Gwynns Falls Leakin Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park |
|
|---|---|
Orianda Mansion ("Crimea") in Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park
|
|
| Location | 4921 Windsor Mill Road Baltimore, MD 21207 |
| Area | 1,216 acres (492 ha) |
| Created | 1908 |
| Operated by | Baltimore City Department of Parks and Recreation |
Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park is a huge woodland park in Baltimore, Maryland, covering about 1,200 acres! It's one of the biggest parks like this on the East Coast. It was created to protect important streams and rivers, like the Gwynns Falls, from too much building. This park is a special place where you can explore nature, see different landscapes like valleys, hills, and open fields, enjoy fun outdoor activities, and even discover old historic buildings.
The park is part of the Baltimore National Heritage Area. It is looked after by the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks. Volunteers from the Friends of Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park (FOGFLP) also help a lot.
Contents
Exploring Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park
This park acts like a big green blanket for the west side of Baltimore City. It includes the valleys of the Gwynns Falls river and its smaller streams. The park stretches over six miles from the city's western edge down to Wilkens Avenue. About twenty of the city's neighborhoods are right next to its borders. Visitors today might feel the same way a traveler did in 1831. They were surprised to find such "wild and beautiful scenery" so close to the city, with rocky, mountainous features.
Outdoor Fun and Trails
Gwynns Falls Trail
The Gwynns Falls Trail runs through the whole park, from the end of I-70 to Wilkens Avenue. From there, you can even go to the Inner Harbor or the Middle Branch! This trail was built between 1999 and 2008. It made the stream valley open for hikers and bikers. There are places to start the trail and park your car along the way. Signs along the trail tell you about the history of the stream valley. You can find more details and maps on the Gwynns Falls Trail website.
As part of the trail project, new playfields were added along Franklintown Road. These fields are now called Leon Day Park, named after a famous Baltimore baseball player from the Negro leagues. The project also made it easier for people to get into the park at Winans Meadow. This area has visitor parking, a covered picnic area you can reserve, and access to trails that go from the valley up to the park's higher hills.
Other Hiking Paths
Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park is a great place for walking, hiking, running, biking, and walking your dog. Many people love just being surrounded by nature here. There are about eighteen different hiking trails in the park. You can find them listed on the Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park Trail Map. Most of these trails are in the Winans Meadow and Crimea parts of the park.
Most trails are unpaved, but some parts use sections of the Gwynns Falls Trail. The trails are usually easy to moderate, with some rocky spots, rolling hills, and muddy areas sometimes.
A popular trail is Heide's Trail, which used to be called the Ridge Trail. It runs along a high ridge, giving you beautiful views of Winans Meadow and the Dead Run stream below. You'll also see very tall old trees. Along the Old Fort Trail, you can find several historic buildings from the old Winans Estate. Depending on the season, you might get a great view of the back of the Orianda Mansion.
There are ten shorter hiking trails in the Winans Meadow area (you can get there from Franklintown Road) and the Crimea area (from Windsor Mill Road). These trails offer hikes of different lengths and challenges. For longer hikes, you can use the Gwynns Falls Trail, the Dickeyville spur, the Windsor Hills Conservation Trail, and other trails that follow the Gwynns Falls river.
The Millrace section of the Gwynns Falls Trail is especially pretty. It was once used to power mills downstream. This part of the trail is not paved and offers amazing views of the Gwynns Falls. You can park for this section at the Windsor Mill Road Trailhead of the Gwynns Falls Trail.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced hiker, there are many options for you. You can explore a historic estate, quiet forest areas, streams, a special Sacred Labyrinth, a restored Magnolia Grove, and of course, see birds, bees, and other wildlife that live in the park.
Activities and Events
Carrie Murray Nature Center
The Carrie Murray Nature Center is run by Baltimore City Recreation and Parks. It offers fun programs about nature for kids, families, and adults. About 30,000 visitors come each year! They have programs for individuals, families, and groups from schools, churches, recreation centers, and camps.
During the school year, the nature center offers field trips and outreach programs for students of all ages. This includes the Wild Haven forest immersion program for young children. They also have summer camps, public programs, special events, and ways for people to volunteer.
Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School
The Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School (CBOBS) is a non-profit group that teaches important life skills. One of their two campuses is inside Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park. Their programs help middle and high school students learn social and emotional skills. They also have programs for teachers, work teams, and veterans.
Since starting in 1986, CBOBS has helped almost 100,000 students. Over 90% of these students get financial help to attend. Programs can be as short as one day of high ropes team-building or as long as multi-week trips. Students might go backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, or sea kayaking across the Chesapeake Bay Region.
Second Sundays in the Park
The Chesapeake & Allegheny Live Steamers run a miniature steam-powered railroad with 3,400 feet of track. They offer free rides every second Sunday, from April through November. On these days, the Friends of Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park share information, offer family-friendly activities, and let visitors explore the historic buildings. The Carrie Murray Nature Center is also open for visitors on these days.
Baltimore Herb Festival
A group of volunteers started the Baltimore Herb Festival as an annual event in the park. The money raised helps maintain and preserve the park. The first festival was held in 1987 and attracted a large crowd. The festival has continued to be held every year on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend. It brings about 2,000 visitors to the park. The event features vendors selling herbs and plants, displays by local groups, food, and live music.
Leakin Park Parkrun
Leakin Park Parkrun is a free 5-kilometer (about 3.1 miles) run or walk held every Saturday morning. It starts at Winan's Meadow near Ben Cardin Pavilion.
Volunteer Opportunities
The non-profit group Friends of Gwynns Falls Leakin Park (FOGFLP) organizes volunteers to help take care of the park. This includes picking up trash daily, working on trails, planting trees, and gardening. They also help visitors by providing maps, watching how the park is used, and telling Baltimore City Recreation & Parks about any issues. FOGFLP also puts on yearly activities like the MLK Day of Service, the First Day Hike, seasonal hikes, and the Black Friday Hike.
Park History
How the Parks Were Created
Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park started with a small piece of land near Edmondson and Hilton Avenues. It was called the Gwynns Falls Reserve in 1901. In 1904, the city was planning to grow. A well-known company called Olmsted suggested creating "stream valley parks." These parks would protect important river areas like the Gwynns Falls from being overdeveloped. They would keep these areas as natural preserves. Over the next few decades, the Olmsted firm worked with the city to buy park land that stretched to Windsor Mill Road.
In 1926, after the city grew in 1918, the Olmsteds were asked again to study what parks the city would need by 1950. Their report suggested extending Gwynns Falls Park north along the stream to the city's boundary. It also urged buying the valley of a smaller stream called Dead Run. This area was "considered by all who view it as one of the very best bits of scenery near Baltimore."
In 1939, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. was asked for his advice again. This time, it was about how to use money left by Baltimore lawyer J. Wilson Leakin. He wanted a park named after his grandfather, a former City mayor. Different parts of the city wanted the park, which caused some debate. Olmsted Jr. strongly suggested buying the Winans Estate, called Crimea. This estate included the Dead Run valley and the hills above it. He said it was "so nearly in condition, just as it now is, to be a very beautiful and valuable park."
The Winans Estate was available to buy as late as the 1940s. This was a rare chance to get such a large park area within the city limits. With purchases in 1941 and 1948, the city created Leakin Park, named after the gift. Since Gwynns Falls and Leakin Parks are next to each other, over time the City’s Department of Recreation and Parks started calling the combined parklands Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park.
The Winans Estate
The Winans Estate, which became Leakin Park, was bought by Thomas DeKay Winans in the 1850s. Thomas was the son of Ross Winans, who built railroads for the B&O company. In the 1840s, Thomas went with his brother William to Russia. There, they built Russia's first railroad, connecting St. Petersburg and Moscow. While in Russia, Thomas met and married his wife, Celeste.
After finishing the project, the Winans family returned to the U.S. in the early 1850s with a lot of money. They made their home a city mansion and also bought land in the countryside. They named their country estate "Crimea" and their country home "Orianda." These names reminded them of Russia, where they had met. At Celeste's request, the couple built a chapel for the Irish workers on the estate. Sadly, Celeste passed away shortly after it was finished in 1861.
Three buildings from the Winans era are still in the park: the stone Orianda mansion, the carriage house, and the wooden chapel. These have been named Baltimore City Landmarks. You can easily see them from the park’s Eagle Drive. The hillside and valley below also have old parts from the Winans time. These include the ruins of a pretend fort and farm buildings. There's also an iron water wheel, which is one of the most visited spots in the park. It was likely designed to pump water up to the mansion. You can reach these sites by hiking trails from Eagle Drive or from the Winans Meadow parking entrance along Franklintown Road.
Images for kids
-
A family walking through a meadow at Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park
-
People meeting in the blooming Magnolia Grove
-
People walking the Gwynns Falls Trail
-
I-70 park and ride seen from above in the direction of I-695
-
Aerial view of septic sewer repair in Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park
