Great Meadows
Sudbury, MA 01776
Plan Your Visit
Great Meadows Sudbury Unit
Includes tranquil trails around wetlands including the Sudbury River and up through woodlands and fields. Weir Hill – a 12,000-year-old glacial deposit – was used by Indigenous peoples who trapped fish in the river by creating fish weirs. Visitors can explore via canoe or kayak in the Sudbury River.
Great Meadows Concord Unit
A unique piece of property with several trails available for wildlife observation. The observational tower and pier allow for great wildlife watching, especially birding. Noted ornithologists consider the Concord Unit to be one of the best inland birding areas in the state.
Please note: there is an entrance fee at the Concord unit.
Activities
Great Meadows NWR provides visitors with many wildlife-oriented recreational opportunities including hiking, photography, hunting, and fishing. The Sudbury Unit allows non-motorized boating on the Sudbury River and has a canoe and kayak rest area. Paddlers may use this location as a temporary pull-out and resting spot while on the water. Visitors looking to launch a canoe or kayak may do so from the water access at Sherman’s Bridge in Sudbury.
Trails
- Sudbury Unit: Two trails, observational advantage points, ADA accessible boardwalk, and a canoe/kayak . Weir Hill Trail includes an incline with wooden stairs.
- Concord Unit: Four trails totaling 2.7 miles with very little elevation gain. Features a large observational tower and an observational pier off Dike Trail.
There is an entrance fee to access the Concord Unit. Sales of "America the Beautiful" passes are currently suspended at this location.
Due to reduced staff availability, sales of "America the Beautiful" passes at our location will be suspended until further notice.
Great Meadows NWR - Sudbury Unit: 73 Weir Hill Road, Sudbury Massachusetts
To reach the Weir Hill parking lot (home to the former Complex Headquarters building), follow Route 27 (1.7 miles) from Wayland and turn right onto Water Row Road. Follow Water Row Road (1.2 Miles) until it ends and turn right onto Lincoln Road. Travel one half mile turn left onto Weir Hill Road. The driveway is on the right near the end of the dead-end street.
Great Meadows NWR - Concord Unit: Monsen Road, Concord Massachusetts
Travel to this area by following Route 62 east from Concord Center toward Bedford. After about one mile, turn left onto Monsen Road. Continue on Monsen Road until you see the refuge entrance on your left.
Facilities at Great Meadows
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About
Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge consists of the Sudbury and Concord units and is part of the Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex. Historically inhabited by Indigenous groups including the Nipmuc and Wampanoag, the refuge was established in 1944 when local hunter Samuel Hoar donated 200 acres. Today, approximately 85% of the refuge is freshwater wetlands managed as habitat for migratory birds and threatened species like the Blanding’s turtle.