In fall, migratory birds rest during the long journey south. Twenty miles from Boston, it consists of 3,000 acres of rivers, marsh pools, and wetlands, and winds along 12 miles of the Sudbury and Concord Rivers through the historic towns of Bedford, Carlisle, Concord, Lincoln, Sudbury, and Wayland. From the rivers, the variety of habitats and wildlife is astonishing. Inconguously located just outside Boston, parts of the rivers thread through areas which feel like wilderness. The stillness is punctuated only by birdsong, the hum of insects, and the gentle lapping of paddles.
Wildlife is plentiful.
As the river winds on, great blue heron, wood ducks and Canada geese take off in flight, downy woodpeckers noisily peck at trees, red-tailed hawks circle overhead, and pheasants scurry through the brush. Turtles sun on the rocks and muskrats slither off logs. The scenery along the rivers varies. Some parts are heavily wooded and follow a clear channel with steep banks. These stretches of river are shady and cool in summer.