It’s Baltimore’s most extensive park. Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park is the second largest woodland park in the country consisting of more than 1,000 acres. There are trails, scenic views, bird watching, but its widely known for reasons other than its beauty.
“There is this stigma from like the 70’s and the 80’s that are just like dragging along,” said Erica Lewis, a board member with The Friends of Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park, an all-volunteer non-profit organization advocating for the park.
As mentioned in the Serial podcast and The Wire, the park was a place where bodies have been found.
For Lewis, it’s a place she brings her kids to play, to birthday parties, and Second Sundays, a monthly tradition in the summer that includes free miniature steam train rides, hikes, games, and visits to the Carrie Murray Nature Center.
However, the recent sexual assault of a 71-year-old woman in the park, has visitors taking new precautions.
“Now, if I'm coming to the park, I'll make sure that I'm with someone and not hiking in the more remote areas,” said Bridget McCusker, a 10-year board member.
She’s hopeful she won’t need to take these additional steps in the future, but she said that’ll require more collaboration with the city for support and safety.
“We need more police support or rangers in the park for sure,” said Gale Fletcher, a board member with the nearby Hunting Ridge Association.
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