A journey to freedom, recreated at Woodlawn Manor

10/31/2026 | Sloane Berk

At Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park, visitors are asked to imagine that they are escaping slavery. They move through miles of wooded trails while learning how freedom seekers could have navigated and avoided attention. But there is an important distinction: the journey visitors experience never happened at Woodlawn Manor.

Montgomery Parks created the Underground Railroad Experience Trail in 1998 as a simulated experience meant to commemorate the history of Sandy Spring and Montgomery County. The agency has stated that there is no documented evidence that Woodlawn Manor’s owners, buildings, or property were involved in the Underground Railroad. The question that is raised for visitors is: How do you teach history through an experience that is designed to be imagined rather than retraced?

According to Richard Regan, a tour guide at Woodlawn Manor, the trail is one part of a larger effort to teach visitors about the people who lived at the property. “I hope they learn about life on a 19th-century plantation, the presence of enslaved people here, what that meant and the history of the family that owned the property for close to 100 years, the Palmer family,” Regan said. 

The Palmer family owned Woodlawn for nearly a century. Dr. William P. Palmer was a local physician and farmer who was raised a Quaker. However, according to Montgomery Parks, his membership was revoked after his family used enslaved labor at Woodlawn. The property also contains an 1832 stone barn that now houses the Woodlawn museum. 

From the manor, the trail moves into the woods. At the first sections of the trail, visitors learn why freedom seekers may have avoided open spaces where they could be seen from a distance. The trail also explains how traveling during times when people were less likely to be noticed could have provided opportunities to escape. For example, slaves seeking freedom would often escape at Christmas since they usually had from three days to a week of holiday when they would not be expected to work, and it was common for them to have been given a pass to visit relatives during this time. 

The path then reaches thick brambles, which could have offered a place to hide and rest. At a crossing of paths, visitors learn about the difficulty of navigating without modern maps or road signs. The trail describes possible markers, including bent branches and arranged stones, that could have helped people recognize a route. “Being outside, in the woods, on a trail that becomes single file at some points, evokes a feeling that guests would not get simply by reading about it,” Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park Education Program Manager Christian Murgia said.

Further along, hikers reach a hollow tree and a historic boundary stone. The trail explains how natural features could provide shelter while landmarks could help travelers determine where they were. The stream crossing presents another obstacle because waterways could be difficult for people traveling on foot, particularly those who did not know how to swim. A replica of a period bridge stands at the crossing. The trail then reaches farm fields where visitors learn why open spaces could make freedom seekers easier to spot, while tall crops could provide cover. 

The final sections lead toward Sandy Spring, the natural spring that gave the community its name. A 200-year-old white ash tree marks the end of the experience, connecting the trail to the longer history of Sandy Spring. 

The local history extends beyond Woodlawn, as Sandy Spring was home to one of Montgomery County’s earliest free Black communities, formed after Quakers in the area emancipated enslaved workers. The community later established Sharp Street Methodist Episcopal Church, the first Black church in Montgomery County. 

The distinction between the area's documented history and the simulated experience also raises a larger question about how students learn history. While textbooks and lectures can explain the Underground Railroad as a national movement, visiting a local site can ground that history to reality for students. The experience also aligns with the eighth-grade social studies curriculum, which focuses on Montgomery County history. By visiting Woodlawn Manor, students can see how the history they study in class connects to the landscape and communities around them. “It helps you understand the background of a region,” history teacher Kraig Bauer said.

For students who have mostly only encountered the Underground Railroad through class, walking through a landscape where people in Montgomery County lived during the same period can make the history feel more impactful. “I went with my parents who are both from China, which I think made this experience extra eye-opening,” junior Jessiza Zhu said. 

Visitors should also pay attention to when they plan their trip since the trail itself is open year-round from sunrise to sunset, but public guided hikes are offered only from April through November on the first and third Saturdays of each month. The seasonal schedule means visitors can walk the trail on their own throughout the year; however, the guided experience that explains its historical context is only available during part of the year. 

The trail is simulated, but the history it asks visitors to consider is real. “Our intent is that being in that environment provides a deeper understanding than reading about it,” Murgia said.