He Left Tech. She Left Medicine. Now Doug Heestand and Leah Hebert Run a 29-Cabin Campground and Nordic Spa in the Maine Woods.

Sep 23

Doug Heestand didn’t set out to own a campground.

Years ago, the tech entrepreneur bought a house that happened to abut the Desert of Maine in Freeport. The century-old tourist attraction had seen better days, and when Doug learned it was for sale, curiosity eventually turned into ownership. Along with the attraction came a small, rundown campground.

Doug thought he might add a few cabins.

Those cabins stayed booked. So he added more. Eventually, the tents and RVs disappeared, and what began as a side project became the thing compelling enough for Doug to leave a career that had him constantly traveling and overcommitted. “I thought I’d sail off into the sunset on my tractor,” he jokes. Instead, he found himself working just as hard, but on something that felt more meaningful.

Leah Hebert understands the career pivot.

A Maine native, Leah spent nearly 15 years in medicine, most recently working in vascular care at St. Mary’s in Lewiston. She loved caring for patients, but the volume and pace of healthcare eventually left her exhausted. She left medicine and joined Doug full-time in hospitality.

Today, the couple runs the campground as its own business, with a collection of A-frames, cabins, and domes tucked into the woods. Doug brings his tech background to the operation, even building custom apps and AI tools to manage what he describes as essentially running 29 Airbnbs. Leah has helped shape how the spaces feel, down to fabrics, curtains, and reupholstered headboards. “I wanted the cabins to feel like a hug when you got in the door,” she says.

Their newest chapter is Unwind Nordic Spa. Built within the campground, the sauna and Nordic cycle have become enough of a draw that Leah now describes the business differently:

“We used to be a campground with a spa. Now we are a campground and a spa.”

For two people who left careers defined by packed schedules and burnout, what they’ve built has a certain symmetry.

A place designed to help other people slow down.

95 Desert Rd in Freeport, ME | stay.desertofmaine.com