Giant Activities LbNA #19037 (ARCHIVED)

Retired 4/27/2011



Giant Activities

There are so many ways to enjoy our wonderful Sleeping Giant State Park at all times of the year. From the busy SW end, with its picnic grove and popular Tower Path to the quieter eastern end you will encounter people pursuing various activities.
On any given day there will be a group of schoolchildren happily and noisily climbing the Tower Path, someone fishing in the Mill River, the lone, seasoned hiker pushing himself up the big climbs on the Blue and White trails, a young couple sitting at one of the vistas overlooking the pretty Quinnipiac U. campus and listening to the chimes from its bell tower. Or you may come across the horse riders, cross-country skiers or birdwatchers on the quieter side. The Gorge Cascade trail is always lovely, but can be treacherous when icy.

We have made a series of boxes celebrating some of these activities and left them on the north/south Red Trails.
Please print out the SGPA color trail map: http://www.sgpa.org/colormap.pdf and plan your hike. The first three boxes could be done together – you may want to do the other two when looking for other letterboxes. Your choice, but whatever you do please wear sturdy hiking shoes.

There is parking at the main entrance (Fee on weekends summer through foliage season), at the eastern Chestnut Lane trailheads, and more limited parking at most of the red trailheads.

Clues – (Please bring Red ink pad for these boxes)

Red Diamond Box: Not too far in from the Tuttle Avenue trailhead you will see the interesting root end of an old fallen tree on the right. A dozen steps beyond this is an old leaning “V” stump. Look to your left here and spot a mother/daughter beech tree a dozen or so steps uphill. When the coast is clear, go look behind it for the red diamond box.
Re-hide carefully so the critters don’t carry it off and then continue on a very short distance to where the Red Hexagon Trail splits off to the east.

Red Hexagon Box: After the long uphill grade the trail will make a quick dip across a seasonal stream bed and then bend to the right. Stop at the dip and look straight ahead to a large five-sister oak. Continue up the red trail a bit to the deer trail which will take you to the oak – look behind for the red hexagon box.
Again, re-hide carefully so the forest critters don’t take it home with them!

At this point you may wish to continue up 50 or so steps to the Violet trail. You could hike straight through and hunt for some other boxes in the vicinity or turn left and follow Violet to the Red Triangle Trail.

Red Triangle Box: If you are coming downhill from the Violet trail there will be a rocky stream(bed) on your right. When the trail crosses the stream take another 20 steps. Stop and sight at 120º up past a mother/daughter beech to a pile of stones about 20 steps in.
(This pile of stones was conveniently sitting here waiting for us. We only rearranged two a bit to fit the box in.)
If you are coming up the Red Triangle trail from Tuttle Ave. there will be a pretty gorge on your right. The trail will make a big dip before it gets to the top of the gorge where it makes the little dip across the stream. Stop here and go back down 20 steps and sight at 120º up past a mother/daughter beech to a pile of stones about 20 steps in.
Re-hide, check your trail map and make a decision as to where you want to go next.

Red Circle Box: This box will be found on the southern end of this trail, between the White and Yellow trails. If you are coming down from the White trail intersection, with the Right Knee still looming above over your left shoulder, you will come upon a small, smooth rocky knoll with several trees scattered about on the west (right) side of the trail. Climb up the knoll and look at the base of the single oak to the rear for the red circle box.

Red Square Box: This box is also on the southern side of the Giant, between the White and Orange trails. From the intersection with the Orange trail head north on Red Square a short distance. With a high ledge up to your left, look for a curvy, blazed maple. Opposite it will be a large two-sister oak and in front of that a shaggy, lumpy maple.
Check out the cavity in the lumpy maple for the red square box.
Please leave the rocks underneath the box so it doesn’t get swallowed by the tree.
Thanks.
Hope you enjoyed the activities on the Giant and hope you found some of the other fine boxes hidden here.