Help Accessible Trail Signage Design by Visiting Walden Pond

Trailhead signage provides an overview.

    Fall is a great time to visit the parks - it's cooler and the parks are less crowded! At Walden Pond State Reservation in Concord, MA, the Thoreau House Site Trail is universally accessible for all visitors. It's a great outing for families and people of all ages with changing StoryWalks. An installation of temporary trail signage is up and needing your comments to help the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) develop good signage that works for everyone. Add a trip to Walden Pond to your places-to-go list this fall!

    If you would like to use a durable wheelchair on the trail, call in advance or stop by the Visitor Center to request the "trails chair". This accommodation offered by the park can be used independently, or supported by a family member, school staff person, or other caregiver pushing. See photo of the trails chair at Walden Pond at the end of this post.

A temporary sign next to the trail.

    I visited the trail this week and was pleased with the experience. From the parking lot, a wide crosswalk takes you over Walden Street to the trailhead. There is a lot of signage on that side of the street which might seem confusing. Just bear right and you will instantly be on the half mile trail.

    The Thoreau House Site Trail parallels Walden Street for a ways, passing another trail on the left before turning into Walden Woods on an old roadway. The unpaved trail is at least 5 feet wide and packed with stone dust so most people will find it a suitable surface. There are a few sections with 6-9% grades so some effort or assistance may be required, but most people are likely to have success with independent use of the trail. Some very solid unique benches along the way offer resting areas.

A sample StoryWalk page along the trail.

    Tall pines with little understory offer an instant respite in nature as you make your way to the original cabin site of Henry David Thoreau, America's iconic nature writer. To contemplate his two years spent living a rustic lifestyle from 1845-47 next to Walden Pond is a wonderful inspiration for appreciating nature in our lives. Each time I visit I am always re-inspired by his life and writings. This is an exceptional place for a homeschooling lesson, or self-education at any point in one's life.

    The cabin site is a heavily visited, well-loved spot, with a renowned rock pile (bring a rock to add!), marked with granite columns. It is a tribute to the simplicity so highly valued by Thoreau.

    The Thoreau House Site Trail won't take you to the pond or offer views of it, unless the leaves are down perhaps. For the most accessible route to the pond, bear right down a steep paved hill from the crosswalk across Walden Street and you can get to the beach. Navigating this hill will be a challenge for some, so make sure you have proper assistance if you need it. Another option is to drive to the boat ramp a short distance way, where access is less steep but more gravelly. 

Trails Chair available at Walden Pond.

    Retrace your route and see if the signage is as helpful on the way back. At the Visitor Center, learn more about Henry David Thoreau and Walden Pond. There are plenty of books, including copies of his book Walden, at the Gift Shop. In the parking lot, check out the replica of Henry's cabin and a statue of him nearby. When you return home, please use this link to let DCR know your feedback on trail signage. We are looking for expert-user input from people with disabilities especially! Thank you!

    If you are like me, you might want to return again and again. Here is a post from a winter visit in case you are inspired to try another season.

    DCR (Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation) advocates for people to be mindful of the pandemic situation and follow current safe practices outlined by the CDC and Massachusetts Department of Public Health.