Exploring Maine's Outdoors on Private Land

Roughly 94% of Maine's forest land is privately owned, and more than half of that land area is open to the public. In total, landowners voluntarily open up more than 10 million acres of working farms and forests. This access is an incredible gift, and in order to preserve it, everyone who ventures outdoors needs to understand the contribution that landowners make.

Most private landowners are happy to allow outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing, and even riding on their land, as long as their property is treated with respect. It’s important to remember that the private land you use for recreation belongs to someone else, just as surely as your car or home belongs to you, and accessing it is a privilege, not a right.