Walden Pond State Reservation
Nature preserve
263 acres9.5 mi of trail
Pond PathFire Road NorthEsker TrailRidge Path+1
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lot
Wayside, The · Photo: National Park Service Digital Image Archives · Public domainA+Outdoors
Outdoors in Concord
37% of Concord’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 125 miles of mapped trail cross Concord, 5.1 per square mile of land. 37% of Concord’s land is conserved, about 5,799 acres.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #3 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
37%
5,799 acres · of 24.5 sq mi of land
Trails
125 mi
5.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,614 ac
198 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.2 mi
0.1 mi lanes · 6.0 mi paths
Highest peak
361 ft
Annursnac Hill
Lakes & rivers
30
2 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Concord?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild37% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.A trail town5.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, among the top 1% of U.S. towns.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.History along the way26 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Concord have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Concord is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #3 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs put Concord near the top nationally; trail miles rank highest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Concord’s overall grade.
Conserved land37% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails5.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (125 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land198 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,614 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)#3 of 283
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Concord’s 37% is ahead of 86% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 97% of them.
Water is 5% of Concord’s area (1 of 26 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 35%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Walden Pond State Reservation, with 9.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Wright Woods
Nature preserve
254 acres9.1 mi of trail
Fairhaven TrailYellowOrangeRed+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Estabrook Woods
Nature preserve
575 acres7.1 mi of trail
East Hubbard TrailEstabrook TrailCircle TrailEsker Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Hapgood Wright Town Forest
Nature preserve
153 acres3.9 mi of trail
Main Trail (yellow)Connecting Trail (blue)Emerson Thoreau AmbleRed Dot Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
301 acres3.1 mi of trail
Dike Trail (east)Dike TrailMain Dike TrailTimber Trail+1
No dogs
Directionsto Great Meadows NWR-Concord Unit Parking
Old Rifle Range
Nature preserve
118 acres3.1 mi of trail
Target Trail (yellow)Secondary Trail (red)Connecting Trail (blue)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
October Farm Riverfront
Managed by CCLT
102 acres3.1 mi of trail
Main Trail (yellow)Secondary Trail (red)River Front Trail (yellow)Connecting Trail (blue)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Minute Man National Historical Park
Managed by National Park Service
393 acres3 mi of trail
Battle Road TrailMinute Man NHP/North BridgeOld Manse Trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto North Bridge Visitor Center LotWebsite ↗
All 114 parks & preserves
Walden Pond State Reservation263 acres · 9.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWright Woods254 acres · 9.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEstabrook Woods575 acres · 7.1 mi of trail
Hapgood Wright Town Forest153 acres · 3.9 mi of trail
DirectionsGreat Meadows National Wildlife Refuge301 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsOld Rifle Range118 acres · 3.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOctober Farm Riverfront102 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · CCLT
DirectionsMinute Man National Historical Park393 acres · 3 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsWhite Pond Reservation71 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · Town of Concord Natural Resources Commission
DirectionsPunkatasset Preserve99 acres · 2.7 mi of trail
DirectionsBrewster's Woods Wildlife Sanctuary128 acres · 2.4 mi of trail · Massachusetts Audubon Society
DirectionsAdams Woods60 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsBarrett's Mill Conservation Land60 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsNortheast Correctional Center Land89 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsAnnursnac Conservation Land119 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Town of Concord Natural Resources Commission
DirectionsMattison Field42 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsGowing's Swamp32 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Baptist Brook Conservation Land29 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPowder Mill Woods27 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsNewbury Land34 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHallenbeck Land18 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Walden Woods Project Land68 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsSeton Woods32 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Miller Farm23 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsBigelow Woods and Hubbard Brook Conservation Area98 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsCorey-Bourquin Land24 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBrister's Hill19 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Cameron Woods38 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Simon Willard Woods30 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsWest Concord Park19 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsHosmer Land20 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsGerow Park7 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Town of Concord Massachusetts
DirectionsChamberlin Woods56 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsConcord Water District Land43 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsUpper Spencer Brook Valley (Keyes Land)26 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Old Calf Pasture20 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Concord Conservation Commission
Hutchins Land17 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Harrington Park15 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsUpper Spencer Brook Valley (Freeman/Martin Land)15 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Anderson Woods10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Robinson Well Site37 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWillow Guzzle29 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Town of Concord Natural Resources Commission
Upper Spencer Brook Valley (Clarke / Huggins Land)28 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Emerson Playground15 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsRideout Playground12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsOff Captain Miles Lane Land11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Upper Spencer Brook Valley (Beemis Land)10 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Monument Farm Conservation Land9 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Two Rod Road8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Rogers Land8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsCousins Park11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Heywood Meadow8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsEgg Rock Land8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
The Old Manse7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsAssabet River Bluff6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsAssabet Woodlot5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
C Courtney Comeau Land8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
May Field8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Concord Natural Resources Commission
Shaw Land6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Brooks Hudson Meadow6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Ferguson Land5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Moses Pond Conservation Land5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Off Powder Mill Road Land5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Concord Natural Resources Commission
Brengle Ham Field5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Upper Spencer Brook Valley (Piney Woods)5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Kennedy Point2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsThoreau Hills40 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Concord Natural Resources Commission
Kaveski Farm36 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGifford Land15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Concord Land Conservation Trust
Concord Water District13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Mill Brook Way10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Fairhaven Hill9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
The Wayside: Home of Authors7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsThornton Woods5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKingman Land2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Peter Spring Farm Cr2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Mill Brook Kenney Farm66 acres
Elm Brook43 acres
DirectionsSouth Meadow Playground39 acres · Town of Concord Natural Resources Commission
French’s Meadow30 acres
DirectionsJennie Dugan Brook28 acres
Landmark Conservation Area25 acres · Town of Concord Natural Resources Commission
Nut Meadow20 acres
Davis Land19 acres
Mill Brook Meadow18 acres
DirectionsCrosby Pond12 acres
DirectionsSherwood Red Maple Swamp10 acres
Cranberry Lane Conservation Restriction10 acres
Smith / Martin Land9 acres
Bateman's Ridge Conservation Area8 acres · Town of Concord Natural Resources Commission
Dry Meadow8 acres
Thoreau Street Conservation Restriction6 acres · Town of Concord Natural Resources Commission
Ayrshire Conservation Area6 acres
North Corner6 acres
Mill Brook5 acres
Hartwell Meadow5 acres
Granite Post Estates Conservation Restriction4 acres
DirectionsBrewster Ridge Conservation Restriction4 acres
Corey Meadow4 acres
DirectionsButtrick Land4 acres
Macone Park3 acres
DirectionsWheeler Field3 acres
Upper Spencer Brook Valley (Jeans Land)3 acres
DirectionsConant Street Land3 acres
DirectionsRustino Land3 acres
Assabet River Conservation Area2 acres · Town of Concord Natural Resources Commission
Nick Macone Pond Conservation Area2 acres
Kraetzer Land2 acres
Scout Island2 acres
Annursnac Road Conservation Area2 acres
Pantry Brook Wildlife Management Area1 acres
Concord Conservation Land1 acres · Town of Concord Natural Resources Commission
Willard Common Water Department Land1 acres
Ellen Emerson Grove1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
5,799 conserved acres
37% of Concord’s land. Water is left out: Concord has 24.5 square miles of land and 1.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Concord’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city2,158 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,701 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service723 ac
Other state land384 ac
National Park Service355 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land85 ac
State parks45 ac
Conservation Easement · 3,029 acPrivate Conservation · 897 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 706 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 506 acAgricultural Easement · 452 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,909 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 37 of 508 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 706 | Restricted |
| Estabrook Woods Private Conservation | Not recorded | 548 | Open |
| Minute Man National Historical Park Historic or Cultural Area | National Park Service | 351 | Restricted |
| Walden Pond State Reservation State Park | Not recorded | 260 | Open |
| Concord Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 194 | Restricted |
| Hapgood Wright Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 142 | Open |
| Nashawtuc Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 139 | Restricted |
| Brewster's Woods Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 129 | Open |
| Annursnac Conservation Land Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 118 | Restricted |
| Musketaquid Sportsmens Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 112 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
64 places to go in Concord
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Concord
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Concord
Concord Academy Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Concord
18 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Concord
Old Calf Pasture Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Concord
1 fishing spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Concord
Concord River
DirectionsConcord RiverIn Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsGreat Meadows lookout towerIn Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsOverlookIn October Farm Riverfront
DirectionsPlus 15 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Concord
Annursnac Hill361 ft elevation
DirectionsFairhaven Hill328 ft elevation
DirectionsPunkatasset Hill289 ft elevation · In Punkatasset Preserve
DirectionsCorly Pate Hill272 ft elevation · In Estabrook Woods
DirectionsNashawtuc Hill236 ft elevation
DirectionsHubbard Hill226 ft elevation · In Estabrook Woods
DirectionsPine Hill226 ft elevation
DirectionsPoplar Hill207 ft elevation · In Minute Man National Historical Park
Directions7 more peaks
Hardys Hill187 ft elevation · In Minute Man National Historical Park
DirectionsButtricks Hill167 ft elevation
DirectionsBalls Hill121 ft elevation · In October Farm Riverfront
DirectionsDavis Hill115 ft elevation · In Brewster's Woods Wildlife Sanctuary
DirectionsDakins HillIn October Farm Riverfront
DirectionsHolden HillIn October Farm Riverfront
DirectionsPigeon HillIn West Concord Park
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Concord
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Concord
Conantum Community GardensConantum
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 30 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 16.6 miHorses · 2.3 miUnpaved · 55.6 mi
Main Trail (yellow)3.3 mi
yellow3.0 mi
Red2.6 mi
Secondary Trail (red)2.3 mi
Estabrook Trail1.7 mi
Fairhaven Trail1.7 mi
Yellow1.7 mi
Battle Road Trail1.6 mi
Pond Path1.5 mi
Connecting Trail (blue)1.3 mi
15 more trails
Target Trail (yellow)
1.1 miEsker Trail
1.0 miBlue
1.0 miEmerson Thoreau Amble
0.9 miEast Hubbard Trail
0.9 miRiver Front Trail (yellow)
0.8 miConnecting Trail (Blue)
0.8 miCorey-Lowell
0.8 mired
0.8 miDike Trail (east)
0.7 miWoodland Trail
0.7 miThoreau's on Path Brister's Hill
0.7 miBarrett's Mill Main Trail (yellow)
0.7 miblue
0.6 miCircle Trail
0.6 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Andromeda Pond (middle)pondAndromeda Pond (north)pondAndromeda Pond (south)pondAngier's PondreservoirBateman's PondreservoirBorden PondpondBrown's PoolCrosby PondFairyland PondGoose PondpondHaywards PondHutchins PondKennedy's PondpondLower ImpoundmentpondMink PondMoore's SwamppondMoses PondpondMusquetaquid PondpondNick Macone PondThoreau PondpondUpper ImpoundmentWalden PondpondWarners PondreservoirWhite PondAssabet RiverConcord RiverDrainageFairhaven BayNashoba BrookSudbury River
Biking & sports
6.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
6.0 mi
off-road bike paths
0.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
76Tennis
26Soccer
21Baseball
19Pickleball
10Basketball
2Multi-sport
2Tracks
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →26 places on the National Register, 6 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 29 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Davis, Isaac, TrailStructure · listed 1972
About itCol. James Barrett FarmBuilding · listed 1973
About itThoreau-Alcott HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itPest HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itConcord Monument Square-Lexington Road Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1977
About itDr. John Cuming HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About it14 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Concord: April to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 39 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 79 | 84 | 83 | 75 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Concord →
Next door
Concord and its neighbors
Concord has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Concord
Where can I hike in Concord?
The longest trail networks: Walden Pond State Reservation, 9.5 miles; Wright Woods, 9.1 miles; Estabrook Woods, 7.1 miles; Hapgood Wright Town Forest, 3.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Concord is conserved land?
37% of its land, against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Concord’s trails?
Walden Pond State Reservation and Wright Woods don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Concord?
6.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of painted or protected lanes, 6.0 of off-road paths and 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Concord?
50,667 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Concord or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,150 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Concord have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #3 of 283 in Massachusetts. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Concord neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →