NEWS RELEASES
Connecticut State Park Opens After Tornado Damage
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through The Hartford Courant's website.
The Hartford Courant reports that more than a year after a devastating tornado, Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden, CT, reopened to the public on June 14. A tornado and associated “micro-burst” blew through the park on May 15, 2018, cutting a 7-mile path of damage. Wind speeds topping more than 100 miles per hour resulted in extensive damage to trees and trails at one of the state’s most popular inland state parks. Thousands of damaged trees had to be cleared to restore the extensive trail system, with much of the work performed by volunteers coordinated by the Sleeping Giant Park Association (SPGA). Restoration of the park cost roughly $735,000, but state officials believe much of it will be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Sleeping Giant, a.k.a. Mount Carmel, has been a state park since 1924 when the SPGA donated a significant portion of the mountain to the state. Some 32 miles of trails crisscross the natural landmark, including the popular trail to the 1936 lookout tower, offering views of Long Island Sound and the New Haven area, and a portion of the Quinnipiac Trail, the oldest trail in Connecticut’s 700-mile blue blazed trail system, which traverses the length of the Giant. The SGPA recognizes hikers who have hiked all of the color-blazed trails in Sleeping Giant State Park with a "Giant Master" certificate. Other activities in the park include rock climbing, fishing, horseback riding, and, in winter, cross-country skiing.
For additional information, visit the Sleeping Giant State Park webpage.
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