Concord is a favorite destination for visitors from all over the world: literary pilgrims, Revolutionary War buffs, and nature lovers crowd our streets all summer long, right through foliage season. 

But in 2020, many travelers want to steer clear of crowds, so we Concord-area residents have the place pretty much to ourselves. There was never a better time to enjoy the local attractions. In the words of our favorite townie,¹ Henry David Thoreau, “It is worth the while to see your native village . . . as if you were a traveler passing through it.”² The summer has brought ideal weather for fresh-air fun, and outdoor spaces are now welcoming visitors. 

Minute Man National Park lands are open, including the North Bridge and Meriam’s Corner areas, and Battle Road trails. Public rest rooms are open, too. Watch for a future announcement about when the Visitor Center will reopen.

Next door to the North Bridge is the Old Manse. Like many other properties of the Trustees of Reservations, the Manse invites visitors to its beautiful grounds right on the Concord River, and will soon offer guided tours of the property, highlighting “the shot heard ’round the world” and Concord’s literary community. 

Concord’s historic cemeteries are just a few steps from the town center. The Old Hill Burying Ground is the final resting place of early Puritan ministers, Minute Men, and John Jack, whose eloquent epitaph tells of his journey from slavery to freedom. At Sleepy Hollow Cemetery you can pay your respects to Concord’s literary celebrities, including Alcott, Hawthorne, and Emerson. Thoreau is there, of course, and so is the guy who put him in jail, Sam Staples. Sleepy Hollow is renowned for its beautiful landscaping, and you can also feast your eyes on the Daniel Chester French sculpture, Mourning Victory, which adorns the grave of three Melvin brothers, Concord men who lost their lives while serving the Union in the Civil War. 

The Emerson-Thoreau Amble is a well-kept secret that many tourists miss. This nature trail connects the Emerson house on Cambridge Turnpike with Walden Pond. Highlights include the secluded Fairyland Pond and Brister’s Spring, named for Brister Freeman, a Concord African American who emancipated himself from slavery. 

Another seasonal favorite is Walden Pond State Reservation, where you can saunter along a one-way trail loop designed to facilitate social distancing. Swimming is allowed, and boat house rest rooms are open. At this writing, the Visitor Center is closed, but you can stop by the Thoreau Society’s shop for soft drinks, apparel, gifts, and of course, books. 

Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, about a mile and a half from the town center, is one of the best inland birding areas in the state. Visitors can hike the trails and observe, photograph, and study a rich diversity of animal and plant life.

You can stop by Concord’s own Visitor Center at 58 Main Street daily 10:00 to 4:00 and chat about your own local adventures. Their public rest rooms are also open.

July is the scheduled time for Phase 3 of Massachusetts’ reopening of businesses (which may have happened—or changed—by the time you read this). Look for announcements from each of Concord’s museums and historic houses, telling when they will open, and what steps they will take for visitor health and safety. 

Until then, it’s the perfect time to enjoy Concord’s great outdoors. As Thoreau reminds us, “Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.”³