Nashawtuc Road, Concord

Directions to

Nashawtuc Road, Concord

Gateway to Egg Rock and the Squaw Sachem Trail

Nashawtuc Road is an excellent jumping off point for waterway buffs bent on exploring lower reaches of the Sudbury and Assabet Rivers and, more particularly, their confluence at Egg Rock, where they join to become the Concord.  Here's a little background, borrowed and summarized from the internet, on the area and the Squaw Sachem's role in it. Concord (Musketaquid in those days) was ideally situated, by virtue of the large beaver population inhabiting marshlands drained by the Sudbury and Assabet, to exploit an active commerce in pelts. But this happy circumstance wasn't news to Native Americans; for 10,000 years aboriginal people had been living in the vicinity of Egg Rock, the Algonquins had had a high civilization thriving here, and the Indian population of the Merrimack Valley, which by the mid-1600's had come under the "Squaw Sachem's" thumb, hunted and fished the two rivers.  She, upon the death of her husband Nanepashemet, had inherited responsibility for administering a domain extending "roughly from Weymouth to Portsmouth, NH, and as far west as Northfield; this territory stretched from the Charles River up to Salem, Lynn, and Marblehead and extended westerly out to Concord."  Based in the Middlesex Fells, the Squaw Sachem was induced by colonial land grabbers to sell Concord in 1637, according to depositions taken in 1684, for "wampumpeage, hatchets, hoes, knives, cotton cloth, and shirts, plus a new cotton suit, hat, linen band, shoes, stocking, and a great coat for Webcowit." The deal was struck under the "Jethro Tree" in downtown Concord, the puzzled Indians (puzzled because "the land belongs to the Great Spirit; we use it and take care of it, but it's not ours to give") made off with their booty and guaranteed hunting rights, while "the white men" received six square miles they could call theirs. Thirteen years later she died under somewhat unsavory circumstances, perhaps by drowning, perhaps out of regret.

Parking for Squaw Sachem's Trail is along the side of Nashawtuc Road, just across the Sudbury River from Main Street (Route 62). To get there:

From Route 128/95

At Route 2 (Exit 29B) go west toward Acton and Fitchburg about 3.5 miles to the Cambridge Turnpike lights (Route 2 turns sharp left here); go straight through the lights onto the Turnpike. Continue 1.3 miles to the stop sign at its intersection with Lexington Road (Route 2A) and turn left. Drive about 0.3 miles to the intersection of Routes 2A and 62 (just before a "rotary") and turn left onto 62/Main Street. Follow Route 62 through downtown Concord, staying right when the road forks at the library; at the first set of lights (Nashawtuc Road) go right, cross the Sudbury River, pull off the road, and park.

From points west

Drive east on Route 2 through the Concord rotary to the first set of lights beyond it. Turn left here, then almost immediately right onto Elm Street. Continue along Elm Street, over the Sudbury River, to the stop sign at Route 62. Turn left and drive a short distance to the lights at Nashawtuc Road/Thoreau Street. Go left at the lights, down Nashawtuc and over the bridge to roadside parking just over the river.

For the Route 128 and Route 2 averse

Find your way to downtown Concord via your favorite roadway (Route 62, 2A, 126, Sudbury Road) and from there to Route 62 west. Drive through downtown to the first set of lights; that's Nashawtuc Road.

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

120 Nashawtuc Rd, Concord, MA 01742 or N 42 27.665, W 71 21.690

To contact us call 978-808-0900

*** Good Luck !!! ***