A few hundred feet from Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, lies Brister’s Hill, a nineteen acre permanently protected open space area saved from development, preserved and owned by the Walden Woods Project.

Its 0.8 miles of public trails include Thoreau’s Path on Brister’s Hill, where Henry David Thoreau’s words are incised in granite and cast in bronze throughout the landscape, illustrating his powerful observations and insights. Thoreau was a frequent visitor to Brister’s Hill and his studies of forest succession conducted here later in life resulted in his posthumous essays, “The Succession of Forest Trees” and “The Dispersion of Seeds.”

The Emerson-Thoreau Amble, a 1.7 mile Town of Concord trail linking the Ralph Waldo Emerson House with Walden Pond State Reservation, passes Brister’s Spring and the entry meadow of Thoreau’s Path. Traversing much of the adjacent Hapgood Wright Town Forest, The Emerson-Thoreau Amble is a trail that links parking at the Town Forest to Thoreau’s Path.

Brister’s Hill is named for Brister Freeman (1744-1822), who was enslaved in Concord until sometime during his three enlistments in the American Revolution. The second person of African descent to own property in Concord, Freeman was a notable figure in town. He is recalled by Thoreau in Walden’s “Former Inhabitants” chapter as a heroic figure.

In collaboration with the Town of Concord, Thoreau’s Path on Brister’s Hill has been incorporated into a handicap assessed loop trail. The assessment provides detailed information on slopes, surface conditions, obstacles, and other features that help trail users decide about access where needed.

Seeking to honor the life and story and that of other enslaved people in Concord, The Walden Woods Project placed the ninth Toni Morrison Society Bench by the Road in May 2013. The Bench by the Road Project seeks to recognize the contributions of enslaved people to the building of this nation.

Groups that visit Thoreau’s Path on Brister’s Hill often utilize the quotations found along the path to prepare for or extend the lessons explored during their visit. The Walden Woods Project has created a document containing all of the quotations found along Thoreau’s Path, click here to view it.