Sleeping Giant Selected For Hamden’s 2019 Holiday Ornament

HAMDEN, CT — The Hamden Department of Recreation has selected Sleeping Giant State Park to be featured as its 2019 holiday ornament, the 28th in a series of annual ornaments featuring Hamden landmarks, officials announced Friday.

The pewter ornaments, printed on both sides, are $10 each, and come with a brief narrative about the ornament in a display case. All ornaments are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Read more from the press release below:

Two miles of mountaintop resembling a large man sleeping is a popular feature in Hamden. A 1.5-mile scenic trail leads to a stone observation tower on the peak of Mt. Carmel which provides incredible views of Long Island Sound and the New Haven region. It was designated a state park in 1924.

The scenery changed forever when Sleeping Giant was hit by high winds and a tornado that blew through the state on May 15, 2018. When the tornado touched down, it completely decimating trees and changed the landscape forever. For several months, thousands of damaged trees have been removed by volunteers which was coordinated by the Sleeping Giant Park Association, DEEP staff and contractors to make the park safe for visitors to return. A main focus was to restore the “Tower Trail” for all to enjoy. On a positive note, the tornado actually opened up new landscape, grassland and habitats.

In the future, the DEEP plans to focus on a series of meetings to hear from the public ideas and suggestions regarding changes and improvements. They will be reviewed and a plan will be put in place to guide the future restoration efforts.

The reopening of the Park was met with excitement and was scheduled on Friday, June 14th. The approximate cost to restore the park is estimated to be about $800,000 with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to

Sleeping Giant is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset.

The pewter ornaments, printed on both sides, are $10 each, and come with a brief narrative about the ornament in a display case.

Also available are ornaments from recent years: Freedom Park honoring POW & MIA (2016); Town Center Park/Rotary Pavilion (2015); Hamden Memorial Library (2013); Hamden Police Dept. (2012); Hamden Middle School (2010) each being sold for $10.

Ornaments from earlier years are also available at a reduced rate of $5 each while supplies last. They include: Whitneyville Church (2008); Farmington Canal Greenway (2007); Spring Glen School (2003); Margaret L. Keefe School (2002); and Thornton Wilder House (1997).

All ornaments are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve an ornament, call 203-287-2579 or visit the Hamden Recreation Department, 2750 Dixwell Avenue. Expected availability will be November 18th at the Recreation Office. Call to verify!