Walden Pond is a serene summer escape, with clear, cool water perfect for long swims and sandy…read moreshores backed by quiet woods. Walking the looping trail between dips adds reflection to an easygoing, all-day freshwater retreat.

The pond is a great place for solitude, but don't expect solitude on a weekend with warm weather…read more Everyone and their mother was out swimming, barbecuing, drinking, etc. While it's amazing to see everyone being active, I do wish part of the pond had a quiet area. There is a lot of construction and swimming, but it would be so nice for one small corner to be off limits to swimming and have benches just for a peaceful aspect. It's a beautiful area though and the visitor center is well done. Lots of neat information and a fun gift shop.

Im bummed that it too this long for us to visit, but Im so glad we did! A very easy drive from…read moreBoston, we got there early on a fall Saturday morning. You pay your entrance fee, park your car, get your map from the giftshop and your off to explore the grounds and the art it contains. We spent about 2 hours wandering and it was such a fantastic experience. Im glad the items were tagged so we could learn more about each piece and the artist. The pictures just dont do justice to the beauty, serenity and scope of the grounds. The staff was very friendly. There is a small gift shop and café on the grounds. It never felt crowded. Will definitely be back!

My husband and I had a nice Saturday with nothing to do so we grabbed the dog, hopped in the car,…read moreand drove half an hour to this park. The park is very well organized with different walking paths to see all the art installations in order. We chose the white path, there is also a red path, but it was hot and our dog wasn't super thrilled about it. There are dog water stations all over which is fantastic. We brought his water as well for simplicity. We saw people having picnics all over the park and some taking naps. Such a peaceful location to just hang out and read or spend a quiet afternoon.

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.

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.

Apart from being an important part of American History, this park is GORGEOUS! The North Bridge…read moreoverlooks a steady stream with trees along the banks. Plaques and monuments are erected over the places where one of the first battles of the American revolution was held. Plenty of space for walking as well

A nice sized park to take the doggy out for a walk. There's paved walkways, which is nice…read moreespecially for those with mobility issues. There's a lake/pond I believe that is open to the public during summer time to go swimming and all. When we went during early April, we didn't have to pay for parking but I believe this changes with warmer weather.

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!

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.

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.

Do not skip out on visiting the Old Manse! You absolutely need to visit this place! The Old Manse…read moreis immersed in history and literature, and I bought a tour ticket on the recommendation of a local tour guide. I'm very grateful I followed her recommendation! You can see the old North Bridge from the same room where Emerson and Hawthorne wrote some of their works. The guide let me play a little Chopin on the parlor piano. All the staff were very kind and knowledgeable. Highly recommend!

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.

The walk was crisp and clear. I think it was too crisp for my younger son. I thought the starkness…read morewas beautiful. I need to come back with binoculars