Watch our video and then read more below
The Green Trail at Sleeping Giant is one of the tamest trails in the whole State Park but contains a fantastic cave and is worth a trip. We visited with our friend Nick who was a fantastic guide and I would highly recommend you seek out someone that can help you safely maximize your exploration.
We arrived early, parking in the East Lot, to avoid the heat but found that the entire trail was significantly cooler than the surrounding area. This is likely due in part to it being located in the valley between the other trails. We also discovered it's quite a bit more moist, so if you decide to visit don't be surprised by the mud. At no point did we feel this trail was challenging in any way, there was very little elevation gain and significantly less trap rock waiting to trip us. That said, I still wouldn't bring our dog here because the green trail ends, merges with the white trail, and the descent is much less friendly.
We find "Dead Man's Cave" about half way on the Green trail, almost directly where the second Green/yellow connector trail marker is. There is a large tree covered in writing located near by as well. Finding either tells you where to start climbing the large rock pile up to the cliff where you will find a small hole to enter. The best way to visualize this is by watching our video where I show exactly how to find it using these markers and film the ascent.
The cave is a series of chambers formed by the fallen rocks and has existed for a very long time. It is named "Dead Man's Cave" because PT Barnum's (Yes the Circus) Nephew was found dead here. These days, there are a number of well installed ropes to help you descend into the cave. The first drop is a bit of a stretch for shorter folks but Nina at 5'4" was able to make it relatively easily. The main chamber is appropriate in size for most people while the two side chambers require you to be quite a bit skinnier to squeeze into. People have created colorful names for each chamber like "The Pink Floyd Room" , "Pops Parish", and "The Cave Inn."
Some things to keep in mind:
There are copperheads in the rocks climbing up to the cave and the climb is by far the sketchiest part of the trip. There are sometimes bats in parts of the cave as well. Do not attempt this without head lamps as you really do need both hands at points. If you are too large you will either be limited to the first room or unable to get in. The Rangers clean up the cave each year but will not help you find it, so don't ask. There is a reason it isn't on any of the maps!
Anyways, the Green trail finishes up by merging into the white trail. If you've spent any time on Instagram you would know this is one of the top spots for locals. The beautiful cliff side is a huge trap rock with a WIDE open view of Quinnipiac College below. At this point we witnessed a few hawks chasing each other in the sky as well!
You can then choose to descend several ways:
Make it a loop and follow the white trail back east, the most difficult option.
Take the white trail west and descend to the main lot, easy
Take the white trail west and skip onto the tower trail, the easiest and what we did!
If you choose not to visit "Dead Man's Cave" then the green trail is a very easy walk. With the Vista point technically being a part of the white trail you could consider Green to be uneventful. We did not see a single other person on this trail the entire time, but it sure was peaceful.
Comments