Connecticut trails · Sleeping Giant Park Trail

Sleeping Giant Park Trail

A 25.1-mile network in Connecticut, with 616 ft of climbing. Reaches Axle Shop Pond and other lake/summit destinations. Managed by the state.

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Length

25.1 mi

Elevation gain

616 ft

Difficulty

Expert

Max grade

34%

Steepest mile

+564 ft

Tread at ≥10% grade

13.2 mi

Shape

network

Bikes

Horses

Managed by

State

Elevation profile

The climbing is spread fairly evenly along the route. It gives back about 9,002 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.

3-D terrain

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Axle Shop Pond (lake)
Mount Carmel (summit)

Heads up

Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.

Getting there

Sleeping Giant Park Trail access — parking nearby. 41.42116, -72.89679 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:47 a.m., the sun rises at 6:16 a.m. and sets at 7:26 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:55 p.m. (EDT) — 13 h 10 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 25.1-mile route takes roughly 9 h 37 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 3:53 p.m. — 3 h 33 min before sunset.

Loop options

Quinnipiac Trail Spur + Sleeping Giant Park Trail + Nature Trail — 4.3 mi loop, 1,348 ft gain
Sleeping Giant Park Trail + Nature Trail — 7.6 mi loop, 1,882 ft gain
Tower Trail + Nature Trail + Sleeping Giant Park Trail — 5.6 mi loop, 1,481 ft gain