West Rock Options for Sleeping Giant Fans

The Sleeping Giant slumbers in this view from the South Overlook at West Rock, June 2017. This picture is a close-up view.

I originally created this page during the time from May 15, 2018 to June 14, 2019 when Sleeping Giant State Park was closed to the public, following the microburst that devastated the park. The closure forced people who use this popular park to look elsewhere for their outdoor experience.

 

While Sleeping Giant is open on a daily basis, sometimes access is not possible because the main parking area is full. Since even Sleeping Giant regulars may wish to go other places, this page guides them by describing options at West Rock.

 

If you are a fan of the Sleeping Giant and wondering how you can duplicate those hiking experiences at West Rock, this guide will help.

 

Ways to Maximize Elevation Gain on a Hike at West Rock

 

Some people hike at Sleeping Giant State Park because they are training for higher peaks and want to maximize their elevation gain on their hike. An example of a hike with repeated climbs is the loop from Chestnut Lane to the tower on Quinnipiac Trail (Blue) and White, using the Red Triangle Trail west of the tower and the Orange Trail near Chestnut Lane to complete the loop. This 4.7-mile loop has about five climbs of 100 feet or greater with 800 feet of total elevation gain. This equates to 170 feet of climbing per mile. The initial climb from Chestnut Lane has 250 feet of elevation gain in the first 0.8 to 1.0 miles depending on whether you start on the Quinnipiac Trail or the White Trail. There are several challenging rock scrambles on the White Trail, which require careful placement of boot and hands to navigate them. These scrambles are not recommended in wet, snowy, or icy conditions.

This screenshot shows the elevation profile for the loop from Chestnut Lane to the Tower at Sleeping Giant.

Hikers use both feet and hands to finish their climb to the top of a rock face on the White Trail at Sleeping Giant near the Red Circle Trail in January 2023.

 

In general, there is not a huge amount of elevation gain at West Rock because the trails on and off the ridge are fairly mild with a few exceptions. The greatest gain comes from these three areas: hiking west up the ridge from the flatter trails and roads to the east, crossing the West Rock Tunnel on the Regicides Trail, or ascending to the Quinnipiac Trail at York Mountain.

 

A sample comparison hike at West Rock is hiking south from the Lake Wintergreen parking lot on the Red Trail to the South Overlook, and then returning on the Regicides Trail past Judges Cave to the Blue-White Trail and descending back to the start. This 6-mile loop has 550 feet of elevation gain with four climbs of 100 feet or greater, which incorporate hiking up to the ridge and crossing the tunnel. This equates to 92 feet of climbing per mile.

 

There is a steep climb of 125 feet in 0.4 miles up to the South Overlook from the base of the ridge. Then there is a 150-foot climb leading toward the Westville Feeder for 0.3 miles. After the Westville Feeder, there is a steeper climb toward Judges Cave of 110 feet for 0.3 miles. The climb over the West Rock Tunnel and beyond is 100 feet in 0.5 miles. The difference as compared to Sleeping Giant is that this hike is not technical. Footing is a bit slippery on the Red Trail ascent and the Regicides Trail over the tunnel due to erosion, but there is no real rock scrambling.

 

One option for maximizing elevation gain at West Rock is to follow this loop: start at Lake Wintergreen, walk up the Blue-White Trail to the Regicides Trail, head south on the Regicides Trail, descend to Lake Wintergreen on the Orange Trail, turn right on the White Trail, then right again on the Red Trail south. Just past the main entrance, head up the ridge on the Green Trail, and turn south on the Regicides Trail. Shortly past Judges Cave, descend on the Westville Feeder, bear left onto the Teal Trail, ascend the ridge yet again on the Red Trail to the Blue Trail, take the Blue Trail over the West Rock Tunnel to the Orange Trail, descending a second time to the White Trail, take the White Trail to the Red Trail. This time continuing straight to descend the hill on the Red Trail, then ascend the hill by the spillway and return to the parking lot.

 

Going north, a hiker could again walk up the Blue-White Trail to the ridge, then turn right to head north on the Regicides Trail, then descend the ridge on Purple-Orange to Purple to Purple-White, then turn left on the White Trail, and then ascend the ridge on the Purple Trail. Back at the Regicides Trail, turn right to continue north. Turn right and descend the ridge on the Yellow Trail, turning left on Mountain Road to the Red Trail past the gate along the gravel road. Follow the Red Trail up the ridge, and turn right on the Regicides Trail where the Red Trail ends. Follow the Regicides Trail north to its terminus at the Quinnipiac Trail. Return on the Regicides Trail south and descend to the parking lot on the Blue-White Trail.

On this loop, it is about 7.5 miles with 1,200 feet of elevation gain just in one direction with five major climbs, three of which have elevation gain in excess of 250 feet. The total hike is 12.5 miles with 1,500 feet of elevation gain. There are only two climbs on the return in excess of 100 feet, both on the northern part of the Regicides Trail before the junction with the Red Trail. 

 

Ascending a Technically Challenging Slope

 

Some people enjoy the challenge of climbing the Quinnipiac Trail on the chin with its combination of steepness and loose rock.

There really is not an equivalent experience at West Rock. The closest options (and they are not nearly as technically challenging) are climbing to the South Overlook on the Red Trail or ascending York Mountain on the Regicides Trail to the Quinnipiac Trail.

The climb on the Red Trail is only moderately challenging from a technical standpoint with some rocky areas because of severe erosion, but there are also sections with large slabs of rock as steps that provide solid footing. There is one short rock face midway up the Red Trail that is slippery in wet, snowy and icy conditions.

The York Mountain climb is a series of switchbacks over rocky terrain. Near the top there is some brief rock scrambling.

The Metacomet Ridge is visible to the east as seen from the Sleeping Giant tower in June 2019.

 Short Walks to Overlooks

At Sleeping Giant, taking the Tower Trail to the tower is a popular option for people seeking a short walk to an overlook. There are other short walks to overlooks at Sleeping Giant, but detailing those is not the purpose of this page. See the section below for a detailed look at the walk on the Tower Trail.

At West Rock there are assorted options for short walks to overlooks.

One option is to start in Westville and take the Westville Feeder to the Regicides Trail, then turn right and head south to the South Overlook for a panoramic view of southcentral Connecticut, including the Sleeping Giant. Sorry, there is no tower at West Rock, but the view is considerably more panoramic, as the tower view is partially screened by trees. If you return on the Red Trail, the total loop is 1.9 miles with 180 feet of elevation gain.

Another option for a short walk to an overlook is to hike from the Hill Street parking lot on the Red-White Trail and ascend to the ridge on the Red Trail to the view overlooking Farm Brook Reservoir, which has a panoramic view to the west and south. This is 1.2 miles out and back with 230 feet of elevation gain.

A third view can be found at the Konolds Pond overlook, which is a short walk from the Lake Wintergreen parking lot via the White Trail to the Orange Trail, returning on the Regicides Trail to the Blue-White Trail. This viewpoint is to the south and west. This is 2.4 miles round trip with 240 feet of elevation gain with most of the climb taking place on the Orange Trail.

The Lake Watrous overlook on the Regicides Trail is 2.4 miles out and back from the Hill Street parking lot on the Red-White Trail, Red Trail, and Regicides Trail with 400 feet of elevation gain.

The West River Valley view from the Quinnipiac Trail is 3 miles out and back from the Brooks Road trailhead for the Sanford Feeder with 500 feet of elevation gain. Follow the Sanford Feeder Trail to the Regicides Trail north to the Quinnipiac Trail west to the overlook and return.

These trails are rocky, so they are not suitable for strollers. 

Easy Walks at West Rock; Hiking with Mountain Laurel

For those seeking an easy walk, West Rock has plenty of options, most of which are located on the Red, White, and Red-White Trails on the east side of the ridge. In general, hikes at West Rock are much less strenuous than those at Sleeping Giant.

Some people may enjoy watching the mountain laurel bloom in June.

At West Rock, it is difficult to find a trail that doesn't have mountain laurel.

Walking Along a Cascading Stream; Hiking Quiet Trails; Fishing

For those seeking to walk along a stream cascading down the ridge, this option does not exist at West Rock, as one can do on the Gorge Cascade Trail at Sleeping Giant.

At West Rock, the West River Greenway Trail follows the West River north from Amrhyn Field for a short distance. By the Margaret Fisher Memorial Fireplace there is a line of rocks across the width of the river that was once a small cascade.

The spillway for the Lake Wintergreen dam, which is visible from the Red and Red-White Trails, was once also known as Wintergreen Falls, before the falls was covered by the spillway cement.

Wintergreen Falls and Wintergreen Brook can be found at the adjacent West Rock Nature Center on Wintergreen Avenue. The trail leads to the falls and end there. Within the nature center property, one trail does parallel Wintergreen Brook for a short period of time.

 

Some may enjoy the quietness of the trails at the back of the Giant.

At West Rock, the trails north of Lake Wintergreen tend to be lightly traveled and offer plenty of solitude.

For those who want to fish, here are three options at West Rock: Lake Wintergreen, Farm Brook Reservoir, and the Belden Brook Diversion Pond off Mountain Road. 

For those who like a variety of options, and do not want to do the same hike all the time, West Rock has 25 miles of trails with three major trailheads: Lake Wintergreen, Amrhyn Field off Valley and Blake Streets in Westville, and Hill Street in Hamden, offering a multitude of options. Those looking for more distance can easily combine West Rock with a hike on the Quinnipiac Trail, and the Woodbridge trails. Circumnavigating West Rock on Red and Blue provides a loop of about 13 miles with about 1,100 feet of elevation gain.

Comparing the Tower Trail to the Lake Wintergreen Loop

Walking up the Tower Trail at Sleeping Giant is arguably the most popular option at that park. Circling Lake Wintergreen is most likely the most popular hiking option at West Rock. Comparing the two options shows some noticeable differences in challenge level, even though one way on the Tower Trail is the same 1.6 miles as the loop around the lake.

When describing the Tower Trail, I have heard many hikers exclaim, “Oh, that’s easy.” My response, “Anything with 500 feet of elevation gain in 1.6 miles is NOT easy. It’s not technical, but it’s moderate in difficulty due to the elevation gain.”

The actual elevation gain is about 540 feet in a steady climb through a series of switchbacks, averaging about a 6.8 percent grade, for 338 feet per mile of elevation gain.

I walked up the Tower Trail on a Thursday afternoon in June 2023 and it took me 45 minutes. I stopped several times to catch my breath. As a point of reference, I am someone to whom others commonly say, “You hike fast.” The return took me only 20 minutes, in part because I used a set of steps to cut off one of the switchbacks. On a side note, I experienced a miracle at the top: in the five minutes I was at the tower, I had it completely to myself, quite a change from the crowd it usually draws.

(In writing this, I used the name Tower Trail, which is the name on the state signage. The Sleeping Giant Park Association calls this the Tower Path because it’s a path, not a trail.)

By comparison, the loop around Lake Wintergreen on the Red Trail to the White Trail is flat to rolling with about 90 feet of elevation gain, for 56 feet of elevation gain per mile. Using the Red-White Trail along the lake provides a better water view and the climb is steady as compared to the modest hill on the Red Trail between the two ends of the Red-White Trail. This loop takes me about half an hour to walk.

To reach the same 3.2 miles as the Tower Trail up and back, there are several options at West Rock:

·      do the lake loop a second time for a total elevation gain of 180 feet

·      after completing the lake loop, hike of the lake on White and return on Red, which has 140 feet of total elevation gain

·      climb the ridge on the Orange Trail, then head north on the Regicides Trail, returning on the Purple-Orange Trail to Purple to Purple-White to White, which provides a view at the Konolds Pond overlook and has 450 feet of elevation gain.

The Tower Trail at Sleeping Giant had been newly resurfaced with gravel, and has drainage system underneath to handle storm water. The Sleeping Giant Park Association has cautioned dog walkers that the gravel may be rough on dogs' paws until the gravel wears down. In this view taken 0.25 miles from the parking lot on June 26, 2019, the trees in this section appear to be largely intact.

 

The difference between the Sleeping Giant and West Rock loops is considerable with regard to comfort. The Tower Trail surface is gravel about 1.5 inches across that is uncomfortable to walk on with its sharp edges. Ascending the Tower Trail will cause people to break out in a sweat unless temperatures are below freezing. For most people, they will stop periodically to catch their breath. Finally, the return is stressful on the knees and feet as one pounds down the hard surface.

By comparison, the Lake Wintergreen loop is primarily a stone dust surface, which is forgiving to the knees and feet. Since the elevation change is minimal, there is no need to work up a sweat or stop to catch one’s breath. There is usually a breeze coming off the lake.

On the negative side, the open section by the dam and spillway can be unpleasant because there is no shade or protection from the elements. This means a potential baking sun in the summer, or a chilling wind in the winter.

If a hiker does the loop north of the lake, that is entirely shady and almost flat with good footing on the dirt surface.

If someone chooses to ascend to the Regicides Trail, the Orange Trail is a steady climb and there is almost always a refreshing breeze at the top of the ridge. This section of the Regicides Trail has lots of trippy traprock, but that can be avoided by walking Baldwin Drive. The descent on the various Purple Trails has good footing.

 

In 2019, the Sleeping Giant Park Association cautioned dog walkers that the gravel may be rough on dogs' paws until the gravel wears down. When I walked it in June 2023, there were some sections where the trail was dirt with softer footing, but in most areas those large pieces of gravel were intact. The state is using the larger gravel because smaller gravel pieces wash away in heavy rains. Story: https://www.ctpost.com/news/ctpost/article/Dogs-paws-inflamed-after-walk-on-14054947.php#item-85307-tbla-8

 

 

West Rock Options Which Are Not Possible at Sleeping Giant

These activities are possible at West Rock that are not available at Sleeping Giant:

·       Paddle a canoe, kayak, or paddle board on Lake Wintergreen, or row a rowboat, which may also include fishing.

·      Mountain bike on designated trails.

·       Bicycle along a paved road.

Following storm damage in May 2018, the picnic "grove" at Sleeping Giant is now a grassy lawn, as seen on June 26, 2019.

However, 1.1 miles from the parking lot, the loss of tree cover from the microburst is apparent in this photo taken on June 26, 2019.

The northern end of West Rock Ridge is screened by trees in this view from the top of the Sleeping Giant tower on June 26, 2019. The WTNH antenna between Downs Road and Westwoods Road near Choate Avenue may be seen in the right center of the photo.

Sleeping Giant State Park Reopened Friday, June 14, 2019

     Sleeping Giant State Park reopened Friday, June 14, 2019, a year and a month after it was devastated by a microburst on May 15, 2019. By sheer number of visitors, Sleeping Giant is probably by far the most popular state park for hiking.

     One question I have not seen in the media regarding the storm and subsequent clean-up is this: Why did the state have to depend so heavily on volunteers from the Sleeping Giant Park Association (SGPA) to clear storm damage from along the trails?

     The state did hire a contractor to clear out the parking and picnic areas, as well as the Tower Path. One would think that with such a popular state park that the state could find the money to hire a contractor to have the trails cleared by a paid crew, thereby opening up the park months earlier. According to the press release from the state in 2019, 75% of the clean-up costs was reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA):

     I received this thoughtful reply from Julie Hulten, SGPA Outreach Chair. I agree with her reasoning that a contractor who does not know the park would not put the same care into clearing trails that the volunteers who have invested their time to maintain the trails.

She wrote in a June 16, 2019 email:

     "Sleeping Giant Park Association is exceedingly grateful to DEEP and the State Parks personnel for the help and assistance they provided as we undertook the task of clearing the back trails at the Park after the May 2018 storms. We are also most appreciative of the trust they placed in us to proceed professionally, in accordance with safety standards, and in close communication with them. 

     "There are essentially two reasons why the SGPA was anxious that our Trails Crew handle the clearing of the back trails:

     "The size of Sleeping Giant State Park has increased over the years through direct land donations to SGPA and/or, most often, through land purchased by Sleeping Giant Park Association through donations by members and other interested individuals.

     "Once purchased these lands have been turned over to the State for inclusion in the Park. Since SGPA expanded the Park's footprint, it seemed only fitting that the subsequent trail system that was laid out and developed in the early 60's by then SGPA President, Ned Greist, and Richard Eliot, become SGPA's responsibility.

     "While the State maintains the (former) picnic area, public facilities, parking areas, and Tower Path, maintaining the back trails has always been the responsibility of our volunteer Trails Crew with some involvement on the Quinnipiac Trail by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA). 

Given the massive nature of the damage suffered throughout the Park trails, the only way the State could/would have cleared the trails would have been with big logging trucks. We thought it unlikely that they would send in individual crews to surgically clear the trails.

     "The expedient solution would have undermined our goals:

     Contractors with big equipment would have destroyed the personality of the trails as being 'backwoods' - it was our goal to keep trails as unchanged as possible so that people would continue to have that 'getting away from it all' feeling.

     "Many of our Board members felt strongly that since the storms were a naturally occurring event our "repairs" should be minimally invasive to the regeneration of the forest - at the same time we will be vigilant in spotting incursions of invasive plant species that might take advantage of the new openings in the canopy to gain foothold."

News Articles about the reopening

Other articles I had previously posted from WFSB and WTNH are no longer on those websites.

https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Sleeping-Giant-Back-Open-Hamden-Businesses-Hope-to-Benefit-511315651.html

https://www.nhregister.com/metro/slideshow/Sleeping-Giant-State-Park-reopens-193626.php

 

Why Don't Sleeping Giant Trails Converge at the Tower?

In closing out this page, I have more information from Julie about the trail system. I wrote to her in July 2023 to ask this question.

“I have a question about the layout of the trails at Sleeping Giant. Given that the tower is probably the most popular destination in the park, I always have found it puzzling that only two trails go to it. I would think in designing a trail system, they would have wanted it to be a convergence point for multiple trails, as occurs at the Chestnut Lane trailhead.”

 This was her reply:

The first "official" trail was what became the Orange Trail at SGSP - it was called the "Heaton Trail" because it took folks from Mt. Carmel Ave. to the Chest where John Heaton had a cabin. It ultimately went on to the Third Ridge where the Tower is now. When the Tower Path was created (WPA project - mid-thirties) it crossed the Heaton Trail - which has become somewhat overgrown, though there is signage that indicates some parts of it.

The trails, as laid out in the '60s by Greist and Elliot, I'm imagining, took advantage of other existing trails used by the Indigenous Quinnipiac. early settlers, loggers, and of course the Dickerman carriage road (now partly the Red Circle, but it veers off). I would think that using, perhaps modifying for hiking, existing trails made more sense than designing an entire new trail system.

Finally, Julie created a new Facebook page for Sleeping Giant in June 2023, which may be seen here:

https://www.facebook.com/people/Sleeping-Giant-State-Park-Telling-the-stories/100094013404473/