Dwight B. Demeritt Forest

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox park

| name = Dwight B. Demeritt Forest

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| coords = {{coord|44.915|-68.657|type:landmark_region:US-ME_dim:3000|display=inline,title}}

| type = Forest

| location = Old Town, Maine / Orono, Maine, United States

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| area = {{convert|1478|acre|ha}}

| created = 1939

| operator = University of Maine

| visitation_num = 35,000 to 50,000

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The Dwight B. Demeritt Forest is a protected area of Penobscot County, Maine owned by the University of Maine.{{cite book |last1=Demeritt |first1=Dwight Burgess |title=Background and History of the University of Maine Forest |date=1972 |publisher=Life Sciences and Agriculture Experiment Station, University of Maine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rtAsAQAAMAAJ&q= |language=en}} It is located in the adjacent municipalities of Old Town and Orono, Maine. Totaling {{convert|1478|acre|ha|adj=on}}, the Forest is used for education, demonstrations, research, and recreation, including hiking and cross-country skiing.{{cite web |title=Dwight B. Demeritt Forest |url=https://forest.umaine.edu/forest-land-resources/dwight-b-demeritt-forest/ |publisher=University of Maine School of Forest Resources |accessdate=20 May 2020}} According to the New England Mountain Biking Association, 35,000 to 50,000 people visit the space each year.{{cite web |title=University of Maine Trails, Orono |url=https://www.nemba.org/trails/maine/university-maine-trails-orono |website=NEMBA |accessdate=20 May 2020 |language=en}} It contains over 15 miles of trails.{{cite web |title=DeMeritt Forest Trail System |url=https://umaine.edu/campusrecreation/facilities/trails/ |website=Campus Recreation |publisher=University of Maine |accessdate=20 May 2020}}

In 1939, forested land adjacent to the campus was leased by the University which was purchased by university outright in 1955. In 1971, the parcel was named for Dwight B. Demeritt, who, as head of the University's Forest Department, had helped procure the land.{{cite web |title=Guide to the Dwight B. Demeritt, Jr. Brooklyn Navy Yard photographs and negatives V1989.015 |url=http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/bhs/v1989_015_demeritt/bioghist.html |website=dlib.nyu.edu |publisher=New York University |accessdate=20 May 2020}}