The beautiful fall colors of Concord are a sight to behold! Many of you have your own favorite spots, but perhaps I can point  out a couple you have not visited or just need a reminder to go back to again. Be sure to bring a camera or your cell phone.   

Fairhaven Bay seen from the shore near the boat house has stunning fall color. Frame your picture with the trees and vegetation found there.

Two very special places with a strong connection are October Farm, jointly managed by the Concord Land Conservation Trust and the Town of Concord, and Brewster’s Woods, owned by Mass Audubon.  There is a glacial feature at the Brewster’s Woods site that rises to a great view of the Concord River below (the bench at the top is the perfect place for a break). On top of the hill is an American beech grove which is well worth seeing at the end of October or early November. The fall beech colors are yellow and then turn to gold. 

Reflections on water add an extra dimension to your lovely photos and vistas, and keep in mind that the reflections themselves can be artwork. This one was taken along the Sudbury River. 

The misty river colors were found on the Sudbury River in the early morning.  

This photo, taken October 30, 2020, shows the beautiful fall colors and a light dusting of snow at Minute Man National Historical Park. The Old North Bridge offered a snow-covered view of the Battle Road.

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Below are more locations that I enjoy visiting to enjoy fall colors, and I suggest you make a point to go to these places in other seasons also.

The Andromeda Trail

The Andromeda Trail on the west side of the train tracks behind Walden Pond. It is fed by the aquifer leaching out of Walden on its way to Fairhaven Bay.

Hutchin’s Pond

Hutchin’s Pond is a pretty spot not far from the beginning of the Monument Street entrance to Estabrook Woods. Here you can find a beaver lodge and harvested tree stumps, along with a “beaver deceiver.” Beavers use hearing to find and block water flow. A “beaver deceiver” pipes water under the surface from one waterway to another to hopefully fool the beaver. 

Mink Pond

Mink Pond in Estabrook Woods is a great place to find color, birds, and what I think is the biggest beaver lodge in town. It is a beaver hotel!

Gowing Swamp

Gowing Swamp is a natural bog in back of the Ripley School.  A bog has no surface inflow or outflow which helps make them very acidic, hence, the plant life is very different. Gowing has an island of sphagnum moss that cranberries, blue berries, larch, and black spruce trees live upon.  It also has pitcher plants that eat insects and small amphibians. Look it up and pay it a rewarding visit.

Stop by the Visitor Center in Concord or go to the websites for each of these amazing natural treasures for more information on hours, trail maps, and more.

visitconcord.org

walden.org/property/fairhaven-bay

nps.gov/mima/index.htm

sudbury-assabet-concord.org

concordland.org/land/october-farm-riverfront

massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-

sanctuaries/brewster-s-woods

mass.gov/locations/walden-pond-state-reservation

estabrookcouncil.org

concordland.org/land/gowings-swamp

Photography by Dave Witherbee