 | Friends of Gwynns falls leakin park |
PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING TUESDAY AT CAHILL REC CENTER
The Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks is holding a meeting on public safety in Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, at Cahill Recreation Center, 4001 Clifton Ave. This is a long-awaited follow-up to the meeting in November 2023, when FOGFLP and over 100 community members demanded changes in the park after a woman was viciously assaulted there. We encourage all interested community members to attend this very important meeting, bringing your own questions and concerns. You can attend in person or join via Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us./j/83786727464 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ HELP PLAN OUR FUTURE STATE PARK: SERVE ON A FOCUS GROUP! |
The team studying a state-city partnership park at Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park needs your help. Attending a focus group is the most direct way for community members to shape the future of our park. In-person focus groups will take place Tuesday, May 27, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. The group meeting at Cahill Recreation Center (4001 Clifton Ave.) will discuss capital improvements, critical maintenance, and natural resource management and restoration, including implementing a biohabitats study. The group meeting at Carrie Murray Nature Center (1901 Ridgetop Rd.) will discuss historic site restoration, outdoor recreation amenities including trail improvements, and adding park staff and procuring equipment and supplies. A virtual focus group addressing all the above topics will take place on Thursday, May 29 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. If you want to be in a focus group, contact FOGFLP Executive Director Mike Cross-Barnet at execdirect@friendsofgwynnsfallsleakinpark.org or 410-218-0386. And watch this space and our Facebook page for more information! |  |
| STATE PARK PLANNING MOVES FORWARDThe end of the year brought a milestone for the park: the first meeting of the state-city park Stakeholder Advisory Committee. House Bill 1358 called for creating this committee, convening focus groups, and studying park conditions and the costs of creating a state park. FOGFLP Executive Director Mike Cross-Barnet and several FOGFLP members are on the Stakeholder Advisory Committee. The work that the Stakeholder Advisory Committee and the focus groups do this year will lead to recommendations about the future state park. HB 1358 requires a report to the Maryland General Assembly no later than December 1, 2025. Focus groups, will gather feedback on seven areas identified in the legislation: capital improvements; critical maintenance; natural resource management/restoration; historic site restoration; outdoor recreation amenities; additional park staff, equipment & supplies; law enforcement and public safety. If you're interested in participating in a focus group,
2024 closed out with a milestone for Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park: the first meeting of the state-city park Stakeholder Advisory Committee. House Bill 1358 called for establishing this committee, convening focus groups, and studying park conditions and the costs of creating a state park. FOGFLP Executive Director Mike Cross-Barnet and several FOGFLP members are on the Stakeholder Advisory Committee. This year, the Stakeholder Advisory Committee and the focus groups will come up with recommendations about the future state park. HB 1358 requires a report to the Maryland General Assembly no later than December 1, 2025. There is an opportunity for members of the public to take part in the focus groups. These groups will gather feedback on the seven areas identified in the legislation: capital improvements; critical maintenance; natural resource management/restoration; historic site restoration; enhanced outdoor recreation amenities; adding park staff, equipment and supplies; law enforcement and public safety. If you'd like to be considered for participation in one of the focus groups, contact Mike Cross-Barnet at execdirect@friendsofgwynnsfallsleakinpark.org. |
FOGFLP's first Fall Festival was a big success, with about 150 people joining us on Sunday, November 10th, for a lovely day in the park with neighbors and friends. We enjoyed an afternoon of music, face painting, crafts, games, and community resources while celebrating the progress we've made toward ensuring GFLP's future as a state-city partnership park. We're looking forward to many more family-friendly activities in 2025! (more photos)
| Latest NewsItems of interest and stories in the media about our park
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Upcoming Events
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GOVERNOR MOORE SIGNS BILL ADVANCING EFFORT FOR STATE-CITY PARTNERSHIP AT GWYNNS FALLS/LEAKIN PARK!
On Thursday, May 16th, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation that sets a course for the establishment of Baltimore City’s first state park – a potentially transformative move for West Baltimore and beyond.
House Bill 1358, which goes into effect on June 1, calls for a report to the Maryland General Assembly next year spelling out the requirements for creating a “state-city partnership park” in West Baltimore’s Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park. The bill requires the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks to create a stakeholder advisory committee and convene focus groups of local residents, ensuring a vital role for the community in determining the future of the park. Read our press release here (pdf format).
FoGFLP and a small team of local forest conservationists have collaborated on a video that highlights what is so special about the park, and why it needs to be protected. The video is dedicated to the memories of Antonio Carpenter and Heide Grundmann, whose advocacy and love for Gwynns Falls Leakin Park will always inspire us. |
| Second SundaysJoin us the second Sunday of each month, April through November, for family fun! Grab your picnic basket and come to 1920 Eagle Drive, 21207 for train rides (see below), games, nature exhibits, historic mansion tours, and more! |
Steam TrainsA prominent part of our Second Sundays is the opportunity to ride on a miniature steam train as it winds its way on tracks near Crimea Mansion. Located at 1950 Eagle Drive, 21207 these amazing machines are maintained by the dedicated group at Chesapeake and Allegheny Steamers. See their Facebook page or better yet, come on out and take a ride! |
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Nature Art In the ParkGwynns Falls Leakin Park becomes an art gallery! Every year, sculptures made entirely from natural objects-- many of which were found in the park-- are installed on the trails between the Crimea estate and the Carrie Murray Nature Center. A great place to start is just South of the Carrie Murray Nature Center. Watch their Facebook page for opening and closing events, as well as occasional guided tours. |
EcologySituated in the eastern division of the Piedmont, the Park has steep gradients with rapids, falls, and abrupt valley walls rising from the Gwynns Falls and Dead Run stream valleys. With a 300-foot difference in elevation from the stream valleys to the ridge tops, the Park's highest elevation is 403 feet above sea level. This ecology has meant lush forests, rushing streams, abundant wildlife for Gwynns Falls Leakin Park. Find out more about, and contribute to our understanding of the ecology of the Park... READ MORE | History
Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park-one contiguous parkland with two names--comprises one of the largest woodland parks in an eastern United States city. Consisting of over 1000 acres, this is by far Baltimore's most extensive park, stretching from the western city line along the valley of the Gwynns Falls and its tributaries all the way to Wilkens Avenue.
 |  RecreationThere's no shortage of things to do in Gwynns Falls Leakin Park! For starters there are bike trails, hiking trails, playing fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and even miniature train rides. Not to mention a world class outdoor classroom and adventure center as well as the area's premier avian rescue facility and nature center. See the full list of what you can do in the park... |
On the western edge of Baltimore, right where Interstate 70 terminates.
| Major areas/entrances (links to Google maps)
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Where is the park?