Sep 07
12
Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge, Concord, MA
Positively breathtaking best describes this lovely place, a refuge for people as much as for the wildlife it protects. Should you find yourself visiting Concord I highly recommend carving out time to explore Great Meadows. I myself had not come to this glorious place before and found it difficult to find. One would think 3,600 acres of untouched land west of Boston would not be difficult to spot, but finding the Concord entrance can be challenging. Looking on a map you clearly see the large green area however the entrance is tucked behind a long established neighborhood of houses. The first time through I missed it. Once back in Concord Center, I gave into technology and turned on my GPS tracking to find it. This time the car led me back to Monsen Road just off Route 62 heading toward Bedford from Concord Center; exactly where I got to under my own power. I circled the neighborhood as before, this time at an even slower pace and about half way down Monsen Road I saw a small sign, off to the left side noting Great Meadows was to be found on the other side of a narrow drive.
Well, I doubted the vastness of what was in store for me until I parked the car and turned my glance toward an Eden of sorts. I was really floored that something so extraordinary existed just beyond the everyday. When I entered the Meadows itself a roaring wind sailed all around me. My first thought was it had the same characteristics as a wind off the Atlantic seacoast, invigorating and all-consuming. The kind of air that makes you feel as if you haven’t taken a true breath all morning. A finely crushed stone walkway leads you through this remarkable place and continues around its perimeter extending into the surrounding woods at various points for further hiking opportunities. These freshwater wetlands serve as nesting and feeding habitat to a wide range of birds and other wildlife, so dogs and bikes are not allowed. However, come winter it is fully accessible on cross-country skis. The oft quoted “.. best things in life are free” wholly applies here. It’s worth a trip.