Sleepy Giant - CT

[LenDawg]

I did a quick search and didn't see any information on this hike. I am looking to hike the Sleepy Giant in Southern CT this weekend and was wondering if anyone had any advice, comments, or other for this hike. I picked up a book on the fifty hikes of CT from EMS which was helpful for some trail details. Still, I always appreciate feedback from other hikers who may be able to talk from experience. Thanks.

 

[cbcbd]

Lenny, what's up!
Sleeping Giant is a neat park. It's a trail system and has many trails within it that can be combined to do many loops.
My suggestion is to start on the Quinnipiac side and head south on the, I believe, blue trail - this should take up towards the head of the Giant and the quarry area - this is one of the steeper trails and has some scrambling.
Other than, just make sure to hit up the tower, towards the feet of the Giant (don't remember which trail it's exactly on).
And IIRC, they had maps of the trail system at the trailhead... not sure. The Connecticut Walk Book has a map of the whole park, I know that. But I'm guessing the 50 Hikes book already has that info... anyway.
Have a good time!

And FYI, a good vantage point for seeing the Giant (where you can see the shape) is along the beginning of 91N after it leaves New Haven... cool view, but quick.

 

[TDawg]

Is this the one across the street from Quinnipiac University around Hamden, CT? Looked like a nice hill to climb with some ledges at the top. I think trails started right there on the road near the university. (if it's the same hill)

Sorry this isn't much help, I'm just curious.

 

[Breeze]

Sleeping Giant State Park!

Hiked in there many times, but about 40 years ago.

Try this link
SGSP Trails

Breeze

 

[Puck]

Tower trail is always crowded. You can get away to the more remote parts and have a feeling of seclusion.

Also check out the Connecticut Walk Book West. There are some great trails in the same area. ie the Quinnipiac trail and the Regicides trail.

 

[Chip]

This is a link to their site with printable trail maps. The trail "system" looks like it could be a challenge .
You might want to plan your approaches.
I've never hiked up there, just enjoyed the Giant view.

 

[cbcbd]

Sweet pic!

BTW, there is a nice rail-to-trail system that runs near SG... and an AWESOME ice cream place nearby... can't remember the name, but my friend would know.

 

[MadRiver]

Having worked at QU for twenty years and growing up in Hamden before relocating to NH, I have hiked The Giant hundreds of times. My favorite hike is to park my car on Tuttle Ave. (about 200 yard up the road there are two small parking spots, one on the left and the other on the right) and hike the red trail. The red diamond trail follows the quarry road to the quarry, which is the back of the giant’s head. Halfway to the quarry a red octagon trail emerges to the right. Take that red octogon trail to the violet trail. Follow the violet trail all the way to the back of the park. I then pick up the green trail and follow that to its end. I then bushwhack in a northwest direction and hook up with the blue trail, which I take back to the quarry road by going over the head of the giant.

I have found that I do not run into many people by taking the periphery trail. If you do not like crowds, say away from the tower. There is a road that takes you to the tower that most families take. If you are looking for views, the yellow trail goes across some nice ledges with views of QU, New Haven, and long Island sound, as well as the views from the head of the giant on the blue trail. Have fun. Also, you will see lots of deer.

 

[LenDawg]

Thanks for everyone's help. This looks like a fun time... I'm psyched. Thanks again.

 

[Puck]

Ice cream place number 1 Wentworths at intersection of route 10 and Tuttle. Great, wonderfull, hordes of people. Closed on sunday.

Further up route 10 is Sweet Claude's where Rt 42 intersects with 10. Open on sunday.

Great pic Chip. It is taken from the Agricultural Station. Nice old orchards there. great birding.

 

[Mike P.]

You will need to print map from website, unlikely you will find any at state park.

It's a nice walk, harder than it's elevation may appear.

 

[weatherman]

When we lived in CT, I found the steeper trails on the Giant good training for the Whites, if you do them with weight (yes, people will give you funny looks) and do them multiple times in a row (more funny looks). The trails that cross the back of the Giant's neck, I think, have some good steep places. Nice and rocky and rough. Talk about pointless ups and downs!
And my son had his first ice cream cone ever at Wentworths, after he served as weight for training. Wow, new taste! Yum.

Weatherman

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Guess I'm obliged to opine on this one.

I too have hiked at the Giant literally hundreds of times. It's very easy to craft a route that will cover more than 10 miles and roughly 2,500 vertical feet AND see few other people, all within a park that's only about two and a half miles in length. For those who have been there, a favorite jaunt of mine is to start at the back end, take the blue trail to the other end, the white trail back to where I started, the orange trail to the other end, and then the purple trail back once more to where I started. That's about 11.5 miles.

It's true that the tower trail sees probably 80% of the foot traffic in the park, but it's not a road - at least not for cars, though it is wide and smooth.

There are all kinds of neat things off-trail - caves, holes in the ground, great views, bizarre rockwork, etc. Most of the time you'd never dream you're five miles from downtown New Haven.

You really can't go wrong no matter which trail combination you take, as each one has its points of interest and even challenges. I've kind of gotten to the point where I ignore trails and just go from point to point, which, if you know the terrain, is not always easy and sometimes impossible. I guess in the 30s Sleeping Giant was one of the first serious rock climbing areas in the east, as you can read about in Forest and Crag.

And contrary to a post above, there are usually trail maps available at both the main entrance as well as the one at the east end of the park.

 

[Mike P.]

I should have said, if possible, print a map ahead of time, just in case you get there & there are none. (I went without one - thinking there would be some & actually got a little lost.)

You don't want to have to postpone your trip because you don't have a map.

Thanks SG

 

[rocksnrolls]

Cool, thanks for bringing this up Lenny. I didn't know it was such an interesting place to hike - I've hardly even ever heard of it.

 

[trailbiscuit]

Most of the time you'd never dream you're five miles from downtown New Haven.

This was my experience as well, when I visited a friend who went to Yale (not Dubya). Very cool that it's so close to town. It's well worth a visit if you find yourself in "the Have."

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

I just thought I'd mention...this thread should be in NE Q&A.

Don't let it happen again!

 

[AdkWalrus]

I'm fond of taking the yellow trail out from the picnic area, picking up the violet trail on the back side, then using the red circle to get me to the blue trail on the ridge, and then on to the tower. Then I use the tower trail to get down. The great part is you can mix and match just as much as you want to get a hike that you like. I love hiking here in late April to start getting me primed for the ADK summer season.

 

[MadRiver]

Another point, when you are heading back to the head on the green trail you will pass the cliffs on your right. As a teenage I would scale the cliffs, which come out near the tower. If you are up for a climb they are fun.

p.s. I only use the word road to distinguish from the other trails which are “normal” hiking trails, and the family foot path that leads to the tower.