Length:                  Jay McLaren Trail; 2 miles

Difficulty:              Moderate. Flat, hard packed dirt & sand rail trail. Trail has some wash outs and ruts from ATV use.

To start from Church Street; From I-495 take exit 115 to Broad St and travel north. Turn left on Main St then right on Church St. Look For 61 Church St o your right and park along the half circle road. Spot the wooden trail sign next to the road by a stone wall. An access trail travels between a fence and 61 Church St. It consists of a mowed path.  

The Jay McLaren Trail travels on an old rail bed along the site of a spur connecting Merrimac Square to the Boston & Maine Railroad. It runs north into Newton, NH. The trail has not been well maintained and does not offer much in terms of RR history or natural beauty. Not worth a side trip to check out. I would classify it as undeveloped.

Starting from 61 Church Street; From the trail sign by the stone wall you'll head between the wooden fence on your left and the house (61 Church St) on your right. A grass path is maintained that turns into a dirt path which brings you to the old rail trail.

Note; The trail heading right (south) ends after only a 1/4 mile behind the Church Street Cemetery, with no access.

Heading left (north) the trail travels through the woods and consists of a hard packed dirt & sand surface. Pass by some horse barns at a 1/4 mile and spot an old RR mile marker on the left reading NJ4/M1 (Newton Junction 4 miles/Merrimac 1 mile). When you come to an intersection continue straight. Cross a stone culvert at a 1/2 mile where the trail gets rough from ATV use. Travel along a high berm over Cobbler Brook and then cross Harriman Rd on a narrow wooden bridge at 1 mile. This next section has a lot of wash out. Cross Brush Hill Rd at 1.3 miles and you'll encounter more wash out before the trail improves. You then travel above a marsh on your left that is fed by the Back River and come to an orange gate at 1.9 miles where the trail ends. Just north of here is NH.