Merrimac Town Forest
Nature preserve
321 acres5.9 mi of trail
Long Hill TrailCobbler's Brook TrailTown Forest TrailCurrier Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Merrimac
Merrimac has 14 miles of mapped trails, 1.7 for every square mile of land
14% of Merrimac’s land is conserved, about 771 acres. The biggest trail networks: Merrimac Town Forest (5.9 mi), Perkins Conservation Area (1.2 mi), Silver Brook Farm (0.5 mi). 137 acres are parks and preserves, 20 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns · #235 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
771 acres · of 8.5 sq mi of land
Trails
14 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
137 ac
20 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
77%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.7 mi
0.1 mi lanes · 2.1 mi paths
Highest peak
305 ft
Red Oak Hill
Lakes & rivers
3
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Merrimac?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Merrimac have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Merrimac is ahead of 88% of U.S. towns, #235 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Merrimac’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (14 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land20 acres of park per 1,000 residents (137 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13BParks close to home77% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 88%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 17%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Merrimac’s 14% is ahead of 20% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 37% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Merrimac Town Forest, with 5.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Perkins Conservation Area
Nature preserve
106 acres1.2 mi of trail
Marshview TrailInnis Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Silver Brook Farm
Nature preserve
85 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Beaver Pond Conservation Area
Managed by Essex County Greenbelt
39 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 15 parks & preserves
Merrimac Town Forest321 acres · 5.9 mi of trail
DirectionsPerkins Conservation Area106 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Silver Brook Farm85 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Beaver Pond Conservation Area39 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
Carriagetown Park17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMildred Perkins Conservation Area13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Poplar Hill Open Space25 acres
DirectionsCobblers Brook Greenway23 acres
Madison Way Open Space16 acres
Abbey Road Open Space16 acres
Nixon Set Aside10 acres
Long Pond Conservation Area9 acres
Steven's Field8 acres · Town of Merrimac
Brandy Brow Forest1 acres
Carey Park1 acres · Town of Merrimac
Who protects it
771 conserved acres
14% of Merrimac’s land. Who manages Merrimac’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land593 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits234 ac
Town or city72 ac
Not recorded275 ac
Agricultural Easement · 593 acWatershed Protection Area · 167 acConservation Easement · 131 acUnknown Easement · 109 acLocal Other or Unknown · 49 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 431 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 37 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haverhill Well Fields Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 77 | Closed |
| Town Wells Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 55 | Closed |
| Merrimac Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 34 | Unknown |
| Merrimac Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 27 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Sawyerhouse Land Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 18 | Closed |
| Emery Street Field Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 18 | Open |
| Locust Grove Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 17 | Open |
| Cobbler's Brook Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 17 | Open |
| Jay McClaren Memorial Trail Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 13 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
15 places to go in Merrimac
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Merrimac
Town of Merrimac Public PlaygroundIn Steven's Field
DirectionsPlus 1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Merrimac
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Peaks in Merrimac
Red Oak Hill305 ft elevation · In Silver Brook Farm
DirectionsRed Oak Hill305 ft elevation · In Merrimac Town Forest
DirectionsHighlands Hill289 ft elevation
DirectionsBrandy Brow Hill285 ft elevation
DirectionsLong Hill266 ft elevation · In Merrimac Town Forest
DirectionsBear Hill262 ft elevation
DirectionsBrush Hill253 ft elevation · In Perkins Conservation Area
DirectionsProspect Hill236 ft elevation
Directions4 more peaks
Titcomb Hill236 ft elevation
DirectionsHughes Hill187 ft elevation
DirectionsTurkey Hill154 ft elevation
DirectionsPoplar Hill144 ft elevation · In Poplar Hill Open Space
DirectionsTrails & water
8 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 1.8 mi
Marshview Trail0.9 mi
Long Hill Trail0.8 mi
Cobbler's Brook Trail0.6 mi
Town Forest Trail0.5 mi
Innis Trail0.3 mi
Currier Trail0.2 mi
Glen Trail0.2 mi
Doust Connector0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.1 mi
off-road bike paths
0.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
2Soccer
2Tennis
2Baseball
1Softball
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Merrimac: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 37 | 45 | 57 | 68 | 77 | 83 | 81 | 73 | 61 | 50 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Merrimac →
Next door
Merrimac and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrimac | 14% | 1.7 | 20 | 77% | A |
| West Newbury | 28% | 1.9 | 329 | 93% | A+ |
| Amesbury | 12% | 2.7 | 51 | 96% | A+ |
| Haverhill | 19% | 2.1 | 10 | 85% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Merrimac
Where can I hike in Merrimac?
The longest trail networks: Merrimac Town Forest, 5.9 miles; Perkins Conservation Area, 1.2 miles; Silver Brook Farm, 0.5 miles; Beaver Pond Conservation Area, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Merrimac is conserved land?
14% of its land, against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Merrimac’s trails?
Merrimac Town Forest and Perkins Conservation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Merrimac?
2.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of painted or protected lanes, 2.1 of off-road paths and 0.5 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Merrimac?
26,013 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Merrimac or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 266 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Merrimac have?
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #235 of 283 in Massachusetts. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Merrimac neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →