Witness Tree

Please join us as we explore Guilford College Woods at 2:30 PM. Guilford College Woods consists of 240 acres of hardwoods, mixed hardwoods, and pine forests. During the Revolutionary War, it was the site of encampments of both British and American troops. Native Americans of the Saura and Keyawee tribes lived in the Woods, and it was a stop on the Underground Railroad for enslaved Africans seeking freedom before and during the Civil War. If you have never explored Guilford College Woods, the trail we will be walking on is a dirt path which will likely be covered with leaves this time of year. The leaves can be a little slippery if it has rained recently.

Max Carter, a retired professor of Quaker Studies at Guilford College, will lead us on a walk through the historic New Garden/Guilford College Woods. Starting in late succession forest and walking into primitive forest, we'll learn about the history of the woods from Native American times through the mid-1700s settlement of anti-slavery Quakers and on to the time of the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, and even contemporary use of the woods as "sanctuary." Along the way, new signage will describe the ethnobotany of freedom seekers on the UGRR, and a feature of the walk will be the "witness tree," a 300+ year old tulip tree that bore witness to many of the events that will be shared about on the walk.

Wear sturdy shoes as the surface of the trail is uneven. Bring binoculars if you have them. We will meet at the back entrance to the Woods on Bennington Drive. 

Use 4910 Bennington Drive for driving directions.

Photo of Witness Tree from Piedmont Land Conservancy’s website: https://www.piedmontland.org/2025/06/04/savingguilfordwoods/