Sleeping Giant Park Association

06/06/2026

Were you at the top of the Second Ridge (the Giant's "chest") today at around 10:30am? If so, we imagine you were saying "cheese" - or just cooling off in the breeze :)

06/04/2026

🥾🌄 CT Trails Day is This Weekend!🌄🥾

This weekend, hikers across the state will hit the trails for CT Trails Day—and Sleeping Giant has three fantastic guided hikes to choose from on Sunday, June 7.

Whether you’re:
✔️ Looking to push yourself on the trails
✔️ Hoping to learn the basics of hiking the Giant
✔️ Or interested in discovering the park’s rich history

…we’ve got a hike for you.

🌲 Head to Toe Hike
🌿 Introduction to Hiking the Giant
📜 History of Sleeping Giant Hike

All hikes are free, but advance registration is required.

👉 Details & registration: https://sgpa.org/program-calendar/tag/ct-trails-day/

We hope to see you out on the Giant this weekend as we celebrate Connecticut’s trails and the volunteers who help care for them year-round. 💚

05/31/2026

⏳🥾 One Week Until CT Trails Day! 🥾⏳

There’s just one week left until CT Trails Day, and SGPA has three great hikes lined up at Sleeping Giant State Park.

🌲 Want a challenge? Join the Head to Toe Hike and tackle a substantial stretch of the Giant’s ridgeline.

🌿 New to hiking or new to the park? Our Introduction to Hiking the Giant program is a great way to learn the trail system and build confidence on the trails.

📜 Curious about the park’s past? The History of Sleeping Giant Hike will explore the stories, landmarks, and hidden history woven throughout the Giant.

All hikes take place on Sunday, June 7, and spots are beginning to fill.

👉 Learn more & register: https://sgpa.org/program-calendar/tag/ct-trails-day/

Come celebrate Connecticut’s incredible trail system with us. 🌲

05/27/2026

🥾🌲 CT Trails Day Returns to the Giant – June 7! 🌲🥾

The Sleeping Giant Park Association is excited to once again participate in CT Trails Day, the statewide celebration of Connecticut’s incredible trail system organized by the Connecticut Forest & Park Association.

This year, we’re offering three guided hikes for hikers of different interests and abilities:

1️⃣ Head to Toe Hike
A challenging traverse covering much of the Giant’s iconic ridgeline.

2️⃣ Introduction to Hiking the Giant
Perfect for newer hikers or those looking to become more familiar with the park’s trail system.

3️⃣ History of Sleeping Giant Hike
Explore the stories behind the park’s cabins, quarries, roads, and the people who shaped the Giant over time.

📅 All hikes take place on Sunday, June 7
🎟 Free, but registration is required

Whether you’re looking for a physical challenge, a gentle introduction to hiking, or a deeper understanding of the Giant’s history, there’s something for you this Trails Day.

👉 Learn more and register: https://sgpa.org/program-calendar/tag/ct-trails-day/

05/23/2026

With a fair bit of rain in the forecast, we’ve decided to cancel tomorrow’s trail crew workday. We’ll be back in action next Sunday morning (and every Sunday through November), and hope to see you there! 🥾⚒️

More details about SGPA’s volunteer trail crew can be found here:

The Trail Crew always welcomes new members! Volunteers meet in the parking lot at 9:30 on Sunday mornings, April through November. The work sessions usually last for about two hours […]

05/07/2026

Today is the final day of The Great Give!

There’s still time to support SGPA and help us complete the next phase of the Sleeping Giant trail map project.

Your gift will help fund large-format maps for the park’s trailhead kiosks and the new visitor center — giving hikers a clearer, more accurate way to plan their routes before heading out on the trails.

And if we raise additional funds, we’ll move toward a future phase of the project: making the trail map and visitor brochure available in additional languages, helping welcome even more people to the Giant.

Every gift helps. Thank you for supporting Sleeping Giant State Park and the all-volunteer organization that helps care for it.

Give here before The Great Give ends tonight at 8pm: https://www.thegreatgive.org/organizations/sgpa

05/07/2026

The Great Give is underway!

SGPA is raising funds to bring the new Sleeping Giant trail map to kiosks throughout the park and to the new visitor center.

Last year, your support helped us create a new professionally designed trail map — one that is more accurate, easier to read, and includes important features like topography and scale. Now, we need your help turning that map into large-format, durable signs that can withstand sun, rain, snow, and heavy use while helping thousands of visitors find their way.

Whether you’re a regular hiker, an occasional visitor, or someone who simply loves knowing Sleeping Giant is here for the community, your gift helps make the park more welcoming and accessible for all.

Please support SGPA through The Great Give today: https://www.thegreatgive.org/organizations/sgpa

05/05/2026

🌸 Spring Ephemerals Are Blooming 🌿

If you’ve been out on the trails lately, you may have noticed one of the highlights of the season starting to appear: ephemeral wildflowers. These short-lived blooms—like the trillium in this photo—take advantage of the brief window before the tree canopy fills in, soaking up sunlight on the forest floor.

They may only be here for a few weeks, but they play an important role in the ecosystem—providing early-season food for pollinators and helping kickstart the forest’s annual cycle of growth.

A quick reminder as you’re out exploring:
🌱 Please don’t pick the flowers. Many of these species take years to establish and can be easily damaged. The best way to enjoy them is right where they grow.

Keep an eye on the ground along wooded trails—you never know what might be in bloom.

Photo credit: Anonymous

05/05/2026

The Great Give starts tomorrow!

This year, SGPA is building on our updated trail map project. Thanks to generous support from our community, we developed a new, more accurate Sleeping Giant trail map — now available on the Avenza Maps app and soon to be included in a redesigned visitor brochure.

Next up: bringing that map to the places where visitors need it most.

With your support, SGPA will produce large-format maps for the kiosks around the park and the new Sleeping Giant visitor center. These maps will help hikers orient themselves, choose the right route, and explore the Giant safely and confidently.

The Great Give begins tomorrow — and your gift can help guide the next generation of park visitors.

Donate here: https://www.thegreatgive.org/organizations/sgp