The blue-blazed Quinnipiac Trail passes through Sleeping Giant State Park, West Rock Ridge State Park, Naugatuck State Forest, and, at its most northern end, follows the rocky ridgeline of the Prospect-Cheshire border. The trail additionally crosses forested property on this ridge that has been protected by the Cheshire Land Trust and the Town of Cheshire. In 2020, the trail was extended to a new northern terminus at the 82-acre Kathan Woods Nature Preserve, managed by the Prospect Land Trust.
The trail offers a succession of commanding views of the central valley, with ascents of Sleeping Giant and York Mountain in Hamden and Bethany, and Mad Mare Hill and Mount Sanford in Bethany. The trail passes the dramatic chasms of Roaring Brook Falls, which are recognized as Connecticut's highest single drop waterfall. The Roaring Brook Falls are located 0.2 miles east of the Quinnipiac Trail, on an orange-blazed Cheshire Town Trail.
The Quinnipiac Trail also connects to the north end of the blue-blazed Regicides Trail in Hamden, and connects to a small network of side trails at Sleeping Giant, offering additional hiking opportunities.
Quinnipiac is the word used by Native Americans to describe the river and the area that is now New Haven Harbor. Roughly translated, it means "longer water land", referring to the extensive tidal estuary that still characterizes the southern portion of the river.
Notice a trail problem? Report it to CFPA at this link.
For more information, visit the Connecticut Forest and Park Association website or contact:
There are a number of access points to the Quinnipiac Trail (see map for all).
Northern trailhead: Road shoulder parking on Boardman Drive
Southern trailhead: Parking lot at Sleeping Giant State Park / Mt Carmel Ave
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