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Short Line Trail - Colchester County section

Trans Canada Trail

Record #: COT0067
Last Modified: 05 Jan 2023
Last Full Update: 11 Feb 2020

Location

Located In Tatamagouche
Where To Find Us
Tatamagouche Trailhead (main trailhead)
24 Station Rd
Tatamagouche, NS B0K 1V0
Areas Served Nova Scotia

Contact

Social Media Facebook
Phone 902-657-2277
Contact Tatamagouche Area Trails Association; Phone: 902-657-2277
Volunteer Opportunity We are a community-based volunteer group who maintains 25 km of rail trail. Please contact us if you are interested in volunteering with us!

Description & Services

Information January 5, 2023 - All sections of the Butter Trail in Tatamagouche and Short Line Trail in Colchester County are now OPEN.

The Short Line Trail is a rail trail stretching 107 km between the towns of Oxford (Cumberland County) and Pictou (Pictou County). Tatamagouche Area Trails Association maintains and manages the 25-km portion of the Short Line Trail in Colchester County.

Great for bicycling or long-distance adventure, the Short Line Trail meanders through forests and farmland. It skirts many wetlands and crosses numerous streams, some with large sandstone culverts. Bridges span the Wallace River, French River, Waugh River and River John. Part of the Trans Canada Trail, the Short Line Trail connects our communities today as the railway did for nearly a century.

The Butter Trail is a 5-km section of the rail trail in Tatamagouche, on the north shore of Nova Scotia. It offers views of the Waugh River and Tatamagouche Bay on the Northumberland Strait, and is within walking distance of village amenities. Highlights along the trail include Waugh River Bridge, French River Bridge, Creamery Square, Patterson Wharf, and Nelson Memorial Park. The Butter Trail is named after the Tatamagouche Creamery where butter was made.

Short Line Trail in Colchester County:

Permitted uses: walking, bicycling, equestrian, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, ATVing, dogs on leash. Users are to obey posted signs.

Trail surface: firm crushed gravel, wooden bridges

Trail rating: "easy", flat

Trailheads and access points with parking:

  • Station Road Trailhead, 24 Station Road, off Main Street in Tatamagouche
  • Creamery Square, 29 Creamery Road, off Main Street in Tatamagouche
  • Patterson Wharf Park, 40 King Street, off Main Street in Tatamagouche (limited parking)
  • Nelson Memorial Park, 153 Loop of Hwy 6, west of Tatamagouche
  • Sutherland Steam Mill Museum, 3169 Hwy 326 in Denmark
  • Denmark Station Trailhead, 10 Denmark Station Road, Denmark
The Trans Canada Trail: As the longest recreational trail in the world, the Trans Canada Trail connects Canada from coast to coast to coast. It embodies the vastness of our landscapes and the diversity of our people. The Trans Canada Trail in Colchester County follows scenic, rural roads and some of our best trails — the Butter Trail and Short Line Trail along the Northumberland Shore, the Gully Lake wilderness hiking trails, and the Cobequid Trail near Truro. Connect with the past and the present along the Trans Canada Trail.