We joined a guided 8 km hike along a segment in Pictou county from Durham to Scotsburn called Rogers Hill trail. The hill was named after John Rogers, one of the first immigrants to the regions via the Betsy. The Betsy was an immigrant ship that landed in 1767.

Logging was very much part of the economy and the various towns boomed for a while, but eventually as economic times changed so did the towns.

When driving in the region, you will see several kiosks with the blue tin roofs. These installations will give you a view of the history of the towns that dotted the area via interpretative signs.

Our hike started Durham and crossed over a number of properties ranging from woodlots to farmlands. Being a newer trail segment, the footpath is narrow and at some times not clear. However the distinct trail markers guided us.

The hill itself was very gentle, as you crossed over the farmlands and woodlots, you saw great examples of the variety of forests that would have stood back in the 1800's in the area. One specific example was a woodlot where an effort to allow Hemlocks to flourish, which meant cutting down other species including Maple & Birch.

The final leg of the journey was along the Short Line, the railway segment from Pictou to Oxford. The trail eventually ended in the town of Scotsburn at the abandoned railway station.

If attempting this trail, you probably want to arrange transportation back to the start, so I would recommend bringing a group so that cars can be left at both the start & finish.