Concord: The Tourists Are Coming!

April 19, 1775, was the day the American War for Independence began. On the outskirts of Concord, Mass., Colonial militiamen skirmished with British troops.

Minute Man National Historical Park commemorates the first battle of the American Revolution. Actually, it was not one battle but several that took place along the 20-mile-long road from Concord to Boston.

The park preserves two major areas. The first is Concord’s North Bridge, where the minutemen opened fire on the British.

The park also includes a narrow strip of land on both sides of Battle Road extending four miles from the North Bridge Visitor Center to the Battle Road Visitor Center. “Battle Road” refers to the retreat route of the British, who were subjected to nearly constant fire as they rushed back to Boston.

North Bridge Trail is a quarter-mile-long walking tour that offers insights into the short but significant battle that took place on the banks of the Concord River. A highlight of this little hike is a close-up look of the famed Minute Man statue. Near the trail head is the Old Manse, the impressive residence of the Rev. William Emerson, grandfather of Ralph Waldo Emerson. The reverend and his parish looked out the windows at the battle unfolding on the green below the house.

The best hike is mile-long Fiske Hill Trail, which meanders the woods and fields as it follows in the footsteps of the minutemen’s advance and British retreat. The hilly terrain and hardwood forests did not suit redcoats marching in formation, but did favor the courageous, but not classically trained, Colonials. Subject to the Colonials’ unrelenting musket volleys, many of the exhausted British soldiers and ran from Fiske Hill.

The path, keyed to an interpretive brochure, meanders among the oak, quaking aspen, beech and pitch pine and offers insights into New England ecology. Fiske Hill Trail also passes some apple trees, which produced fruit for hard cider, the adult beverage of choice during Colonial days.

Concord is much more than its considerable military history. Few American towns can boast of having such a profound influence on American ideals. Walking Concord provides thoroughly enjoyable insights into the nation’s natural and literary history.

Just a mile or so east of town (right up Walden Street) is Walden Pond, inspiration for Transcendentalist nature writer Henry David Thoreau. Walk 1 1/2 miles around Walden Pond, perhaps while contemplating Thoreau’s essay on “Walking.” Visit the pond nature center as well as the tiny cabin where the great author lived.

The Concord Chamber of Commerce offers one-hour walking tours of the historic town, conducted every Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. You must sign up in advance at the Information Booth on Heywood Street. Prices are $8 for adults, $4 children. Call the Concord Chamber of Commerce at (508) 369-3120.

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North Bridge, Fiske Hill Trails

WHERE: Minute Man National Historical Park, Concord.

DISTANCE: Several 1-mile walks.

TERRAIN: Concord and surrounding hills.

HIGHLIGHTS: American military and literary history.

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: Easy.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Concord Chamber of Commerce, tel. (508) 369-3120; Minute Man National Historical Park, 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA 01742; tel. North Bridge Visitor Center (617) 484-6192 or Battle Road Visitor Center (mid-May through October) at (617) 862-7753.