Bear Legacy Adventure Trail Features Nature As Playground

BEL AIR, MD — Blink and you might miss the Bear Legacy Adventure Trail. But you definitely do not want to miss it. Tucked off Tollgate Road across from Emmorton Elementary School, this park is unlike any other around. It is built for the imagination.

"We tried to make a neverland for kids in the woods to play," said founder Stacy Brzozowski. "We just try to give the kids a backyard. We don't all have backyards with woods anymore."

The park is named for her son Bear, who passed away at 4 years old after his brain swelled in 2013 for reasons that doctors could not explain. His death remains a mystery, but one thing was certain about his life: "He was very adventurous," Brzozowski said. "'Mommy, where are we going today?' he would say every day." The world was his playground.

"Anytime we went to the playground, he never played on the equipment — he would jump on landscaping or rocks. We would go hiking, and he would jump up on different things," she said. "When he passed, I thought...build a playground in the woods."

Two years ago, the Bear Legacy Adventure Trail started with the creation of trails, and "as money comes in, we build something," she said of the various adventures and activities that have been added since 2017.

"We have a rock wall that goes up trees. We have forts that can be built anywhere by anybody. We have a fairy garden. We have a story forest trail which tells the story of 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt,'" she said.

For those counting their steps, there's a 1.5-mile path that encircles the adventure park.

Each adventure trail is marked with a different color.

The entire trail is bike-friendly, for those of all levels.

Throughout the Bear Legacy Adventure Trail, there are 22 habitats constructed as part of an Eagle Scout project and a guide people can use to follow along as they try to spot them all along the way.

"As parents are here with their kids playing, there's something for them to do," Brzozowski said.

An outdoor classroom featuring a podium has been the site of Girl Scout troop meetings, and there's a yoga area some studios have used for classes in the woods.

A labyrinth, outdoor library, "The Floor is Lava" game and other features are in development.

Bear Legacy Adventure Trail is also looking for eight dump trucks full of dirt to help complete its pump track, which will contain a smaller track for beginners. Before the pump track was complete, Brzozowski said kids started using their bikes on it because they couldn't wait to try it out.

"They weren't just riding the cracked concrete in the neighborhood," she said. "They were glowing. That right there made it worth every day I’m out here sweating and working on it."

When Patch visited Saturday, Sept. 14, kids were whooping with delight as they swooshed down the first hill of the pump track on their bikes.

"Kids can't bounce off the walls if you take the walls away from them," said Brzozowski, who has two children — Eva, 7, and Hyker, 5 — with her husband, Patrick. "This is my taking the walls away."

When And Where To Go

Bear Legacy Adventure Trail is open from dusk to dawn, and it's play at your own risk. It's located at 2500 South Tollgate Road on the campus of the Center for the Arts.

Pets are welcome. People can bring their animals on a leash.

For those using the pump track, all bikers must wear helmets.

How To Get Involved

Bear Legacy Trail Adventure is 100 percent donation-funded and volunteer-driven.

There is a GoFundMe page for those who would like to donate online.

The Maryland Center for the Arts has also set up a donation page for the Bear Legacy Adventure Trail, and those are tax-deductible since it is a 501(c)3.

People who would like to volunteer or get involved in another way can email volunteers@bearlegacy.org.