Gwynn Falls Stream flows through much of south and west Baltimore, passing near dozens of neighborhoods and cultural sites. A series of parks along its length are the legacy of plans by celebrated urban landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted.
Organizations such as the Trust for Public Land and Parks for People Foundation recognized the potential for an urban trail along the stream to encourage physical activity, and in 1998 joined with the Baltimore Recreation and Parks Department, the Maryland Department of National Resources and other nonprofit organizations to form the Gwynns Falls Trail Council. The result of this public-private partnership is a fourteen-mile trail, completed in early 2005, that connects thirty different Baltimore neighborhoods. An additional mile-long section to Interstate 70 will be completed in 2006.
The trail provides access for walkers and bikers to other parts of the city as well as museums, stadiums, historic sites and parks. It has also become a site for various civic programs including sports competitions, concerts and school science programs.
Goal
Building Urban Trail in Baltimore