Walden Pond
Walden Pond is a historic pond in Concord, Massachusetts, in the United States. A drive of 14 mi reaches Fenway Park. Weather is mildest over May, June, August, September and October, with 63–83°F highs.
A lake inside Concord
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 72K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 95% of the 7,799 attractions we track.
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 17°, with about 59" of snow a year. When to go ↓
You can stay in Concord
Walden Pond is inside Concord, which has 7 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Aug, Sep and Oct
May, June, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 63–83°. When to go ↓
An airport 3 miles away
Laurence G Hanscom Field (BED) has airline service, about 3 miles from Walden Pond.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
The weather by month
Pick a month for Walden Pond from the weather below.
Walden Pond
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.
- Type
- Lake
- Area
- 61 acres
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1966) · America's Most Endangered Historic Places · National Historic Landmark (1962)
- Wikipedia readers
- 72K a year
Bases for Walden Pond
For a bed close by, look to Concord (7) and Boston (199).
- 1Fenway Park
- 2Gillette Stadium
- 3Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
- 4Harvard Stadium
- 5Freedom Trail
- 6Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Walden Pond | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concord | in town | — | 7 4 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 18,208 | $1,210K | A− |
| Boston | 18 mi southeast | 25 min | 199 158 hotels · 29 inns & B&Bs · 4 lodges & cabins · 5 hostels · 3 campgrounds | 672,973 | $732K | D |
| Cambridge | 12 mi east | 20 min | 30 20 hotels · 7 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds | 122,588 | $1,092K | D |
| Waltham | 6 mi southeast | 10 min | 14 13 hotels · 1 campground | 65,037 | $749K | B− |
| Newton | 10 mi southeast | 15 min | 16 9 hotels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground | 90,741 | $1,265K | A− |
| Lexington | 6 mi east | 10 min | 10 6 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 34,648 | $1,203K | A |
| Woburn | 10 mi east | 15 min | 16 16 hotels | 43,962 | $674K | B |
| Brookline | 13 mi southeast | 20 min | 19 10 hotels · 9 inns & B&Bs | 63,414 | $1,247K | B+ |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Next door to Walden Pond
A wider trip can take in these, within 67 miles.
Big draw114 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw224 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw314 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Big draw37 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
412 mi Stadium & arenaHarvard Stadium
516 mi AttractionFreedom Trail
614 mi MuseumMuseum of Fine Arts Boston477K visitors a year
Big draw67 mi MuseumThe BreakersPhoto credits
Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Harvard Stadium: Nick Allen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston: Martin~jawiki at Japanese Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0
Walden Pond, answered
Is Walden Pond in Concord?
Yes. It’s inside Concord, MA.
When is the best time to visit Walden Pond?
May, June, August, September and October, with highs of 63–83°.
What is the closest airport to Walden Pond?
Laurence G Hanscom Field (BED), about 3 miles away. The nearest big hub is Boston Logan (BOS), about 18 miles.
Where should I stay near Walden Pond?
Boston (18 mi, 199 places to stay), Cambridge (12 mi, 30 places to stay) and Waltham (6 mi, 14 places to stay).
Word from Concord
Start the conversation in Concord’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.