Olmsted Woods
The Olmsted Woods are the last vestige of an extensive oak and beech forest on Mount St. Alban. All Hallows Guild restored the five-acre Olmsted Woods over a 10-year period; the work was completed in 2008 at a cost of nearly three million dollars. Now the Woods include a stone footpath, the Pilgrim Way, a restored outdoor amphitheater, a contemplative circle, native wildflowers and shrubs, and a host of migratory birds.
Click here to view photos of Olmsted Woods
Scheduled Tours
Tours focus on these restoration efforts, plus the plants, trees and birds found in the Woods. Self-guided tours of the Woods and plant lists are available in a posted information box near the George Washington statue.
Participants meet at the George Washington Statue on Pilgrim Road on the south side of the Cathedral. The tours take the quarter-mile flagstone path called the Pilgrim Way. Visitor parking is available in the Cathedral garage accessible off Wisconsin Ave. No reservations are required and all tours are free. Programs will be cancelled in the event of heavy rain. Please wear sturdy waterproof shoes.
For an upcoming Woods Tours Schedule, click here
Group Tours
If you wish to have a group tour, please leave your name and phone number on the Woodlands Information line and your call will be returned or click here for a Group Tour Request form.
Woodlands Information Line: (202) 537-2319.
Be A Volunteer
Care of the Olmsted Woods is an ongoing effort. Right now, volunteers are removing English ivy. If you would like to volunteer in the Woods, call Joe Luebke, Director of Horticulture, 202 537-5788 or click here for a volunteer information form.
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