Walden Pond is only 2 miles outside of downtown Concord, and it and Walden Woods are absolutely gorgeous and peaceful. You can also see the site where Henry David Thoreau stayed in his cabin for 2 years while he wrote Walden. If you visit, be sure to bring a rock with any message you’d like to leave for other visitors (trust me). We brought our breakfast out here and ate by the pond, then walked around on a crisp, surprisingly warm December morning. Don’t leave Concord without checking it out, whether you’re a Thoreau fan or not!