Walden Pond

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Walden Pond

Photo: Erik Granlund · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

🥾 Hike · Concord

2.5 hours · $ · Check website for reservations

age fit
0–1 yr
★ 2.0
1–3 yrs
★ 4.0
3–5 yrs
★ 4.0
5–10 yrs
★ 4.0
  • 🚗
    About 25 min drive
    From Newton · Parking: State park lot with a fee (about $8 for MA plates, more for out of state); often full and closed on summer weekends and may require advance reservation, check the DCR website
  • 🎒
    Carrier recommended
    Terrain isn't stroller-friendly; a carrier is easier
  • 🌳
    Lots of shade
    Great on sunny days · Handles heat · Good on cool days
  • ⏱️
    Typical visit: 2.5 hours
    Best seasons: Summer · Fall

The pond Thoreau lived beside for two years, with water clear enough to see the stones under your feet: in summer the main beach has lifeguards and a gentle shallow-to-deep slope, the 1.7-mile dirt loop runs through pine woods, and a replica of Thoreau's cabin by the trail is small enough for a 2-year-old to sit inside.

💡 Tips
Arrive before 9am in summer; once the lot fills they turn cars away at the road. The loop has roots and sandy slopes, so no strollers, use a carrier. No inflatables or dogs; bring a picnic, as there is no food nearby. Fall means fewer people and cool water, perfect for walking the loop.

What this place offers

✓pond
✓swimming
✓dirt loop
✓Thoreau cabin
✓beach
✓restrooms
✓visitor center

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This weekend's weather in Concord

Forecast at the destination itself (coast and hills often differ from home)

🌧️
Sat 10/17
Rain · 34–62°F · 74% rain
☁️
Sun 10/18
Overcast · 34–59°F · 1% rain

Location

Concord, Massachusetts

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