On a grey day at the end of September I drove up Rose Hill Road to Scott Road, then I hiked along the double track route across the grassland slopes of Rose Hill to the end of the track and back.   In 2025, 570 acres of this land was purchased by the BC Parks Foundation as a nature preserve – link to more information.   At this time the status of the park is that is still in planning stages.

After a hot and dry summer, the grass was longer, but no longer green.    Rabbitbrush was just finishing its flowering cycle.    The route goes through a grasslands zone, but there are also some ponderosa pines, some junipers, a few firs on north-facing slopes, and shrubs in drainages.

Mountain bikers have been using Scott Road to ride down steep trails (the Rio Escondido Grande Trail) for years.    At this point vehicles can drive the track, but in the future it may be only be open to on-foot, or on-bike traffic.   At the end of the track is a gate with no trespassing allowed beyond the fence.    Right before the fence, the bike trail winds down into a gully.    At this end grassland slopes continue around the east side of Rose Hill.

I have hiked some side routes in the past, but for this day, it was an out-and-back 7.3 km hike.

I am planning to return back to this track to hike or snowshoe in winter.