Walden Pond State Reservation

Walden Pond State Reservation, in Concord, Massachusetts, preserves the kettle pond where writer Henry David Thoreau lived in a small self-built cabin from 1845 to 1847, an experiment in simple living that formed the basis of his book 'Walden,' published in 1854. The land belonged to Thoreau's mentor, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and the pond became a touchstone of the American transcendentalist movement. A cairn marks the original cabin site near the shore, and a full-scale replica stands near the parking area for visitors. Today the pond remains a popular swimming spot as well as a literary pilgrimage site.