The Quinnipiac Trail is a 18 mile trail that was the first Blue Blaze Trail of the CFPA. It takes in ‘Sleeping Giant’ which overlooks Quinnipiac University. It runs from the Wilbur Cross Parkway near Hamden at the Eastern end and finishes near Roaring Brook Falls near Cheshire to the North West.

In Depth Guide

The Quinnipiac Trail is the first ever trail created by the CFPA. It runs in a rough V shape from Hamden on its eastern side and Cheshire on its north western tip. Although its listed as a woodland trail its really more appropriate to call it a traprock ridge trail. It has 4000ft of ascent on the whole trail and although it is impressive for lots of reasons I would also rate it as one of the most potentially dangerous for the inexperienced or in bad weather, particularly coming off the ‘head’ of sleeping giant in Sleeping Giant State Park.

The 18 mile Quinnipiac Trail also meets up with the Regicides Trail and comes close to the Naugatuck Trail and I used a section of it as part of my Leatherman Loop last year.

History of the Quinnipiac Trail – Happy 90th Birthday

The first ever CFPA trail was a ten mile trail that ran from Mt Carmel to Mt Sanford and was opened in April 1930. We visited the trail on almost exactly its 90th birthday in April 2020 on a warm sunny day. We chose to run it starting from the Hamden end so that we were clear and through Sleeping Giant State Park before it got too busy.

Sleeping Giant State Park

The Sleeping Giant State Park is nearly always busy. It has a huge network of different colored blazed trails and features lookouts called Hezekiah’s Knob and the Stone Tower at the top. From many points you can look down on Quinnipiac University below where I studied my masters degree. The Quinnipiac Trail meanders through the park taking in the tower and the view points. If you plan to spend any significant amount of time in just this area it is vital to arrive early or come when the weather isn’t perfect. I would also rate the Quinnipiac Trail coming off Sleeping Giant as very steep and dangerous and not for the inexperienced so opt for one of the other colored trails instead or better still take a gentle meandering gravel path that goes between the tower and the car park.

The Sleeping Giant

According to Native Americans of the Quinnipiac Tribe Hobbomock (or Hobomock), was a prominent wicked figure in many stories. He became angry about the mistreatment of his people and stamped his foot down in anger, diverting the course of the Connecticut River. To prevent him from wreaking such havoc in the future, the good spirit Keitan cast a spell on Hobbomock to sleep forever as the prominent man-like form of the Sleeping Giant and these are the iconic hills we now see scowling over Hamden.

Rocky Top

Shortly after you leave Sleeping Giant State Park you pass local fly fisherman using the river and climb towards the Quinnipiac University Sports Campus on top of Mt Sherman. Just off one of the roads near the top is a road named Leatherman Trail named after the Old Leatherman of Connecticut. He was supposed to have a cave near Fans Rock in this area which he used once a month on his 350 mile regular walking route in the 1880s.

As you get up on the ridge heading towards the Regicides Trail intersection you’ll find the remnants of a house and chimney. This is the site of Edgar Heermances house known as ‘Rocky Top’ where he lived until he died . The Rev Heermance was pivotal in the founding of what we now know as the CFPA and his legacy now stretches across the entire state with over 800 miles of blue blazed trails I’ve been exploring in my guide here.

Abandon All Cares, Good Clothes, High Heels and Guns

Edgar Heermance

Tornados and Trees

After the Junction with the Regicides Trail you can see the effect the microburst of wind had on the area in 2018. There is one section for a few miles that I dubbed ‘the tree graveyard’ where you can see most of the forest has been flattened in one direction and looks like a war zone. The amount of effort to clear a route through this with chainsaws must have been immense.

Mount Sanford

Mount Sandford was the original destination for that first CFPA trail. It has fantastic views and lies within Naugatuck State Forest on the Metacomet Ridge. It can be busy here with hikers because of the nearby car park which was packed as we passed it despite a Coronavirus social distancing. The moment you pass north of the car park there the trail quickly becomes deserted again so its worth considering.

Roaring Brook Falls

About 2 miles from the Cheshire terminus of the trail is Roaring Brook Falls. Roaring Brook Falls is a 80-foot horsetail and ranks as one of the tallest in the state. You can access it from the Quinnipiac trail via a short ( but terrifyingly steep) access path. Again it can be busy here due to a nearby car park but the careful trek down is worth the view.

Parking

I suggest avoiding the Sleeping Giant State Park and the car parks at Roaring Brook. The end of the trails are quiet and well worth hiking the first 2 or 3 miles of the ends to avoid people and still see some superb parts of this magnificent trail. You could also consider using the parking here in Hamden to access the Quinnipiac Trail and Regicides Trail, an area were we saw very few people.

Hamden Parking Terminus here (parking at The Redwood Grille and avoiding the crowds at the State Park)

Cheshire Terminus Parking Here

Additional Info

The Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA) provides commemorative patches as recognition to hikers completing the entire length of one of the three original Blue-Blazed trails in Connecticut (Quinnipiac, Metacomet and Mattabesett). The Quinnipiac Trail patch can be obtained for a small fee ($1) after the hiking the entire trail is completed by contacting the Connecticut Forest and Park Association.

The Sleeping Giant Park Association (SGPA) recognizes member hikers who have hiked all of the color-blazed trails in Sleeping Giant State Park including the Quinnipiac Trail section (AKA “Blue Trail”) with a “Giant Master” certificate and an entry on the “Giant Masters” list webpage