A Hike Up a Not So Sleepy Giant

Named for its resemblance to a sleeping giant, Sleeping Giant State Park located in Hamden, CT offers both challenging and leisure trails for adults and their canine companions alike.

In addition to a great hike, there are opportunities to fish and picnic. A great place to spend the day.

As you approach the parking lot for Sleeping Gian State Park, you will see Quinnipiac College directly across the street. You can park further down the road and avoid paying a fee to enter. We chose to park right in the lot as we wanted to make a donation to the park. There is a higher fee for out of state cars so check the web site before you go.


We hiked to the top of the mountain and we were rewarded with views of
Long Island Sound and the New Haven area. Visit the DEEP site to learn more about Sleeping Giant and to plan your visit. http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?A=2716&Q=325264



As we competed our hike to the top, we were excited to happen upon an Australian Shepherd club!

If you live in the CT area and own an Australian Shepherd, check out the Australian Shepherd Club we bumped into, they were super friendly and look like they are up for a lot of fun. http://www.meetup.com/CT-Australian-Shepherd/.

Great Brook Farm State Park

On your way to visit Great Brook Farm Sate Park in Carlisle, MA, you wind through a woodland oasis and begin to feel the excitement of what will be a very special day. Once you arrive at this gem of a park, you recognize that an amazing hike awaits you but the cherry on the cupcake is the farm complete with an ice cream stand.


The park consists of approximately 1000 acres and has over 20 miles of trails available for walkers, hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. If you visit during the winter months, cross-country skiing awaits. Visit the Great Brook Farm State Park website for directions and parking information. 

Tadpoles

As you hike through Great Brook Farm, you will stroll around ponds, hike through forests and enter into swamp areas all teaming with a variety of wildlife, we were able to observe tadpoles. 

Home to the first robotic milking system in Massachusetts and a state-of-the-art smart barn, a tour of the farm is a must. The cows line up to be milked on demand and wander over for an afternoon back scratch. You can't help but to think that if you were born a cow, this would be 
an ideal place to call home.

The Duffy family maintains the dairy farm and has raised the same Holstein herd for 30 years. The milk from the cows is turned into Cabot products. There is also a petting/feeding area home to rabbits, sheep and goats. You can purchase animal feed for tweet-five cents. 

The ice cream stand is open mid-April to mid-October. For dog owners, you can walk right up to the window and place your order. The ice cream stand is open mid-April to Halloween and with fun flavors such as chocolate caramel pretzel, cotton candy, bubble gum and they offer varieties in yogurt, sherbet and sorbet. 

Great Brook Farm State Park is very dog friendly andAussie approved. All dogs need to be on leash in parking lots, the pavilion and the ice cream stand. If dogs are in voice command there are areas for them to be permitted off leash. For specifics, refer to the dogs in Mass parks.

A visit to Great Brook Farm State Park makes for a wonderful day for hikers and their furry companions alike.