Concord's Fairyland Pond and the Hapgood-Wright Town Forest

Situated on Walden Street in Concord, just to the north side of Route 2 and within a long, long stone's throw of Walden Pond, are the Hapgood-Wright Town Forest and its Fairyland Pond. There's much to do in the Forest itself, but it also serves as a gateway to the extensive trail systems around Walden Pond and the portions of Lincoln adjacent to it. Fairyland is served by a good-sized, free, paved parking lot just across Walden Street from Concord-Carlisle High School. For self-generated directions to it, ask Mapquest for "driving directions," type in a starting point, then tell it your destination is "thoreau street at walden street" in Concord. This intersection is, for all intents and purposes, at the parking lot. MapQuest will probably send you up or down Route 128 (depending on your starting point) to Route 2, then west on Route 2 to Walden Street. From Route 128/95

Take Exit 29B for Route 2 west (toward Concord, Acton, Fitchburg, etc.). After something like 3.5 miles, Route 2 turns sharply left at a set of lights; stay on it (i.e., go left) and drive about another mile to Walden Street (Route 126). There are signs here denoting this as the exit for Walden Pond; ignore the Pond and, instead, exit to the right and descend Walden Street to the parking lot. If, perchance, you're looking left when you reach it, you'll see instead Concord-Carlisle High; if this happens, there's still time to slow, glance to the right, and enter the lot via its downhill entrance.

Alternate Routes

For those who are Route 128 averse, some viable options are:

From Lexington: Massachusetts Avenue to Route 2A (or drive 2A from downtown) to Route 2, turn right and go west on Route 2 to Walden Street (Route 126), then exit to the right on Walden Street and descend a little over a quarter mile to the parking lot.From points south: From Waltham, Weston, Lincoln and other points south, drive Routes 20 or 117 to Route 126 north, take 126 past Walden Pond to Route 2, cross Route 2, and descend to the parking lot.

From points north: From Bedford and Burlington, take Route 62 to the fork at Pine Hill Farm in Concord, go left onto Old Bedford Street, and continue to Route 2A (Lexington Street) at historic Merriam's Corner. Turn right on Lexington Street, drive about a mile to Heywood Street (on the left), turn left onto Heywood, drive a little further to the stop sign at Walden Street, turn left again, then drive about 0.7 miles, past the fire station and the Court House, to the parking lot (on the left).

*** Good Luck !!! ***

For those navigating to the start with MapQuest or a GPS system:

503 Walden Street, Concord, MA 01742 or N 42 26.911, W 71 20.565

 To contact us call 978-808-0900