My mom and I stopped by Walden Pond when we spent a day in Concord a week or so ago, and it was a…read moretreat to experience it on my first visit to Concord. Walden Pond is a pond, not very different from ponds all over the country. What makes it special is its association with Henry David Thoreau. He lived in a cabin on the shore of the pond for two years, and the pond and his experience living there inspired one of his most famous works, "Walden; or, Life in the Woods." The park has a lot to offer. There are trails, including the Pond Path, which circles the pond. There are beach areas. There is a visitor center, where you can watch a short documentary about Walden Pond. There's a gift shop/bookstore, where you can buy a copy of Walden to read while looking at Walden. There's also the replica of Thoreau's cabin (you can also visit the site of the original cabin). My mom and I visited the Visitor Center, watched the documentary, and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the main beach. We saw tons of people hiking, swimming, boating, kayaking, and more. Walden Pond is a special place - a must visit if you're also visiting Concord for the first time.

The water levels declined significantly from last time i visited…read more The beach is exposed on all sides. While it's great to swim in the water, i notice people are barbequing, grilling, smoking, vaping an playing loud music on the speakers. Even though there are notice boards saying not to. It would be good if DCR stations a few more staff members in the trails and beaches, to enforce the pond rules. The smell and sound was unbearable. It felt like a Las Vegas beach club. Pond was beautiful and quiet, but the crowd environment was not People were also not cleaning up after and leaving piles of food The geese would eat that and get more aggressive

A lovely place to observe art while going for a walk. Staff were absolutely lovely and the gift…read moreshop was filled with art themed treasure.

As a Trustee member, I am so happy that this park is included on my membership. I enjoy walking…read morearound and exploring the sculptures and going for a walk. You might want to make sure that they are open for regular hours before heading out there. There was one time we drove there and were informed that they were closing early because of a wedding was taking place. We weren't even allowed to do a quick drive around although they were closing in an hour and there were many visitors around. Lesson learned and I planned ahead by checking their website for future visits.

Great place to get outside and walk around a little. There are a ton of benches to rest of read a…read morebook. Lots to see.

Beautiful conservation land in Acton. Largish parking lot on Taylor street at 27…read more The area by the parking lot has some formal gardens - a Day Lilly garden, hosta garden, butterfly garden, etc. all surrounding a large open field with plenty of shade trees, picnic tables and benches. You see lots of people relaxing, lunching, reading, moms with kids etc in this area. There is also a paved wheelchair accessible trail in this area. The back area is woods complete with streams and a bog. The trail overall is 1-1/2 miles (including the handicap accessible portion). A leisurely 30-40 minute walk.

Beautiful spot! Beautiful coming here in every season- always a beautiful view and cool things to…read morelook at from fall leaves, flowers in spring and summer and winter snow. Love seeing the garden they have here. Great place to some for a walk and beautiful views. There's a visitors center with bathrooms that's open seasonally till about 4 or 5 pm. There are also bathrooms (not sure if seasonal) on the end closer to the bridge. Free parking on both sides as well.

This site is in the cute little town of Concord, and the site itself has a beautiful visitor center…read more(former Buttrick family residence) which contains a small informational exhibit. What's really nice is the outdoors. There's a garden space where you have a good lookout of the North Bridge, a significant location where the Minute Man faced the British Army. The path to the bridge is not too far of a walk, and you can see a beautiful memorial quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem "the shot heard round the world." I also liked the plaque honoring the graves of the British soldiers since a lot of lives were lost on both sides for American Independence. The bridge is a great scenic walk and great to do for both history and nature lovers.

This park is absolutely beautiful and the walking trails are paved and flat which is great for…read morepeople who are physically challenged like me lovely wife. My only concern and complaint is the lack of trash cans around the pond. In general human beings are self centered and inconsiderate of nature and others in general which leads me to my concerns and complaints. The amount of trash and bags of dog poop scared around the pond and trail is unacceptable. The only two trash cans that are left are at the snack bar area and most of the time they are overflowing with trash. There is always fishing gear including fish hooks scattered around the benches at the bridge along with waste such as worm containers discarded bate and alcohol bottles. In short the park maintenance is lacking to say the least. I realize that the pond swim and picnic area does not open until Memorial Day weekend but that is not a good reason for the lack of cleanliness and disrepair off the benches and buildings. My wife needs to take a break from walking because she has post polio syndrome and the beaches that are scattered around the pond are a blessing for her and other physically challenged people who also enjoy the walking path but most of the beaches are coming apart and people have decided that leaving their bags of dog poop next to them is a acceptable practice. There are kid toys and flotation devices scattered around the shoreline of the pond that have been there for the three years that I have been coming to the park along with water bottles and other trash. If all of these things were taken care of on a regular basis I would be able to give this park a five star with two thumbs up. This park could be a diamond if the people would just pick up after themselves and the parks and recreation department would do better at their jobs, however the people of the town of Acton and the surrounding area need to do better at picking up after themselves and stop being disrespectful of nature and other peoples property!

I'm not an Acton resident, so can't comment yet on the facilities or programming…read more Nara Park has a large, free parking lot for access to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. They also have clean restrooms that anyone can use. Not port-a-pots. Actual toilets and sinks with running water. You also get access to Nashoba Brook Conservation Land via a short walk down the rail trail. Or to Town Forest by walking the Nara Park trails. It seems like they have rock concerts every Friday night in summer - cover bands.

Great hike! This hike is easy and the length is 1.2 mi, it might take 30 minutes to walk around…read more The huge surprise was that you can let your dog walk without the leash. A lot of people bring their dogs. This hike has a lake where your dog can swim. Nature is beautiful, when you are walking around you could hear the woodpeckers. The only problem is parking. There are not a lot of parking spots, and if you go there, there are only residents parking on the weekends. There is no additional parking available for people who just visiting the park.

First time here, but I don't know a single person that hasn't recommended it without rave reviews…read more PROS: Trails. Great for off leash dog walking. There were tons of dogs roaming about, owners right on their heels, so no worries about unattended animals. Clean(er) ponds, since they're connected to flowing water sources. There was only spot we saw where the water seemed stagnant. Most everywhere else it was relatively clean. It's not crystal blue Caribbean waters, obviously, but for your dog to swim in, it's good. CONS: Parking seemed tight. Found a spot, but it looks like local residents are not happy about street parking for overflow, so there were signs prohibiting street parking. This was at the Drabbington entrance. I'm sure there's another entrance I don't know about. OVERALL: My new gold standard for off leash hiking.

Beautiful! How can you rate a lake? Well there are a few things that come to mind: rest area, bug…read morepopulation, accessibility, and swim-ability. Rest: there are places all around the banks to plop down or set up some folding chairs. There is lots of tree coverage and shade around the lake. Bugs: Plenty. (I think they're primarily baby dragonflies because it's Spring and 'tis the season) Accessibility: There's a parking lot! (G-d bless the 21st century in which natural areas come with parking lots) It also is along the Narrow Gauge Rail-Trail so it's accessible by a bike/walk path. You do need to do a tiny 1-minute hike down a small hill to get to the lake. Swim-ability: Rules for swimming are unknown. I can tell you that right on the edge of the lake, it's a little scummy, so I'm not sure it's appealing/a good idea to do so. No trash though! All in all, a wonderful lake to visit, might not spend the day here, but still worth the pretty views.

Fawn lake is surrounded by a loop trail. It is still a quiet and pleasant trail to walk after…read moredinner. The scenery view is okay but not nothing special or breathtaking. It is an easy hiking trail with an accessible parking lot. The length of the loop trail is about one mile with marks. During the winter, the trail could be muddy after snow or rain. If you were looking for a stunning place, Fawn lake may not be the first choice.

The Old Manse is an extraordinary landmark of American history, standing witness to the Battle Road…read moreconflict at the North Bridge and serving as a gathering place for some of our nation's greatest literary minds. Walking through its rooms feels like stepping directly into the Revolution and the transcendental era at the same time. The docent was exceptional -- knowledgeable, engaging, and gifted at bringing the stories of the Manse's remarkable residents and visitors to life. This is a place where history isn't just told; it's experienced. If you're anywhere near Concord, don't miss this institution.

A truly fascinating home filled with rich literary, political, and revolutionary histories of those…read morewho lived in and visited the home. The grounds are free to roam and one can walk through the field leading down to the North Bridge where the shot heard round the world was heard. Tours are offered on the hour Thursdays thru Sundays, and we opted for the 1 hour tour, $15. We felt transported to the past, hearing the history of those who lived there throughout the years. Emerson wrote Nature here in the upstairs room and Hawthorne choose to write in the same space. The tour is informative and interesting and the house is well preserved. Specialty tours can be arranged and there is also a tour of the attic on certain days. There is a small gift shop with books and other items. A great experience.

Such a wonderful, peaceful spot. It's incredible how you go from driving in a cute residential…read moreneighborhood, to taking a turn onto a quiet street that brings you to a parking lot to this wildlife refuge. Incredible. You pay $2 to park and then can walk around and soak it all in. I love how there's benches to sit and relax, and a handful of people had big cameras with large lenses to take cool pics while they bird watch. There's plenty of side trails you can venture out on too. The big loop we did ended up being 1.8 miles or so, and there's even a nice bike path right there too. Here, it's the perfect balance between it being not too busy at all, and not being completely empty too.

Great spot for birding. I recorded 45 bird species in one visit, and there were plenty of wild…read moreblueberries, raspberries, and grapes along the trails. Some sections are overgrown with lots of roots, so watch your footing, but that's part of the natural habitat. If you're into birds and wildlife, it's well worth the visit.