Tuesday, October 22, 2024, 8:45AM - 1:00PM
Sleeping Giant State Park,
Connecticut, West of River,
CT United States
A 5 mile loop with 1000 feet of elevation covering the Red Circle and Red Square trails. We meet at the SECOND Tuttle Avenue parking area - NOT the main lot on Mt Carmel Ave. Turn onto Tuttle Avenue from Whitney Ave. The parking area for the Red Circle trail is in one mile on your right. There is a small lot for 3-4 cars and soon after that a new parking lot with a trail kiosk that holds 6 or more cars. Meet at 8:45 AM and with the hike starting promptly at 9:00 AM. (Be ready to start hiking at 9:00, incorporate extra time BEFORE for restroom stop, there are no restrooms at the starting point). Please note that the trails at Sleeping Giant can be very rocky with some scrambling parts (both up & down). Sturdy hiking shoes with good grippy soles are a must. There is also potential for some muddy and swampy sections. We plan to hike at a rigorous pace (2 mph) and these trails have uneven terrain with some challenging rocky sections. The Red Circle trail brings us along the Gorge Cascade which can be wonderful if we've had recent rain. Bring water and snacks. No dogs. Heavy rain cancels. You can access trail maps at this link: https://sgpa.org/trails-maps/ (both pdf and GPS-enabled maps) Please note that this hike will be rescheduled if there is a high probability of rainy weather. A notification will be sent to hikers who registered on meet-up and this event will be edited on the CT chapter AMC website. Note: This is hike #2 in the Giant Master hike challenge that I will be leading over the next year. You don't have to be participating in the challenge to attend this hike. If you are interested in the challenge - check out this link: https://sgpa.org/giant-master/. I will be repeating these hikes as I complete my four season Giant Master challenge. There are six hikes in total to complete all the trails. If you are doing the challenge, here is the information for your Giant Master Log: Today's hike completes both the red circle and square trails.
Free
Sleeping Giant Trail Map
Giant Master Program
We DO NOT meet at the Mt. Carmel main entrance. We meet at the red circle trail entrance on Tuttle Avenue. Tuttle Avenue is off route 10 north of Mt. Carmel Avenue. Turn into Tuttle Avenue. You will see some parking very soon on your right, do not park there - keep going! You'll see River Road come in on your left, keep going. Parking is soon after that on your right. The parking area is one mile after you turn onto Tuttle from Whitney Avenue (route 10). First there is a small lot on your right, which can fit 3-4 cars. Soon after there is a larger lot on your right with a trail kiosk. You can park in either lot. (There is also parking on the street.)
