I live in Hamden and I visit this park very often. Initially, our family visited this place just for an evening outing. Later, we explored the trails and they are awesome. There are multiple trails with varying lengths and depths. The view from the top is spectacular. I could even hike by holding my 2.5 year old in my hand entirely through the trail. There is entry fee for you car. However, you could park your car outside on the street (you can find many of them) to avoid any fees. I recommend this place for anyone who wants to just have a picnic in a park or want to have a small to heavy hiking. read more

Sleeping Giant is a wonderful park with miles of trails to explore. I've been coming here most of my life, and I still find it fun to hike there. Recently I've been experimenting with some of the less traversed trails, which has led to some unexpected and interesting hikes. My word of advice is don't be intimidated by trying some of the wooded trails (as opposed to the gently sloping tower trail). As long as you have sturdy shoes, are stable on your feet, in shape enough to handle some inclines and possibly scrambling up some rocks, and are up for an adventure you should be fine. The wooded trails are much less traveled than the main path and therefore allow hikers to be more immersed in nature. A few nice ones to try: Take the purple trail around by the water, where it will then loop by the old quarry. At that point you can connect to the red trail for a more rigorous hike to the tower. The yellow trail is a really nice lengthy walk which runs parallel to the road for a bit, then has a few points where it ascends and twists deeper into the woods. It crosses several other trails, so you can cut back at multiple points and truncate the loop. I hooked into the blue trail from the yellow, then jumped onto the white...It goes without saying that it is helpful to grab a paper map at the start of a hike! There is also a gorgeous trail marked U which is a horseback riding trail. It is accessible from a back road, across the street from a horse farm where there is a tiny parking area. I just recently discovered this section which is a far cry from the tower trail...wooded, serene, fairly level, and nearly unpopulated. Lovely! I'm definitely not knocking the tower trail. If I have a limited time at the park, I'll trudge up the main path. Also, I find it convenient to take a more grueling, winding path on my way up and then at some point to loop into the tower trail and take it back to the parking area. Have fun exploring! read more

Everywhere you look here, there is stupid nature: trees, flowers, hawks, and vermin. Hardly anything remotely comforting or man-made. Trails spoke in many directions from multiple starting points. Trails have varying difficulty levels, some on which you can grotesquely maim your ankle. You'll probably work up a sweat, which is nasty, because you may actually have to exert yourself. Ugh. You would probably get lost and never find your way back to the car, except that the trails have colors painted all over them. So, it is a perfect place for families. If you are into stupid nature. read more

I've spent a lot of time at this park, as well as many others, and you really can't beat the convenience and the layout of their hiking trails. When I need a mental break, I make a b-line to Sleeping Giant. My favorite loop starts with the blue trail, then breaks out to the purple trail which parallels the mill river, then goes through the woods where there are several abandoned huts and constructions, and eventually brings you to the quarry under the head of the sleeping giant. The colors here are so pretty, and it's so wide open. Next is the workout... Cut over to the red trail from the quarry, and this will bring you to the blue trail, which climbs the face of the mountain. This hike can be difficult, but it is over in about 15 minutes. Make sure your shoes have good treads! While it is challenging, the views at the top are your reward for this endeavor. I've even run into some deer up there. Keep following the blue trail (it is literally all downhill from there), and then you can hit the tower trail to bring you back down to the parking area. It takes me about an hour to do this loop. Then you will be ready for a nice dinner at Aunt Chilada's nearby! read more

I hiked across the ENTIRE mountain (by accident). WHAT an experience. I did not even get to experience the castle. In terms of difficulty, on a scale from 1-5, I would give it a 3.5/4 max. It definitely was a bit of a workout. The markings are only slightly difficult to follow. I had to stop to search for the next marked tree or rock about 10 times on a 5 mile hike. The castle is probably a must see because a lot of the other "lookouts" are pretty insignificant. FYI if you follow the blue trail across the mountain, do not follow it down the road because it will take you all the way into NH. Just turn around and go back. Also, if a man stops you and asks if you're lost...ask to see his badge, if he's a white man with a mustache and glasses, he likely works for the park and will be more than happy to prove it and give you a drive in the right direction. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE. haha read more

Love sleeping Giant! Lots of trail options for a nice walk in the woods or a tougher trek up the side of the mountain! Favorite place to go to get away! read more

Great spot. Brought our 3 kids aged 5, 7 and 9 on a hike in May. It's almost 2 miles hike on the main Tower Trail but it's a daily easy hike with low grade and easy footing along the way. The castle in the top is awesome and our kids who were fading towards the end of the ascent were brought back to good sports upon arriving at the castle. It is 4 stories and the view is amazing. The full hike there and back took us about 3 hours. We are slow. Go! read more

I love Sleeping Giant. It's not the largest park in the world, but the trails are pretty, and the tower is an excellent place to park your butt and have a sandwich or two while enjoying a great view. If you're looking for something to do on a beautiful day, this is an excellent option, and costs nothing. read more

Sleeping Giant is beautiful. It's a great place to hike or picnic. The trails are clear and clearly marked. The picnic area is huge, and there are plenty of restrooms, which makes it very convenient. The only downside is how crowded this place gets. On a nice day, especially at the beginning of a season or the first warm day in a while, the parking lot fills up fast, and people have to park all the way down the road. There are also a lot of children and people on the trails, who may or may not be obstacles on your hike. If you get past them all though, the trails usually feel clearer farther out. If you're in the area, or if you like to explore different hiking trails, I'd definitely recommend it. read more

another great CT state park - truly gem - the walk up to the tower reveals a great view to LI Sound

Beautiful trails, well maintained. Expansive view from the castle. Nice and quiet on this cold winter day; I'm planning on visiting more often in the warmer months. There's also plenty of park information available at the entrance. read more

I went here for a great walk/hike just before Memorial Day. As others have posted, after Memorial Day parking gets to be a bit of a challenge. As far as hiking in Southern Connecticut, this is as good as it gets. You can see well into Long Island sound from many vantage points. Highly recommend, but get there early to avoid parking issues. read more

I love love love coming here and so does my dog! Im from California and we dont see a lot of green trees. Its nice to walk and I feel like Im in another world. Its beautiful and very scenic. If you take pictures, they turn out really good! Would come here everyday if it was closer. read more

This is a great local place to get outside and enjoy the nature! The hike itself to the summit is not at all difficult for you novices so tie them on and get moving! Love the nature! read more

So amazing. I remember the first time I drove up from Greenwich to go Geocaching here. I was astounded by the beauty of the area and the fun of the climbs. Even the hardest climbs are not impossible and the easier climbs like the Tower Trail are still rewarding. One of my favorite places in the world to go hiking. read more

Feels odd to review a park ("they didn't take my groupon, bastards!"), but Sleeping Giant is a classic. For those of us with imperfect joints, it's great cause you get a steep up (back side of the head), with a nice gradual down (carriage road). Tower also gives a good view of surrounding area. While it gets really crowded on nice weekend days, there's always a surprisingly friendly vibe... read more

Blue trail is the way to go! I love the rock scrambles and climbs. Not for the inexperienced or those who are afraid of heights.

One of my favorite parts of Connecticut is the fact that you have a wide variety of outdoor activities to choose from. Sleeping Giant is no exception. Trails are diverse and easy enough that you can come here multiple times and still have fun whether youre with your family, young children, friends. Great views, great times! read more

This is a great place to go stroll around or go on a decent hike. There are paths for beginners to experienced hikers. It's a great place to go in the weekend! read more

Visited this beautiful setting at the end of the summer and loved the hike! There are a bunch of trails to pick from, though if you're not super familiar with the area stick to the main drag. Saw two different hikers stranded, one getting some major belaying assistance in a sled thanks to the local firehouse, so stick to the well marked trails folks! Steep at times, with some rocky areas even on the main track and obvious signs for where NOT to climb. "Castle" at the top with some nice views of New Haven on a clear day. Definitely be back in the spring! read more

With an extensive trail list, it's easy to come here hike after hike and take a different route each time. Creative routes for all ability levels. Great views off the blue trail. It may say experts only, but push yourself...it's worth it! read more

An easy hike that doesn't take too long. There are a couple more challenging/ steep routes. I went this past weekend and the trail was so muddy!! Wear waterproof shoes. It was very busy. read more

We headed to Sleeping Giant last weekend for a hike up the tower trail. The $9 park entrance fee seemed excessive, and the view from said tower was kind of disappointing. We also had trouble reading the provided trail map because it was printed in black and white, while the trails themselves have color markers. That said, the hike itself was enjoyable, and I'd like to try some other trails. The park wasn't nearly as crowded as I'd expected, given that it was 4th of July weekend; there was plenty of space on the tower trail, and in the picnic areas-- probably a testament to how huge Sleeping Giant is. Next time, we'll either go after 4pm or on a weekday in order to avoid the $9 fee, and print off a colored map from the Sleeping Giant website at home before leaving. read more

Done the 2 time. Perry nice, beautiful, enjoy. Love going der. Lot to see. You don't see every day. Had good experience and memory. Lot fun.

We went up the tower trail. It's about 1 1/2 miles long. It's a nice gravel path with a gradual incline great for anyone looking for a nice, easy walk. Parking was $9 when we went in October. It was very crowded on a Saturday afternoon which apparently is normal. The views from the tower were spectacular. You can see the sound from here! read more

This place is really beautiful (5 stars) & people of all ages can enjoy this hike due to the different trails available. The castle is a great view and lovely experience, especially during the fall. It's really safe because there is a traffic of people...but there's a lot of people, which I'm not a huge fan of and know other people aren't as well/or love it so wanted to mention it! The rocks are a little big as well on the trails so without proper shoes, you may not twist/break your ankle/foot. read more

Sleeping Giant State Park - The view from the top of the castle (10/26/16) - heavy flow of traffic even in the middle of a Wednesday! - Parks Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

Went with a friend on a beautiful day in June. We opted for the blue trail, which claimed on the map to be the most challenging, it was also the best for views. The rock formations on the hike up looked as if they would be slippery but with Vans on I was able to climb just fine. read more

Various trail difficulties to choose from and a surprising large array of trails to hike. There are so many little side trails, that after many years of hiking sleeping giant, I still haven't hiked them all. Its a peaceful setting for sure, and convenient. The only issue is parking: there simply isn't enough of it. read more

I went hiking here in 05, and i took the mediocore trails.... it was nice, there is a castle up top that has a nice view of Hamden. The second time I went to hike here (08) I accidently took the expert hiking trail which is for experienced and expert rock climbers only....(pics to prove it). Steep hills and literally having to climb long walls that if you make one mistake you'll fall to your death...after actually climbing this thing I felt a sudden sense of accomplishment it was time for me to head back down the same trail, took me about 2 n a half 3 hours. I highly recommend for those adventure seekers and people of athletic stature to go and try this place out at least once if your not a big hiker. There are easier trails if you dont wanna be big risk taker like me (haha). And if you just wanna go for a nature walk theres a open pathway straight up the mountain it spirals up...its not a brief walk so dont walk to slow or you'll end up getting caught in the dark like me on the way back. I took the pathway straight to the top of the mountain and ended up taking my sweet time and getting caught in the dark. Just follow the trails if that ever happens to you. Youll see some frogs and chipmunks on the way I highly recommend you bring some water with you especially when the weather is warmer. read more

One thing to look into is that there are lots of great places to park that are not the main parking lot. . .

Honestly who doesn't love to go to this place. This is a great place to hike with your friends or your dog. It's also a great place to meet new people. read more

Love this place, grew up in hamden and stayed in hamden for just over 20 years and moved out but sleeping giant is incredible, and awesome, beautiful view, great trails, and a awesome castle at the top, and if you read the story behind the castle it makes it even better read more

its a good state park. I liked it. if you like more moderate trails the castle trail is not for you. it is just gravel. nice for first timers with young kids. the purple trail you might want to be a bit more experience its steep and rocky, but not super steep. its kind of slippery if you go in the fall or early spring if its recently rained.(only if you go on the purple trail.)the yellow trail is really pretty and good for kids. so is the nature trail. the blue trails are supposed to be hard so are the white trails too. (I am nine yrs old and love hiking!) read more

Beautiful hike. Steep in places but not too difficult. Lovely view.

Great hikes. Nice trails. Something for everyone. Easy to access. Lots of people out there on a pretty day. Wide paths for the most part.

aside from fond childhood memory's there really is a great deal of trails streams for fishing and a great quarry most don't know about (stay on dixwell until wentworth's {great ice cream made on-site} take a right and park after the bridge trail to the right, or i believe green goes to it as well, great panorama feels like im in a movie, i go there often in the warmer month up till fall great view. i can get crowded more so when QU is in read more

Park gets over crowded on Spring weekends, but other than that it's a ten. Miles of hiking trails and the castle at the top is great for the wee ones. The Quinnipiac river runs just to the West of the park. The river is stocked with trout in the Spring. There are trails for beginners and tougher climbs for those who want them. Tons of animals from deer to squirrels and everything in between. The view from the top are beautiful. I highly recommend it. Bring the whole family. read more