The Carlisle Unit is one of the three units that make up the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. The unit covers 288 acres of wetlands, fields, and forests along the Concord River. The unit offers opportunities for wildlife observation, photography, fishing, and hunting. The unit also has a 1.5-mile trail that loops around the wetland and provides views of the river and the refuge.

Just twenty miles west of Boston lies an oasis for wildlife, Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Roughly 85 percent of the refuge’s more than 3,800 acres is comprised of valuable freshwater wetlands stretching along 12 miles of the Concord and Sudbury Rivers. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service protects and manages Great Meadows as nesting, resting, and feeding habitats for wildlife, with special emphasis on migratory birds. The diversity of plant and animal life visible from refuge trails provides visitors with excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing and nature study. A great diversity of birds has been recorded at Great Meadows NWR; an annotated list of over 220 species is available in a separate brochure.

In 1944, Samuel Hoar, a hunter, donated the first 250 acres of land that now makes up the refuge. The refuge now consists of two units of land in seven historically significant towns: Billerica, Bedford, Carlisle, Concord, Lincoln, Sudbury, and Wayland.

The refuge is open year-round from sunrise to sunset and has an entrance fee of $4 per vehicle or $2 per person. Pets and bicycles are not allowed on the trails, but restrooms are available at the parking lot.