Great Meadows' Concord Unit

Directions to

Parking for Great Meadows' Concord Unit

The Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge extends piecemeal along the Sudbury and Concord Rivers all the way from Wayland to Billerica; our rides and walks encounter it over and over again throughout this span. One of our favorite sections is the "Concord Unit", located just off Route 62; we walk it every chance we get. It's a magnet not only for us but also for hordes of bird watchers, photographers, joggers, you name it. But, in addition to the attributes drawing these users to it there's more: it's also a handy starting point from which to explore several relatively obscure and otherwise inaccessible Bedford conservation areas (Webber, Langone, Dellovo, VanDerhoof) along the Concord line.  Getting to the Unit is easy, if you know how. For first-timers the trick is to spot the microscopically small sign, smaller than a road sign, marking the turn off Route 62 for the refuge. This may take a few tries, but the following instructions will, we hope, improve the odds of locating it readily.

Before terminal navigation comes into play, however, it's necessary to find your way onto Route 62 either in Bedford or in Concord and, once there, drive toward the other town. Here are our suggestions:

From Route 128/95

Take Exit 29 for Route 2 west toward Concord. Drive about four miles to the lights where Route 2 bends sharply left and the Cambridge Turnpike continues straight ahead. Take the Turnpike and continue along it 1.3 miles to its intersection with Lexington Street, turn left on Lexington Street, and drive toward Concord. Turn right onto Route 62 at the rotary. Once on Route 62, continue 1.3 miles along it to Monsen Road, which will come up on the left. The countdown of landmarks goes something like this: Saint Bernard's Cemetery on the right, then Birch Drive and Aspen Drive, also on the right, and finally Monsen Road on the left. Turn left on Monsen and drive to the Refuge entrance and the parking lot. There's a tiny "Great Meadows" sign on a post across Route 62 from the entrance to Monsen Road, but the landmark we use is the big old tree on the left side. Drive Monsen about 0.3 miles to the point where it makes a sharp righthand turn; on the left here is the Great Meadows entrance. The access road is pretty narrow, so watch for outbound traffic as you descend to the parking "plaza" at its end.  Find a good spot and park.

Alternatively, From Route 128/95

Exit at 31B and merge onto Route 225 toward Bedford. Drive west 2.6 miles on Route 225 (becomes the Great Road) through a multiplicity of lights to Route 62 west toward Concord. Turn left onto Route 62 and drive it another 2.9 miles to Monsen Road in Concord. Shortly before reaching Monsen Road Route 62 makes an abrupt right hand turn; Monsen is the next possible right turn. Take it and proceed on Monsen as described in the paragraph above.

Avoiding Route 128/95

If it's convenient for you to pick up Route 62 in Bedford or in Concord without suffering Route 128/95, by all means do it. From the Bedford end finding Monsen Road and the Refuge is as above. From Concord Center, it's 1.3 miles along 62 to Monsen Road, which will come up on the left. The countdown of landmarks is listed in From Route 128/95 above.  Turn left on Monsen and drive to the Refuge entrance and the parking lot.

*** Good Luck !!! ***

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

257 Monsen Road, Concord, MA 01742 or N42 28.426, W71 19.591

To contact us call 978-808-0900