Simply put, you must be a member of the SGPA while completing the required hikes and at the time of application for a Giant Master certificate. If your membership lapses, hikes completed during the lapsed period will not count, but you can renew your membership and pick up where you left off.

You must use the Giant Master Log that was sent to you when you registered for the program. Within the log, record the date that you hiked each segment, using MM/DD/YYYY format. You do not need to record the time of day or duration of each hike, just the date. Be sure to include the year, as SGPA needs this information to verify your membership during the challenge, and you may (deliberately or not) take more than one year to complete the challenge.

No. Once you have completed the regular Giant Master Challenge, you receive a Giant Master number, patch, and certificate, and are considered a Giant Master for life. If you are looking for another challenge, start logging your hikes as part of the Advanced Giant Master program.

The Giant Master Program is based strictly on the honor system. You are proving to yourself that you can take on this challenge. We will verify your log only for completeness, membership status, and let you know if you have missed any sections.

It is possible that some people falsify entries, but the completion of the program is an indication of personal accomplishment. It is not a competition, and falsifying a submission fools no one but yourself.

Yes, after we verify your log, you will receive a “Congratulations” email with your Giant Master number and a digital certificate of completion. You will also receive the patch via mail a few days later. The patch can be stuck or sewn onto your cap or backpack, or looks great on “Giant Master” cap, available on our Trading post.

In addition, your name will be added to the list of Giant Masters on the SGPA website and published in our periodical “Giant News”.

When submitting your log, please be sure to enter the name you want displayed on your certificate, as well as the correct email address and mailing address.

You can hike the trails in whatever order you prefer as long as you eventually complete all sections of all blazed trails in the park and fill in each section of the hiking log.

You also can hike an entire blazed trail end-to-end or do just a portion of it. If you do choose to do just a portion of a trail, we recommend aligning your hikes with the trail segments identified in the log. For example, if you started at Chestnut lane and hike the Green Trail to the Blue Trail, it is probably worth taking the Green Trail just a bit farther, to its intersection with the Red Square Trail. That way you can check off the entirety of Section VI of the Green Trail, rather than having to go back another time.

Alternatively download the mobile-friendly trail map from Avenza – free app on your mobile. You can record your hikes and “fill in” the map as you go. More details available at: https://sgpa.org/trails-maps

Yes, you can start any given hike from any trailhead across the park. You can also be shuttled between trailheads as a way of avoiding backtracking over already-completed trails. As long as you stay on the trails, you are free to choose your own route.

Yes, the spur of the Blue Trail that goes out from Chestnut lane to the Hartford Turnpike near Wallingford is within the boundaries of the park. It is Section VII of the Blue trail and must be completed as a part of the program requirements.

Time constraints only apply to the Advanced Giant Master programs.

Once you embark on the Basic Giant Master program, you may take as much time as you need. Take your time, enjoy the vistas, observe the flora and fauna, and experience all that Giant offers. You may wish to set a target date for completion and create a plan to keep the momentum going, but this is not required.

Certainly not. Most people in reasonably good physical condition should be able to hike all of the trails within the park; however, individuals with only limited hiking experience should not tackle the more difficult trails until they have gained some experience on less-rigorous terrain. Hikers should use common sense in recognizing their physical limitations and gain experience in slow and discrete steps…slowly working toward conditioning themselves for the more difficult trails. Moreover, hikers should be mindful of their physical condition and not stress themselves beyond their limitations. Certainly, no one should embark on a Giant Master program if not in good physical condition. If anyone has questions or doubts about his or her physical capacity to participate safely  in such a program, a physician should be consulted prior to beginning.

Seasonally appropriate clothing, including layers that can be removed in colder seasons, is important. A good pair of hiking boots/shoes is strongly recommended. A light daypack or backpack will enable you to carry water and snacks, as needed. Water is essential for safe hiking, especially during the warmer months.

There is no one-best-way to cover all of the trails without any backtracking. You can have someone drop you off and/or pick you up by car at particular trailheads. Many people have said that they get immense enjoyment from sitting at the kitchen table in the evening with the Sleeping Giant trail map to figure out the best way to cover all of the trails with the least amount of backtracking. What you don’t want to happen is to complete all of your hikes, only to discover that you forgot to do one of the crossover trails out in the middle of the park. It may take longer to get back to that point than to hike the actual trail.

You can take your dog or any other pet along while hiking. However, we will not register pets for the program, nor will we issue them a certificate.

Enjoy the hike with your dog or pet following all the safety guide lines of CT DEEP. Always keep your pet on leash while in the park to ensure the safety of your pet as well as that of other hikers and wildlife.