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Running trails in Methuen, MA
Methuen has 4 trails in the directory — 2 paved, 1 boardwalk, and 1 loop that returns to the trailhead. Every one post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 848 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Raymond J. Martin Riverside Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 456 reviews
Small riverfront greenspace with a walking trail, a playground and picnic tables.
Edward S. Alekel Veterans Memorial Park aka Milk St. Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 244 reviews
Kids' park with ball fields, paved trails, basketball courts, picnic tables and a playground.
Greycourt State Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 113 reviews
24-acre hilltop park with the remains of an 1890 chateau-style castle, trails & grassy picnic lawns.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Methuen
- Match the surface to your legs. Methuen gives you a choice: 2 paved and 1 boardwalk. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More paved trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 1 trail here is a loop, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. Plenty of trails sit inside parks that gate at dusk and don't unlock until well after sunrise, so a trail that's perfect at lunchtime can be locked at 6am. 4 of the 4 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 2 have trailhead parking and 1 has restrooms in Methuen. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 that runners describe as quiet and 1 dog-friendly. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Methuen trails by type
Running trails near Methuen
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.