Quinnipiac Trail
Quinnipiac Trail | |
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hunters, deer ticks, poison ivy |
The Quinnipiac Trail is a 24-mile (39 km) Blue-Blazed hiking trail in New Haven County, Connecticut. It is the product of the evolution and growth of the first 10.6-mile (17.1 km) trail designated in Connecticut's Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail system, with its light-blue rectangular vertical painted blazes .[2]
The Route
From its southeastern trailhead (at 41°23′52.97″N 72°52′6.66″W / 41.3980472°N 72.8685167°W), its easternmost leg runs northward, paralleling the west bank of the
Turning mostly westward, away from the river, at the Toelles Rd. bridge at
Just northwest of the "chest", an eight-mile (13 km) spur of the trail leads NNW, exiting the Park, crossing the Cheshire town line, continues north past
Views
Within Hamden's Sleeping Giant park, the trail—designated as the "Blue Trail" among the park's system of trails with variously colored rectangular blazes, and variously shaped red ones, passes such dramatic overlooks as Hezekiah's Knob (680 feet, at 41°26'3.00"N 72°52'25.89"W) and the stone Tower (739 feet at its ground floor). The giant's "chin" (670 ft) offers steep climbs, sweeping southwesterly views of the Quinnipiac University campus and beyond to Long Island Sound. The trail descends on relatively on an exposed slope along an abandoned quarry to the Mill River, west along Mt. Carmel Ave. in Hamden, intersecting with both Whitney Avenue (Route 10), and the Farmington Canal Greenway.
Between Whitney Avenue westward to Shepard Avenue (1.3 miles), the trail ascends Rocky Top, site of the Quinnipiac University hockey/basketball arena, the
To the northeast, the distinctive Metacomet Ridge is visible in Meriden, 14.4 miles (23.2 km) from this point. To the ENE is a view of the traprock quarry on the west-facing side (or "top") of the Sleeping Giant's head. To the east lies the original Quinnipiac University campus, with its signature white steeple.
Due south is the familiar landmark of
To the south-southwest can be seen the undulating forests of
Recognition / Inspiration Programs
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
Current Route
The Quinnipiac Trail, between Banton St and Toelles Rd in North Haven, has been officially closed and is no longer being maintained by CFPA. The new southern terminus of the Quinnipiac Trail is at the Hartford Turnpike. This closure is primarily due to the nature of the floodplain in Quinnipiac River State Park (WB Maps QP 1 & QP 2).
See also
- Blue-Blazed Trails
- Sleeping Giant State Park
- Quinnipiac River State Park
- Quinnipiac River
References
- ^
Colson, Ann T. (2006). Connecticut Walk Book West (19th edition). Connecticut Forest and Park Association. ISBN 0-9619052-6-3.
- ^ Connecticut Walk Book, 19th edition, vol.2 (West), Ann T. Colson, ed., Connecticut Forest and Park Association, (c) 2006, p. 221.
Further reading
Books – Connecticut hiking [ ]
- Colson, Ann T. (2005). Connecticut Walk Book East (19 ed.). Rockfall, Connecticut: Connecticut Forest and Park Association. pp. 1–261. ISBN 0961905255.
- Colson, Ann T. (2006). Connecticut Walk Book West (19 ed.). Rockfall, Connecticut: Connecticut Forest and Park Association. pp. 1–353. ISBN 0961905263.
- Emblidge, David (1998). Hikes in southern New England: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont (1 ed.). Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. pp. 1–304. ISBN 0-8117-2669-X.
- Keyarts, Eugene (2002). Pietrzyk, Cindi Dale (ed.). Short Nature Walks: Connecticut Guide Book (7 ed.). Guilford, Connecticut: Falcon Publishing. pp. 1–192. ISBN 0-7627-2310-6.
- Laubach, Rene; Smith, Charles W. G. (2007). AMC's Best Day Hikes in Connecticut (1 ed.). Guilford, Connecticut: Appalachian Mountain Club Books. pp. 1–320. ISBN 1-934028-10-X.
- Ostertag, Rhonda; Ostertag, George (2002). Hiking Southern New England (2 ed.). Guilford, Connecticut: Falcon Publishing. pp. 1–336. ISBN 0-7627-2246-0.
Books – Connecticut history and geography [ ]
- De Forest, John (1853). History of the Indians of Connecticut from the earliest known period to 1850. Hartford, Connecticut: Wm. Jas. Hamersley. pp. 1–509.
- Hayward, John (1857). New England Gazetteer: Containing Descriptions of the States, Counties, Cities and Towns of New England (2 ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Otis Clapp. pp. 1–704.
- Trumbull, Benjamin (1797). A Complete History of Connecticut - Civil and Ecclesiastical. Vol. I (1818 printing ed.). New Haven, Connecticut: Maltby, Goldsmith & Co. and Samuel Wadsworth. pp. 1–1166.
- Trumbull, Benjamin (1797). A Complete History of Connecticut - Civil and Ecclesiastical. Vol. II (1818 printing ed.). New Haven, Connecticut: Maltby, Goldsmith & Co. and Samuel Wadsworth. pp. 1–1166.
External links
Specific to this trail:
- Shelton Trails BlogSpot articles on the Quinnipiac Trail
- Sleeping Giant Park Association
- CFPA Notice About Trail Closings