Jack-O-Lantern Branch Trail

For the enslaved, the forest offered more than hunting, fishing, or food; it was a place to meet, rest, and worship away from an owner's gaze. As in Booker Washington's childhood, half of this farm is forest, and a 1½-mile trail loops through the woods, much of it on the farm's original acreage. The trail follows part of the streambed of Jack-O-Lantern Branch, a natural boundary with neighboring property, and passes through woods showing signs of nature at work, such as lightning strikes and swelling streams, as well as evidence of human activity, including fences, clearings, and fields.

Westlake Corner, Virginia · United States