Fresh Pond--Lusitania Meadow

Fresh Pond--Lusitania Meadow

Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

Fresh Pond Important Bird Area
Fresh Pond Reservation webpage
Fresh Pond map

Tips for Birding

Parking at each of the lots on the property requires a Cambridge resident sticker to park there.  There are no unrestricted public lots nearby.  However, there are many businesses.  Those closest to the pond are likely to tow as parking pressure is high.  Your best bet is probably to park at the far end of the Fresh Pond Mall parking lot.  On Sundays, resident parking restrictions on streets are not in effect, and it may be possible to park along Huron Ave on the south side of the pond.

About this Location

Lusitania Meadow is a public park located near Fresh Pond in Cambridge. It was named in honor of the victims of the RMS Lusitania, a British ocean liner that was sunk by a German submarine in 1915, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans. The park features a memorial plaque, a playground, a picnic area, and a walking trail. The park is open from dawn to dusk and is accessible by bus, bike, or car.

About Fresh Pond Important Bird Area

See all hotspots at Fresh Pond Important Bird Area

Fresh Pond is a large body of water located in west Cambridge. As recently as the late 1800s, Fresh Pond was still located in a wetlands complex of the Alewife Brook drainage. Subsequent landfilling and drainage, primarily for commercial development, has destroyed most of the wetlands, although several small ponds remain in the vicinity of Fresh Pond. The pond is a recreational and ornithological oasis in a densely populated semi-urban landscape, and as described below it is an important migratory stopover for waterfowl. The pond perimeter is fenced and surrounded by a dirt-and-paved, heavily used, walking trail. A very narrow strip of trees line the pond along the inside of the fence, and a wider belt of woodland surrounds most of the pond. The vegetation of the woodland is a mixture of native and non-native species and naturally established and planted individuals. The western boundary of the pond is level and includes a nine-hole public golf course; the eastern border of the pond slopes steeply upward to Fresh Pond Parkway.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

Content from Fresh Pond Important Bird Area and Mark Rosenstein

Last updated December 26, 2023