Connecticut trails · Sleeping Giant Park Trail

Sleeping Giant Park Trail

A 25.4-mile network in Connecticut, with 528 ft of climbing. Reaches Axle Shop Pond and other lake/summit destinations. Managed by the state.

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Length

25.4 mi

Elevation gain

528 ft

Difficulty

Expert

Max grade

36%

Steepest mile

+528 ft

Tread at ≥10% grade

8.4 mi

Shape

network

Bikes

Horses

Managed by

State

Elevation profile

The climbing leans toward the first third: 46% of the ascent falls between mile 0.0 and mile 8.5. It gives back about 4,632 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. About 24 min drive (15 mi) from Waterbury. 41.42116, -72.89679 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:34 a.m., the sun rises at 7:02 a.m. and sets at 6:12 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:40 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 10 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 25.4-mile route takes roughly 9 h 40 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 4:41 p.m. — 1 h 31 min before sunset.

Loop options

Sleeping Giant Park Trail + Quinnipiac Trail Spur + Unnamed trail — 0.8 mi loop, 253 ft gain
Sleeping Giant Park Trail + Quinnipiac Trail Spur + Nature Trail — 1.6 mi loop, 394 ft gain
Quinnipiac Trail + Sleeping Giant Park Trail — 5.0 mi loop, 276 ft gain