Hike the Giant for Mental Health

September 1, 2024
Sleeping Giant State Park
Hamden, CT

IMPORTANT: Hike start time has changed from 8 am to 7 am. Please make note of this new start time.

The “Sleeping Giant” is a rugged traprock mountain located 8 miles north of New Haven; it is a prominent landscape feature visible for miles. The Park offers over 32 miles of hiking trails, including 5 miles of the 23-mile Quinnipiac Trail. Trails offer distant views from rocky crags, remote quiet woods and mountain brooks with mossy cascades.

This hike for mental health features three different hiking options, depending on your taste:

Tower Trail (Easy): This 3.1 mile out and back trail features great forest setting and is good for all skill levels. It’s kid friendly and dogs on leash are welcome. The trail ends at a 4-story stone observation tower with plenty of room for a picnic.

Option 2 (Moderate): Violet Trail to the Red Triangle (take a right), meeting up with either the Tower Trail or Blue, and ending at the Tower. This moderately difficult trail will take you through the old quarry works and around the back of the Giant. Watch for pileated woodpeckers as you traverse the right shoulder of the mountain on your way to the Tower and its views of Long Island Sound. You can return the same way or take the Tower Trail back.

Option 3 (Hard- weather dependent due to the technical nature of the hike): Blue Trail to Violet Loop. Plan for over 6 miles of rock mixed with woods. Starting up the Blue Trail, you’ll continue past the Tower, meeting up with Red Circle and returning on Violet. The Violet trail takes you back over the far side of the mountain, past the old quarry works and ending with a stroll along the Mill River.

These are just a few of the attractions in Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden, Connecticut.

If you are traveling in for the hike and looking for a place to stay in Hamden, try the Clarion Hotel & Suites. 2260 Whitney Ave. Hamden CT. The telephone number is 203-288-3831. Hamden also hosts a number of restaurants – everything from fine dining at Luce to hot dogs at Glenwood. Also, check out the microbreweries in town.

Meet new friends and enjoy the natural beauty of autumn, just minutes from New Haven.

Registration Is Free

Instead of charging a fee, we ask your help raising funds for mental health research and trail maintenance.

It’s fast and easy! When you register, you will be able to personalize a sponsorship page and share it through email and your favorite social media such as Facebook or Instagram. How does it work?

Every little bit helps, and there is no minimum to raise – we just ask that you help us spread the word, then come join us on the trail.

Get a Free Hiking Shirt

Our quick-dry shirts look and feel great, on or off the trail.

Every registered hiker who raises at least $250 will receive a HIKE for Mental Health shirt as a token of our appreciation.

Available in men’s or women’s sizes SMALL – XXL.

When you register, we will ask your size preference. Once you reach $250 in donations to your fundraising page, we will get your shirt to you.

If you hit the $250 ten days before the hike, your hike leader will have your shirt for you on hike day. Otherwise, we will mail it to you after the hike.

So help us raise money and awareness for this great cause.

For a Good Cause

HIKE for Mental Health is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

All contributions are tax deductible, and 100% of the hike donations support our mission.

Eighty cents of every dollar funds mental health programs, including break-through scientific research into PTSD, schizophrenia, bipolar spectrum disorders, depression and other major mental illnesses. Through research we can find better ways to alleviate the suffering that affects 1 in 4 American families.

The remaining twenty cents maintains wilderness trails across the U.S. By supporting non-profit, volunteer groups that care for our trails, we help preserve wilderness experiences for generations to come. Where the money goes.

Hike Details

Location:	Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, CT
Date:	September 1, 2024.
Time:	Approximately 9am – 2pm. Exact times and locations with directions provided to registered hikers only.
Distance:	3 to 7 miles, depending on the hiking option you choose.
Difficulty level:	Easy to difficult, depending on the hiking option you choose.
Suitable for beginners?	Yes, there are three options for hiking difficulty so choose the hike that suits your ability!
Registration fee	Registration is free.
Pet friendly?	Well-behaved dogs are welcome on a 6 ft lead.
Sponsorship amount:	The hike goal is $6,000. There is no minimum required to join the hike, but if every hiker raises $250 we will get very close to our goal.
Free shirt:	Hikers who raise $250 or more will receive a free HIKE for Mental Health quick-dry hiking shirt.
But is there a prize?	Of course! The top fundraiser present at the hike will receive an awesome REI Lightweight Flash 22 Pack, generously donated by REI. (Special thanks to Keith Thomas!)
Hike director:	Hike directors Shianne Purvis and Deanna Anderson are avid hikers to whom the healing benefits of hiking bring special meaning. Shianne says, “I hike for my mental health. The breathtaking views, the smell of the outdoors, and the community of hikers has a way of easing my mind,” and Deanna adds that “Hiking brings me a sense of peace that I haven’t found participating in other activities.”

Map

Every HIKE for Mental Health is an opportunity to:

• get away from the hustle and bustle of work-a-day life and enjoy the beauty of Nature
• renew old friendships and make new ones
• have a great time hiking with a good group of people
• stand up against the stigma of mental illness
• discover your new favorite get-away
• raise money for a great cause

 

Come on out and join us!

Questions

If you have any questions or ideas, please contact us.

We are glad to talk with you about your hike and how you can help HIKE for Mental Health.

We hope you will make HIKE for Mental Health a part of your hike.

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