See Purple Paint in the Woods in Maine? You Need to Leave Right Away

Maine has almost 18 million acres of woods which cover 89 percent of the state's land area. That's the highest percentage of forest cover of any state in the US. That's a lot of trees!

Mainers love to take a walk in the woods on a nice day. It's almost like entering another world, away from the buzz of the daily grind. No sounds of cars honking. Just the sound of nature.

Despite the fact that 89 percent of Maine is covered in wooded areas, every single acre of it is owned by someone. The good news is that many of those landowners open up their lands to the public for all sorts or recreational uses like walking, hiking, and riding ATVs and snowmobiles.

You may have seen this mark on trees in the woods and wondered what it is.

A purple stripe definitely stands out in a forest, and for good reason. But you need to know what it means.

That purple stripe appearing on trees, posts, or stones is a warning to people that you are on property that is "Access by Permission Only." It's a simple mark to tell you that unless you have gotten permission from the landowner to be on the property, you are trespassing.

I can only assume that the purple mark is a lot easier to maintain and can't be torn down like a sign. But not everyone knows what the purple mark means, so the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife has all the info you need to be sure you are enjoying the woods without unknowingly trespassing on private property.