Running trails in Merrimac, WI
Merrimac has 2 trails in the directory — 1 on crushed gravel or dirt and 1 shaded. 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 1,656 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.
Parfrey's Glen State Natural Area
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,559 reviews
Sandstone gorge with mossy walls & a creek leading to a waterfall, popular for for shady hikes.
East Bluff State Natural Area
4.8 ★★★★★ 97 reviews
Geological park offering boating, swimming, fishing and camping plus hiking trails along bluffs and cliffs.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Merrimac
- Match the surface to your legs. Merrimac gives you a choice: 1 natural surface and 1 mixed. 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 natural surface trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? A loop finishes back at the car with no backtracking; on an out-and-back you simply turn round at half your distance.
- 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. 2 of the 2 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 2 have restrooms in Merrimac. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 shaded, 1 with mile markers, 1 dog-friendly, and 1 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. 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 Merrimac trails by type
Running trails near Merrimac
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.