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Recreational Resources
Parks and open spaces can be focal points that draw together diverse residents, providing opportunities
to socialize, play, exercise, or reflect. Small parks and playgrounds can function as community meeting
places and settings where neighborhood children come to learn and play. Large parks serve as a connection
to nature and help soothe the stresses associated with urban life. Greenways and trails provide natural
corridors that draw people from both the suburbs and the inner-cities to explore the natural, commercial,
and recreational resources that a region has to offer. In many ways, the Gwynns Falls Watershed is rich in
terms of these recreational resources.
Large Parks
Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park is one of the largest urban “wildland” parks in the country. It offers hun-dreds
of acres of woodlands, along with miles of trails and several picnic and active recreation sites.
Despite its reputation as an unsafe park, it currently has almost no crime. Those who avoid the park
out of safety concerns are missing one of the most spectacular natural areas in the region.
Soldiers Delight Natural Area is the other large park in the watershed. It contains 2,000 acres of
hardwood and pine forests and grassland areas with a network of hiking trails. It is a very unique
area due to unusual soils and underlying geology. It is home to many uncommon plants including at
least 3 endangered species.
Gwynns Falls Greenway
A project to construct a fourteen-mile stream valley park and multiple-use trail is currently under
construction. The Gwynns Falls Greenway will follow the Gwynns Fall stream from Leakin Park to
the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River. The trail will be constructed in phases over the next few
years. This trail will provide a recreational resource and transportation system that will enable users
to enjoy and explore the diversity of the city as they hike, bike, or walk.
Other Resources
In addition to having these large recreational resources, the Gwynns Falls Watershed contains numerous
public neighborhood parks, pocket parks, playgrounds, athletic fields, and golf courses. Indeed, many
of these parks form the heart of communities in the Gwynns Falls and hold important historical and
cultural meaning, as well as maintaining property values.
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