Polite staff, but one Jeep (tram vehicle) was broken, and the other broke just after our tour began. Nostalgic of roadside attractions of yesteryear, but a dated concept. Could use new interpretation.

Desert. Sand. Kids loved it!

Something different,not worth the admission price.

Lots of fun,coolest place

Good place to spend few hours with family

Its a real desert, and bigger than Id expected. The folks who run the tours are very friendly, and kids will have fun digging for gems. Its a pretty cool way to learn some geology and history all in one trip.

Very interesting to actually see a desert. Smaller than I imagined but the surrounding forest is moving slowly back in! To see an example of poor land management now losing to nature is quite a sight to behold. It rained while I was there but I still enjoyed the visit.Update: Saturday, October 2020; After reading that this attraction was under new management and undergoing changes, turn to face the strange ch ch CHANGES!, oops, I decided to visit again. Im glad I did. Prices still reasonable to get in. Facemask required inside the main building, social distancing outside. Walkway and playground have been built. Trails added, which is where I spent the bulk of my time. Self guided tour. Regular tour ended due to Coronavirus.Three trails along with the self guided tour. The blue trail was the best marked and moderately challenging. The red trail was the easiest, stroller friendly and had the aroma of Christmas 🎄 trees. The green trail, if I was walking the right one, went along a brook, had criss crossing bridges but wasnt marked. Not stoller friendly. Blue and green have steep declines! Chipmunks everywhere! I never knew they could be so loud! Alvin!!Mushrooms and interesting weeds that flower growing in the sand. Watch were you walk.Family/kid friendly. Ice-cream, maple 🍁 syrup and drinks for sale. Sand as well.Without the tours, you get to explore, see and hear more. Information posted along self guided tour route.I still recommend a visit. All the out of state license plates I saw hopefully agree.Update: Sunday afternoon, May 2021; Brought my kids and my friend. My daughter, 😑. My son was more into it and enjoyed picking up sand and letting it run through his fingers. My friend, she thought the sight was weird 😳. A desert 🏜️ in a forest. She liked it and is going to read more about it online. We did the Loop Trail. My friend wanted to buy a 👕 shirt, but, they were all to small.New maze for kids was built. You can climb or crawl inside a tiny house, climb into a bridge or travel though a tunnel.It was windy and we saw a dust devil..

Pretty neat place. Never knew Maine had a desert, its definitely a must see!

This may as well be called the sand pit of Freeport, because first off, these sandpits are EVERYWHERE in New England, and second, this is NOT a desert, and if you think it is, you should get your eyes checked

Its an interesting piece of Maine history.

Not too crazy about it but i always enjoy the trails and the different animals and plants you can find, it was a different experience.

So close to Freeport yet, who knew? Can spend an hour or stay to walk the trails or overnight in the camping grounds.

This place is weird but in the best way.Definitely worth the entry fee if youre into ecology and nature as well as history.Staff are super knowledgeable and friendly, DEFINITELY would recommend the bus (?) tour

First time back since ownership changed. Last time there was a guided tour, which was very informative. New owners are putting information signs up but also building a walkway so some signs were not accessible. The sand art station and slues box was a big hit with the kids the last time I was there, so missed them this time. It is a nice way to spend an afternoon however.

I went 10 years ago, I remember having lots of fun and I want to take my family there. I was like 15 or 16 when 7 went there with my grandparents, mom, and my sister. Im hoping my wife and daughter will have fun when. it is open again.

Stopped in for a quick visit. Interesting story about the tree growth in deep sand. Definitely take the tour! I needed more time.

This was such a unique experience, one that we did not plan on doing but are so glad that we did! The Desert of Maine is fascinating to learn about, hike through and see for yourself. This attraction is absolutely worth your time!

Just stopped to take a quick pic