#guilfordwoods #undergroundrailroad #greensboronc
Guilford Woods, on the campus of Guilford College, is a 240-acre old-growth forest with at least one champion tree standing as a silent witness to Underground Railroad activities. The Land of Saura and Keyawee peoples was settled by European American Friends (Quakers) in the 1700s. Known as the New Garden Woods in the 1800s, this is felt as a sacred place. Located within the historically Quaker New Garden/Guilford College community, the site of the former College farm served as a refuge for enslaved Africans seeking freedom via the Underground Railroad and Quaker men escaping the Civil War Confederate draft in the 1800s.

The 1.5-hour tour started at 4 pm so it was beginning to get dark before we finished. I felt like I was truly making my way North to freedom. The Underground Railroad Tree, a tulip poplar, dating back to the 1800s, was present during the documented operation of the Underground Railroad in Guilford County (1819-1852). The Trail to the champion tree is 0.3 miles one-way. It includes uneven surfaces with an accessible viewing platform and seating at the end. Please wear shoes you don’t mind getting muddy. 

Amaria Nelson, a Friends Center Fellow at Guilford College, conducted the tour and provided great background information.

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