Screenshot of the Olmsted Trail’s interactive map.

Landscapes designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and his firm span more than 6,000 sites across 47 U.S. states, eight Canadian provinces, and four continents. More than just parks and plots of land, they are living testaments to the power of thoughtful design, community, and stewardship. Now, for the first time, the Olmsted Trail brings these stories together in one place, making it easier than ever to explore, understand, and contribute to this shared legacy.

The Olmsted Network is proud to announce the launch of the Olmsted Trail, a dynamic new resource for exploring the past, present, and future of landscapes shaped by Frederick Law Olmsted, his sons, and their successors. At its core, it’s an interactive map that allows you to discover landscapes by location, name, job number, and project type. From there, you can dive into individual sites—tracing original plans and drawings, viewing historic and contemporary photos, and learning how these spaces are cared for today.

  • Biltmore Estate page on the Olmsted Trail.
  • The map can be toggled to “Featured” view, only highlighting Featured jobs.
  • The Olmsted Trail lets you view thousands of digitized plans from the Olmsted Archives, courtesy of the National Park Service.
  • Job pages include contemporary and historic photos.

Select “featured” pages highlight iconic landscapes like Central Park, Mount Royal, and Yosemite National Park, offering deeper insight into their design, evolution, and ongoing preservation. But the Trail is so much more than a map—as new content and featured sites are added, it will continue to grow, helping to situate individual landscapes within this wider network and inviting partners to share their own stories and stewardship efforts within a living resource.

The Olmsted Trail builds on years of research and collaboration, evolving from OlmstedOnline into a more integrated and accessible resource for park stewards, estate owners, students, and anyone else interested in Olmsted work. By contributing your own photos, stories, and updates, you can help the Trail become an even richer resource—connecting past, present, and future landscapes across the network, and making it easier to see how these places are linked across time and geography. Explore the Olmsted Trail today at Olmsted.org and discover how you can be part of this ongoing story. Want to submit photos or documents for consideration? Reach out to Madelaine Momot, Partnerships Manager, at Mmomot@olmsted.org.