Dr. Francis Giuffrida Park, located in Meriden, CT, is a city owned park located on the outskirts of the East side of town. Watch our video and read below for more:
I have been covering mostly State parks since I started, but there are some seriously nice town/city owned parks in CT. I grew up in Meriden and never realized this place even existed! Named after a beloved surgeon, this park has easily one of the nicest views in all of CT.
We start in the parking lot near the lake. Note that the entrance and exit are one way only and our GPS brought us to the exit. You will be looking for a small park sign and stone walls located next to the golf course. I didn't notice this entrance even when we were at the golf course for a party just a few weeks ago, so keep your eyes peeled. Also, note that the lake is not open to swimming or boating.
The hike follows three easy phases:
The first is the steep and rocky ascent to the top of the ridge along the blue trail. Chauncey Mountain is only about 350-400 feet tall so this climb is just long enough to get your heart rate up. There are even some stones placed as stairs on the steepest switchbacks. From the top of this climb you will find a gigantic, unobstructed panoramic view of Meriden. You can see Castle Craig in the distance and even Sleeping Giant to the south on a clear day. The effort is minimal and the reward spectacular, this alone makes the trip worth it.
The second phase is a walk along the ridge of the mountain. At various points you will follow the edge of an active quarry which is fun to look at, if a bit noisy. The other side of the ridge will be a lake view with partial views of Meriden. There are several amazing spots along the way with incredible overhanging cliffs to navigate. We found a number of newer and older paths so take your choice. Eventually, you will descend between Chauncey Mountain and Lamentation mountain. We chose not to climb this second mountain because it does not have a clearly defined peak or amazing views.
The Third phase of the hike is a relaxing walk back around the lake on the white trail. This heavily pine tree-covered shore provides a multitude of views and even a few benches to relax on. If walking on roots and pine needles isn't fun for you, then you could stick to the blue trail which is gravel and dirt.
We finished in an hour and a half, making this one of the shortest hikes on our list. Keep in mind that we stop to film and take photos, so you may be able to finish significantly faster than we did. All in all this is a MUST VISIT spot for anyone that enjoys a good hike!
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