Roma Heritage Trail

 Please Note: The majority of Roma’s trails and signage were destroyed by Hurricane Fiona in September 2022.  With the support of volunteers and the Fiona Disaster Fund assistance, the trails are slowly being recovered.

The newly cut trails differ from the original trails in certain areas and will be renamed to help differentiate from previous trails and maps. Signage is in the process of being replaced and will be posted when complete.  Caution is urged when following any maps which may differ from the newly cut trails.

As of August 2024, the following trail is not open:

River Trail (see maps below)

*If you would like to help with the recovery of the Roma Heritage Trail, we would greatly appreciate your help!  Please email us at roma1732@gmail.com 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Walk where French merchant Jean Pierre Roma carved a trading company out of the dense Acadian forest in the 1700s. Follow the same Farmstead Path that the MacDonald and Shaw Scottish settlers used in the early 1800s. See where three Canadian Heritage Rivers meet. Discover flowering woodland plants and shrubs. Enjoy nature at its best!

Three Self-Guided Woodland Walking Trails

AHeritage Trail

0.84 km loop | Full access | 10 minute brisk walk, longer if you stop to read the interpretive signs | The trail is marked in yellow on the map

The Heritage Trail is dedicated to French, Gaelic and English-speaking pioneers who settled and worked this land between 1732 and 1900. It leads into open woodland on a wide gravel surface. Delightful glades of Pink Lady’s Slippers, the provincial flower in early June, and other colourful species illuminate the winding route. It follows the Brudenell River to where Roma and later the Macdonald brothers settled. Father of Confederation A.A. Macdonald, was born here in 1829.

BThe River Trail

3.15 km loop | varied terrain | The trail is marked in white on the map.

The River Trail loop begins a short distance from the kiosk. Several open glades glisten with bright green mosses, flowers, blueberries or ferns in the morning dew. Pine needles carpet the path which climbs toward an elevated knoll that was once a cleared field. A drystone dyke crosses the trail, marking the old field edge. On the far side of the knoll the trail crosses bottomland where a creek from the central bog flows to the shore. The path follows the river to the northern tip of the property and then turns inland to return to the start.

CThe Bog Run

1.14 km return | varied terrain | 25 minute brisk walk | The trail is marked in blue on the map

The Bog Run is a trail leading to a lookout on the edge of a significant peat bog. A pine grove on the route is a remnant of the large forest encountered by Roma in 1732. The bog ecosystem is unlike the rest of the site with characteristic wetland trees, plants and insects. Watch for fireflies in late June and a variety of dragon-flies all summer.

By-passes or Shortcuts

varied terrain | marked in red on the map

Short cross-trails connect the River Trail on both sides of the site.

Diversions

Diversions marked in pink on the map

Diversions are rest areas overlooking the Brudenell River or access points to the shore. They occur on the Heritage Trail and the River Trail. Bring your camera.

Trail Directions

The surface of the Heritage Trail is smooth, wide and flat with a base of trail mix gravel. The other paths are narrow and natural woodlot and you need to watch for exposed roots and rocks. Paths are not lighted and are not cleared of ice and snow. The viewing platform marked in the signage on The Bog Run still needs to be constructed.

Trail Tips

Travel the trails during daylight hours

Stay on the trails to avoid trampling low-lying vegetation

For safety, avoid going to the cliff edge by the river

Do not disturb wildlife

Leave flowers and plants for others to enjoy

Wear suitable clothing

Mosquito protection is a good idea in woodland

Walk with someone – it’s safer and more fun

Pick up litter and deposit in the waste receptacles at the Heritage buildings

Plants of the Jean Pierre ROMA Heritage Walking Trail

Deciduous (leaf) Trees:

Red maple

White Birch

Grey birch

Large Tooth Aspen (Popular)

Trembling Aspen (Popular)

Willows

Speckled Alder

Mountain Ash (Dogberry, Rowan Tree, Service Tree, Witchwood)

Indian Pear (Saskatoon Berry)

Pin Cherry

Winter Berrie

Coniferous (needle) Trees:

Balsam Fir

White Spruce

Black Spruce

Eastern white pine

Shrubs:

Bayberry

Blueberry – low bush, wild

Dog wood – alternate leaf

Elderberry

Red berried elder

Wild Raisin

Woodland Flowers:

Bluebead Lily (Corn Lily)

Bunchberry

Devil’s Paintbrush

Lady’s Slippers

Lily of the Valley

Twin Flowers

Ferns  & Mosses:

Sphagnum

Lichen Old Man’s Beard

Fungus Mushrooms

In the cleared area:

Wild carrot/Queen Anne’s Lace

Golden rod

Dandeloin

Violets

Pussy Willows

Wild strawberry

Wild raspberry

Wild blackberry

Common apple

Grasses

Animals & Birds of the Jean Pierre ROMA Trails

Animals:

Snowshoe Hares

Red squirrel

Chipmunk

Foxes

Racoons

Skunks

Coyote

Woodland birds:

Ruffled Grouse

Partridge

Bald Eagles

Blue Jays

Robin

Chickadee

Downy Woodpecker

Ravens

Shore birds:

Great Blue Heron

Sea Gulls

Experiencing the Jean Pierre ROMA Trails

What is your impression of your adventure?

Look – what are the sights that make you wonder?
Smell – what is dominant?
Listen, what are the sounds of the forest?
Feel the tree bark. How is the bark different on species of trees? Which are rough, smooth, ridged or shiny?
Discover which trees are family members? What are the distinct characteristics of each family?
Touch a coniferous tree branch. How do the needles feel?

Layers of the forest
What plants are on the ground floor (undergrowth) of the forest?
What plant shrubs are mid-way up?
Which are the small trees?
Which are the tall trees?
Why are some trees falling down? 
What is the effect of ladder trees?
Mystery – What is the value of dead trees and logs?
Lift a dead leaf – how does it benefit the ecosystem?
Do you see light filtering through a canopy opening?
Does the shady trail open on to a sunny glade?
Look closely. What birds are in the tree tops?
Habitat (a plant or animals natural home)
What are the habitats on this trail? Find a plant or animals home (habitat)
The Heritage Trails lead through many habitats – dry forest, sandy beach and clearing.  Just as people prefer certain places to live, so do plants. Which homeland do the plants prefer?
Are there plants that would not normally grow here?
What happens in the area exposed to wind compared to the one that is sheltered?
Artistic Design
What vistas (views from a forest opening) did you see?
What diversity is in the texture, patterns and density of the trail?
What variety of colours did you see in the bark, leaves, ground cover, shrubs, flowers and fruit?
Wild Life
Lift a leaf – did you see any insects?
Did you spot any animals? If no, why not?
What animals would find shelter in each layer of the forest?
Why would you not feed the birds and animals?
Wonder – what would pollinate the flowers?
Trails involve people
What is the mood of the trail at the particular time of day, weather and season on your visit?
How does the trail make you feel?
What mystery still remains about the trail?
The people who came first
Who were these people?
Why did they come here?
How did they clear the trees?
How do you think they felt?
What wood did the King of France want and why?

Finding the Jean Pierre ROMA Trails

Getting There and Back

On Rte #4, take Rte. #319.  The site is located off Rte. 319, at 78 Roma Point Rd. Brudenell Pt., Prince Edward Island.  The last 2.2km is a gravel road. The site is 8km north of Montague.

Guided tours can be booked for special experiences and events

For more information on the history of the site, the book Jean Pierre Roma is available at $10.00 per copy in English and French.