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Photo: Detroit Publishing Co. copyright claimant, publisher., Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Walk, swim or fish in the footsteps of Thoreau, and see a replica of his cabin. While Thoreau escaped here to be surrounded by nature and experience solitude, don't expect to have exactly the same experience. The nature remains, but nowadays you'll have to share it. Facilities include: boat ramp, picnic areas, accessible restrooms and a visitors center. Parking has intentionally not expanded to meet demand, and the lot closes when it reaches capacity. Call the provided number and hear the lot status before heading out.
Walden Pond is a historic pond in Concord, Massachusetts, in the United States. A good example of a kettle hole, it was formed by retreating glaciers 10,000–12,000 years ago. The pond is protected as part of Walden Pond State Reservation, a 335-acre (136 ha) state park and recreation site managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The reservation was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962 for its association with the writer Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), whose two years living in a cabin on its shore provided the foundation for his famous 1854 work, Walden; or, Life in the Woods. The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 ensured federal support for the preservation of the pond.
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Conservation land adjacent to Walden Pond. Suggested walks include: the Fairyland Pond Circuit, Brister Freeman extended loop, and Brister’s Hill Loop. About 30-60 minutes each. About 20 spots in the parking lot.
Historic New England
First house in America to be designed by architect William Gropius, father of the Bauhaus school of modern architecture.
Emerson, Thoreau and more.
Louisa May Alcott
Former home of the Alcott family and the setting of Little Women. Open for tours at varying times depending on season. See also the Concord School of Philosophy, founded by Bronson Alcott, and located just behind the main building.