WHITEFIELD, Maine (AP) - Take Deboullie - if you're prepared. Or Scraggly Lake, or the Unknowns.

Wheeling and tromping across thousands of miles of Maine's remotest points, author Tom Hanrahan has been to those pristine patches and plenty more. While he doesn't mind being alone, he doesn't want all million-plus acres of Maine public lands to himself.

At the request of the state Conservation Department, Hanrahan has written a book, "Your Maine Lands - Reflections of a Maine Guide," to show Mainers and visitors the wild and breathtakingly scenic preserves that few people - Mainers included - know.

"We want people to know about these places and to go and enjoy them," said Hanrahan.

The master Maine guide's book is a series of first-person reflections on chunks of the state he regards as heaven on Earth that should be enjoyed by all who appreciate the outdoors. But he's also careful to point out that they're not places for casual day-hiker s, and are full of potentially mortal hazards that can turn an unprepared sojourner's foray into sheer hell.

The state has outright ownership of some 500,000 acres of public reserved land, plus conservation easements of nearly 1 million more acres that are protected permanently. These public lands are open to anyone to hunt, fish, hike, trap, cross country ski, snowshoe, snowmobile or enjoy any other of a myriad of backcountry activities.

And, as the burly, bearded author says in his book, it costs "not a dime" to enter and stay as long as you like.

Hanrahan says he's often surprised to hear how many people don't know about the reserves of woods, mountains, coastal and lake habitats.

Take Deboullie, a 22,000 area of low rugged mountains and remote trout ponds in far northern Maine that's accessible from Portage or St. Francis. The department's Web site includes a description of that site and others, and maps that can be downloaded. One of Hanrahan's f avorites, Deboullie also has hiking trails and campsites.

He writes about hiking through Washington County's 12,000-acre Bold Coast, with its nearly five miles of cliff-bound ocean shore.

"I don't see the ocean at first, but I hear it coming through the damp pine and fir forest," he writes. "It's a very special kind of hike, because very few hikes begin in deep woods and end up with a spectacular, ocean view."

Hanrahan cautions, however, that some of the locations are extremely remote and difficult to find. He recommends hiring a guide for some of them on your first visit, and for traveling smart, with supplies in case you get lost and a vehicle that can handle unpaved roads.

The book can be ordered here.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.