Merrow Preserve​

The Merrow Preserve is a simple double woods loop.  Parking is a bit past the trailhead near the corner with Alexander Road.  The trail starts just through a stonewall and forks to head gently downhill in either direction.

I took the left fork and meandered down among middle aged pines.  The trail is well blazed, but rarely traveled and I can assume a bit overgrown in the summer. You’ll cross and unnamed little feeder stream and enter a marshy area (at least on my Spring 2024 visit).  The backside of the red loop is a second blue loop that takes you further downhill to a view of Lake Hayward Brook.  There is no access to the brook but you’ll briefly follow the watercourse at a distance.  At the turn here is another red blazed trail with a sign saying the trail is unsanctioned by the land trust and heads onto private property.  I was tempted, but it looked pretty abandoned and likely just leads to the nearby house.

Taking the blue trail, back to the red trail climbs slowly uphill through wet and very rocky terrain.  The trail passes close to private property before ending at the trailhead fork.