Advanced Giant Master Programs
Looking for a challenge? After completing the basic Giant Master Program, SGPA’s Supporting Members are eligible to participate in Advanced Giant Master programs.
These programs are more difficult than the basic program, requiring participants to hike all 32 miles of trails multiple times and/or within a certain time frame.
Advanced Giant Master Categories
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4-Season Giant Master
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Moderate
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Hike all 32 miles of blazed trails during each of the four seasons (128 miles, total). These do not have to be consecutive seasons, nor do they need to be in the same year. Seasons may be defined by solstices and equinoxes or meteorological seasons (e.g. spring is March thru May) - just be consistent with your records for the duration of the challenge.
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12-Month Giant Master
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Difficult
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Hike all 32 miles of blazed trails in each month of a year (384 miles, total). This must be completed in 12 consecutive months, though may span two calendar years if the challenge is started in a month other than January. Missing just one month means restarting the entire challenge.
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Marathon Giant Master
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Extremely Difficult
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Hike all 32 miles of blazed trails in a single day. This endeavor should only be completed when the park is open (8am - sunset), when there are adequate daylight hours to complete the challenge, and under safe weather conditions.
Each Giant Master category is a separate achievement.
Hikes completed for one category (or for the basic Giant Master Program) cannot be counted towards another.
In the interest of safe hiking, we do NOT accept 4-season or 12-month Marathoners.
How to Participate
1. Complete the Basic Giant Master Program – Completing the Basic Giant Master Program is a prerequisite for completing any advanced Giant Master programs. Click, HERE to learn more about the basic program.
2. Maintain Your SGPA Membership – Participants of the Giant Master Program must be current “Supporting Members” of SGPA ($25+ for an individual and $35+ for a family). Participants must sustain their membership from the time they start the challenge until they submit their final hiking log(s). If you’ve let your membership lapse, please consider renewing using our online membership and donation form, HERE.
3. Understand the Challenge Requirements – Each of the Advanced Giant Master categories has unique requirements. Before embarking on your journey, be sure you understand the specific requirements by visiting the Giant Master FAQ page, HERE.
4. Register for the Challenge – Registration is required prior to starting any Advanced challenges. Once registered, you’ll receive a confirmation email with the official hiking log and some further information. Click the button to the right to register.
5. Complete Hikes and Track Your Progress – Record the dates that you completed each hike, using the official Giant Master Log. Candidates for the 4-Season and 12-Month Giant Master categories will need to use a separate log for each season or month of their challenge, as applicable.
6. Submit Your Log – After completing the requirements for a given challenge and filling out your log, submit your log by clicking the button to the right.
You Did It! – After your log has been verified, you will receive a unique Giant Master number, specific to the Advanced Giant Master category you completed, and your name will be added to the list of Giant Masters in that category. We’ll also send you a certificate of completion.
Looking for Another Challenge?
While the Sleeping Giant Park Association does not offer any other challenges, our friends at Connecticut Forest and Park Association host the Blue Blazed Hiking Trails Challenge, with challenges of 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 miles.
The best part? The Blue Trail at Sleeping Giant State Park is part of the larger Blue Blazed Quinnipiac Trail, so you’ve already completed 5 miles of the Challenge.
Additional Resources
View lists of Giant Masters in all categories, dating back to the program’s start in 1995.
Have questions about the Giant Master Program? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page.