The Underground Railroad Experience Trail — Attraction in Olney

I visited this park on an August afternoon with my son. It is easy to miss the signs to the park, but once I found it I was generally impressed. The well marked trail through the park is gradual and has different widths allowing for time to talk and time to think. Visually, it has a nice mix between woods, creeks, and fields with little encroachment of the modern world. All of these factors and a comfortable distance helped my mind focus on the topic at hand. The story and ideas around the Underground Railroad remain compelling. While there is little documented history directly connecting this park to the Underground Railroad, the self-guided tour helped me put a place and gave me time to experience and meditate on the different aspects of this important moment in the human story. I left with a deeper understanding. Of course the free Black and Quaker story are developed. I was pleased to see a layer of ecology included as well. Next time you want to share a story of courage with someone or find yourself (yet again) in despair about the state of race relations in this country, take a hike here. You too might...

Wife and I hiked the trail on memorial day and really enjoyed it. Sense of living history as one experiences the various terrain and environmental the fleeing slaves encountered on their flight north - without the fear of capture of course. The hike itself has varied terrain from open fields to wooded areas and includes the actual Sandy Spring. The trail has a little up and down that I would rate easy to medium. If you continue beyond the designated trail on the country lane you come to the historic Friends Meeting House which is worth a quick look around. From the trailhead to meeting house and back is just under 4 miles. We used a trail guide from the AllTrails app. It...

Very interesting information about the underground railroad given by a knowledgeable guide. The walk was not necessarily hard but if you take the Twilight trek remember to bring your flashlight as it's very dark and there are a lot of roots and some minor rough spots on the trail. There is a bit of a slightly uphill walking. The topic is probably advanced beyond very young children but the walk might be fun for them. It does take about an hour and a half to two hours to complete this tour. I would recommend for kids of six or seven and up if their parents can explain a few concepts to them. Not easy if you have...