Maine’s Landscapes Come Alive In These Unique Handmade Playing Cards

If you stop by Acadia’s gift shops, you’ll find tons of amazing souvenirs. The same goes for the little stores along Moosehead Lake and even the gift shop at the botanical gardens, all packed with great gifts.

But one of the coolest things I discovered actually happened outside of those spots. I was at a local brewery in Winthrop, Maine, called Island Park Brewing, when I noticed a woman taking photos of these playing cards while sipping an IPA. We started talking, and she told me she actually draws maps on playing cards. Then she showed me her work. I was stunned. You can’t imagine drawing that much detail on a single card, but her designs are incredible. They’re also extremely popular at Acadia, Moosehead, and the Boothbay Botanical Gardens.

The coolest part is that when you put the cards together, they form an actual map of the location. For the botanical gardens deck, she even highlights specific flowers on the cards. They make such a fun and unique souvenir for tourists, something you can take home, admire, and actually use, especially if you love playing cribbage (my favorite game).

According to the Cabin & Mountain website, the Acadia deck has 24 summits and is perfect for hike planning or playing any card game. You can pull one card for a summit or put several together to plan different routes or multiple summits. And if you want to see the whole park or get a bigger picture of the hiking trails, you can place all the cards together and create a full map. So creative.

The Moosehead Lake deck explores Maine’s largest lake. All of the A–10 cards create a water-depth map of Moosehead, including campsites and boat launches. The J, Q, and K cards show surrounding hikes around the lake, including Kineo, Little Kineo, Lobster, Big and Little Spencer, Eagle Rock, Big Moose, and Little Moose.

I love that these decks highlight hikes you can check out, which is honestly the best way to explore Maine’s natural beauty. Acadia especially has some of the most iconic trails in the state.

The artist and designer behind Cabin & Mountain is Jade Pinkham, a Maine-based creator.

For the gardens deck, the hearts and diamonds are hand-drawn topographic maps of the garden trails. When you put the cards together, you get the entire Gardens landscape. The spades and clubs feature illustrated botanical species found throughout the gardens, each with fine details and name tags. The result is a beautiful deck that captures the spirit of the Gardens through a mix of cartography, botany, and craft in every hand.

In a state known for its rugged beauty and iconic landscapes, these hand-drawn playing card decks feel like the perfect way to carry a piece of Maine with you. Whether you’re planning a hike, exploring the lakes, wandering the gardens, or just sitting down for a game of cribbage, each deck captures the places we love in a way that’s both creative and deeply personal. And can we also just note how talented Jade is? Her attention to detail and the care she puts into every card gives all of us these little treasures that let us hold onto Maine no matter where we go. It’s art, it’s adventure, and it’s a souvenir you’ll actually use, a reminder of why Maine is such a special place to explore.