Walden Pond is the centerpiece of Thoreau’s Walden Woods and is the focus of Thoreau’s most famous piece: Walden. It is owned and managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and sees nearly 600,000 visitors every year. An exceptionally deep and remarkably clear kettle lake, Walden still inspires the conservation ethic that Thoreau first articulated in his writings.

The writer, transcendentalist, and philosopher, Henry David Thoreau, lived on the shores of Walden Pond for two years, two months, and two days, starting on the Fourth of July in 1845.

During his stay, he kept a journal chronicling everything he witnessed and learned from nature. His experience at Walden Pond provided the material for his book, Walden; or, Life in the Woods, which is credited with helping to inspire awareness and respect for the natural environment.

His writings also prompted people to revere their own “place” as special, rather than being concerned only with far-off grandeur. Walden Pond was designated a National Historic Landmark because of Thoreau’s legacy and is considered the birthplace of the modern conservation movement.

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