Not to be missed is a walk along Dorothy’s Way, a 500-foot soft pathway traversing a gentle slope parallel to Brook Road. A tribute to Laurelwood co-founder and rhododendron horticulturist Dorothy Knippenberg, this sheltered passageway offers the perfect refuge on a hot summer’s day, its cool shade a welcome respite from the sun’s rays.
Venture through the wooden trellis and enter a peaceful canopy of trees. In springtime the path is lined with huge rhododendrons bursting with color. One specimen, ‘Paul Vossburg’ with its strong red color is sure to stop you in your tracks at the south end of the trail.
A chipmunk may scamper for cover in the rustling leaves while a bird calls from its perch in a massive white oak – a reminder that you share this place with the denizens of the forest. A white foxglove peeps from the brush, a gentle reminder of Dorothy’s love of the dramatic spikes of bell-shaped flowers. Nearby, a tree stump has become an impromptu art sculpture with an array of rocks set upon the gnarled bark. Around the bend a massive log becomes a resting place to ponder, Did the Lenape walk these trails?
The end of the trail is in sight, but the peaceful solitude remains – a fitting tribute to Dorothy’s enduring legacy.
