Sojourner Truth, an abolitionist and advocate for rights for women, endured slavery in New York from 1797 to 1828 when she was emancipated based on the law gradually ending slavery in New York.
She lived almost her entire life in Ulster County, NY. She was a woman of determination, who pulled herself out of enslavement several months before she would have been legally freed, by walking 11 miles away from where she was being enslaved to the home of Quakers, who were able to protect her.
The more I learn about her, the more she’s my hero.
She remains an inspiration, which is why I’ve loved learning more about her and writing about her in MidAtlanticDayTrips.
Within Shaupeneak Ridge Park, in Ulster County, NY, you can hike along the Sojourner Truth Discovery Trail, a 1/3 mile trail along a mountain ridge that she might have crossed during her 11-mile journey to self-emancipation.
Five signs placed along the discovery trail talk about her life as someone enslaved, how she gained her freedom, her roles as a mother, an abolitionist, and a suffragette.
You end the discovery walk on the blue trail, which leads you around the lake, inviting further contemplation of this marvelous American.
Getting there: GPS Shaupeneak Ridge Park upper parking lot.
Hours: Daylight
Website: http://www.scenichudson.org/explore-the-valley/scenic-hudson-parks/shaupeneak-ridge/
Looking for other daytrip ideas within the area? Check out the following articles!
- Five Locks Walk at the D&H Canal
- Foundry Park
- Hudson Highlands State Park (Cornish Ruins Hike)
- Madam Brett Park
- Minnewaska State Park Preserve Rainbow Falls Hike
- Sojourner Truth Driving Tour
- Shawangunk Scenic Drive
- Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Site
- Widow Jane Mine
Or head to New York Daytrip Destinations to find other great things to see and do in New York!
