The Damned Story: Sleeping Giant in Hamden has a long recorded history, and as such, there are many tales associated with it, the most famous of which is how this unique stretch of trap rock ridge got its name in the first place.
According to the Quinnipiac Indians who inhabited the area before European colonists arrived, the story of Sleeping Giant is the story of Hobbomock, a giant who contained the spirit of the souls of the dead.
As it turns out, Hobbomock was not an especially nice or jolly behemoth, threw temper tantrums and tended to do things that pleased only him. Once, he got so angry and stamped his feet so violently in a river that it caused a flood that destroyed many villages and created much distress among the mortals. He was also fond of oysters, so the story goes, and quite often gorged himself on every one that could be found, making sure to leave none for everyone else.
He was a giant jerk, really.
Anyway, Keihtan, the creator-god, took pity on the plight of the mortals and decided he needed to deal with Hobbomock. But as Hobbomock was a divine creature, Keihtan could not kill him, so he waited for the right opportunity to take care of the giant. One day, after Hobbomock went on a particularly zealous oyster-eating binge (think of your Uncle Joe showing up for Thanksgiving with his “eating pants” on), he grew weary and fell asleep. Keihtan, seizing the moment, cast a spell on the giant so that he would never awaken again. Over time, the earth and trees have come to cover the slumbering Hobbomock, peace has returned to the area, and all have been spared the giant’s wrath.
Moving from ancient legend to more recent reality, another well-known story about the mountain is the tale of Dead Man’s Cave. Essentially, on Good Friday in 1873, a pair of boys went up to the mountain to look for what was then called Abraham’s Cave — an impressive hollow on the “left hip” of the giant, large enough to hold a dozen men. When the boys got to the cave, however, rather than find old Abraham, they found … well, a dead man. The badly decomposed corpse’s identity was a mystery for a time before authorities were finally able to determine that the dead man was Edward Barnum, a nephew of the legendary P.T. Barnum.
Over the centuries, the mountain has been home to grist and saw mills, quarries, private cottages and other small buildings. In 1888, John Dickerman opened a small area of the mountain as a recreational park and built the tower that is popularly visited now; by the early half of the 20th century, over 1,500 acres were protected and devoted to public recreational use.
For a detailed history of Sleeping Giant, you can check out Born Among the Hills: The Sleeping Giant Story by Nancy Davis Sachse.
Our Damned Experience: Steve has hiked the Giant numerous times, but on a sunny spring day in late May 2009, we set out for the tower and hopefully to find Dead Man’s Cave.
When we arrived, we decided to ask one of the park rangers what was the best way to get to Dead Man’s Cave. He sort of scratched his head, looked around and said, “Uh, if you want to know that, you can try and go ask my supervisor over there in the office.” In other words — “You boys are on your own.” Understood.
As the weather was perfect and the trail traffic was fairly light, it was only a matter of time before we reached the summit. After the obligatory visit to the top of the tower for a few photos, we attempted to follow directions provided us by our pal Sherpa Bob and others. After a bit of guessing and tramping around, we were able to find it!
Of course finding it and exploring it are two different things, especially because it was in a veritable sea of poison ivy! Seriously, the stuff was everywhere, and as both Steve and I are highly allergic, by the time we got to the cave, we were both starting to freak out a bit as we had repeatedly come in contact with it.
The next factor going against us was the fact that to go all the way into the chamber, you have to crawl down into a small opening, then crawl back under the entrance on your belly through a small opening to get into the main cave. Essentially, when you are standing in front of the entrance to Dead Man’s Cave, you’re actually standing on top of Dead Man’s Cave itself. Think of it as having to negotiate yourself into a blocky letter “C” from the top. We both were wearing shorts and T-shirts, were covered in poison ivy oils and only had a small headlamp between us . . .
Despite this, we started to enter the cave before we saw a number of very large spiders! Now, I’m by no means arachnophobic, but the eight-legged specimens hanging in wait across the cave’s entrance were big enough to saddle.
Feeling itchy, sweaty and not properly equipped (like with flamethrowers!), and suddenly leery of whatever fauna might be waiting in the dark, we decided that discretion was the better part of valor and —
Okay, we wimped out, ran home and scrubbed ourselves with Tecnu (which works amazingly — woohoo!)! We’ll return when cooler weather arrives, the ivy is gone, the spiders will be fewer and we could be dressed and equipped to investigate the right way. We know where the cave is and we will be back!
If You Go: If you haven’t already visited, Sleeping Giant State Park is located at 200 Mount Carmel Avenue in Hamden, directly across from Quinnipiac University. It is open daily year-round from 8 am to sunset. In the summer, there is a charge to park in the main lot; many people park on Mount Carmel Avenue for free.
The Sleeping Giant Park Association also has a lot of great information about the park, including hiking trails, organized hikes and more.
View Sleeping Giant State Park in a larger map
109 comments
I have been in there and went all the way to the back when I was a wee teen. I would say you need less than a 32 waist to get through there (unless they cut it wider somehow). It was very claustraphobic in there and very slimey too.
You have to do that move from the Army training where you are on your back and you shimmy through using your shoulders to propel you under a rock. Lets just say that you will come out of there dirty, itchy, bitten, and scared. My worst fear was if the rock shifted a few inches I would have been trapped forever.
Enjoy!!
Great post, really brings me back. Should have called me first though, I’ve logged so many hours in that cave it would make David Blane jealous. Great place for a 12 year old kid to hang out for the day (in 1972). Today we don’t let our 12 year old out of our sight. The only spooky thing about DMC would be two 40 year old men in shorts complaining about spiders and their sensitive skin, blocking my escape route out of the cave.
Damn Ray, he just blew us up!
Your statement “In 1888, John Dickerman opened a small area of the mountain as a recreational park and built the tower that is popularly visited now;” – is incorrect.
John Dickerman, in hopes of creating a summer recreational community did in fact build a road up from Mt. Carmel, now traversing a part of the Red Circle Trail before branching off into an unmarked trail that ends up on the White overlooking New Haven Harbor (the fourth ridge). On this scenic outcropping he built a wooden pavillion which opened on July 4, 1888, hoping to attract picnickers and families out to enjoy nature. He called the area Blue Hills Park. Today there are no remains of any structures.
The Tower was a WPA project, conceived in 1935 and completed in 1939 using the stones of a former home on the third ridge, also the highest spot on Sleeping Giant. It was built after the Sleeping Giant Park was established as a State Park.
Thanks HikeaGiant, not sure where we got this information….FYI is nothing left to the old structure- I hiked the white trail and found a small foundation just off it with some trees growing up through it.
On the White Trail in that area, there are foundations of two of the cottages that Dickerman had built near the site of his original pavillion. The one you mentioned, now sometimes referred to as “Ned’s Cabin” , is the remains of the first stone house built on the Giant. It was constructed in 1888 by Jonathan Dickerman for a woman named Jamison from Lake Como, Florida, as part of his attempt to build a recreational commuity the area. It was called the Stone House, 14 feet square inside with walls 2 feet thick. The other ‘remains’ are bit off the White and a bit harder to discern. This is the remains of a cottage built in 1889 for Reverend Robert Bell and his family from Granby, Bell having served an minister of Mt. Carmel Congregational Church from 1879 to 1891. There are two iron pipes driven into the rock, which are presumed to be part of the foundation. For photos of each and some historical photos, which I hope to be able to replace with better copies at some point soon, and GPS coordinates, check out http://hikeagiant2.wordpress.com – under Giant Lore.
I have searched for the cave before with no luck with a few friends does anyone know if they could tell how to get to the cave?? email me at ajm0236@comcast.net I would appreciate it
I recall the workd “FOTCH” and “BONE” with a a white arrow pointing the way to the cave in the 60’s.
Hey folks,
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but what you found here is not Dead Man’s cave. Dead Mans is about 200 yards farther down the green trail (where the yellow trail bisects it) and is MUCH bigger. What you have discovered here is actually named “Spider Cave” for the unpleasantly large species of Cave-Dweeling Orb spider (Meta Ovalis) that lives there. I have gotten in there with those bad boys, and believe me – they are not all that happy to receive visitors. I never got down into the actual lower part of the “C” since that is where the spiders breed. Personally, I kind of like spiders, but this is… uhhh… too much of a “good thing” in too cramped a space, if you know what I mean.
The “official” Dead Man’s Cave is about parallel with a 100 foot telephone pole pine tree (use it as a marker) and can be reached by climbing up the talus pile (watch out for Copperheads. Seriously) or down the 100 foot cliff. It does not look like a cave entrance. It looks more like a crooked, sideways, ‘slash’ in the side wall of the cliff. You climb up on some rocks to get to the angled entrance, then down inside.
The upper room slants down to a “hole” in the right wall with a log against the back wall to help you down about a six foot drop. Once you lower yourself in (feet first, please) you will see that the floor of the hole angles down into a ‘trough’ with another man-hole sized opening at the lower end. (Basically you are now zig-zagging with the way you just entered the cave) push yourself along, feet first and CAREFULLY lower yourself into that second hole, and you will find yourself dropping into a LARGE
ROOM with room for about five or six people! there is a passage at the far end that drops into yet another (!) big room, and you will see bats clinging to the cieling. There are other passages as well that may even lead to other rooms. I dont know, since they did not seem to agree with a 6′ tall 200lb frame…
The whole place is covered with ridiculous ammounts of graffiti, but it is still pretty cool. The hardest part is shimmying down into the drop-in room, so you may not want to go alone – as getting back out without a rope is possible, but it will tear you up a bit in the process. I would reccomend people not leave rubbish and stuff inside (only footprints) and try to imagine what it looks like without all the spray paint tagging, but cool nonetheless.
Now…. there is also a drop down pit that leads to another cave called “Black Well” on the other side of the mountain, not far from the blue trail………………
(Sorry about the wierd spacing on this. I must have accidentally hit “submit” before completing my ramblings. 🙂
Chuck is correct. The real Dead Man’s Cave is a treat for all, with few spiders. You can actually go even lower than the drop-in room by crawling in a ridiculous, tight passage and reach yet another room below that one (it’s smaller). I don’t recommend it unless you’re a caver or very skinny, though.
I used to take students to Dead Man’s Cave as extra credit. I only had 2 (out of maybe 50) freak out and not do it. But if they had seen that many spiders, no doubt more would have balked. So, I think we can give the Damned Connecticut crew a break here. They just had the wrong cave! (P.S. The first time I went up we found a smaller cave inhabited by copperheads, too)
Now, I’ve never heard of this Black Well cave! Please, Chuck, tell me more!
Each Spring the Trails Crew of Sleeping Giant does its annual trash ‘clean out’ of Dead Man’s Cave (once know as Abraham’s Cave, until the body of P.T. Barnum’s nephew was found there on Good Friday 1873 by two boys ‘out for adventure’). The graffiti is another matter. I’ve been down once; climbing out gave new meaning to the term “rebirth”. 😉
Eric,
I think I read your article on Dead Man’s cave. That’s what made me go back there! I realized that I had only gotten into the upper room the first time, and had not gone deep enough! I wondered what the big deal about Dead Man’s cave was! (lol) I tried to send you an email via the Quinnipiac address that the article had (If memory serves me) but the link was dead. I’ll add in the URL of my website – it has a contact link for my email.
Trust me, I dont mind spiders at all, but I totally agree with our Damned CT guys in leaving this place behind… The Meta Ovalis species in Spider Cave is a daunting creature indeed. They are harmless, but they are about 2.5 inches or so in size, brick red with long legs and brown belly, and they build big webs that feel like old electrical wire strung through the cave. You don’t (usually) see these puppies until after you are inside the cave and then you notice their somewhat intimidating shadows on the wall, skittering around in your head lamp, rushing across their broken web to climb up the rocks and stare at you. Yeahhh… I’ll take the bats, please!
In any event; I was typing too fast when I posted my earlier comment, and gave the wrong trail for my statement… the “Cave of the Black Well” is NOT located on the blue trail, it is on the WHITE trail. In fact – if you know where to look – very close to the white trail…
Also, it is ostensibly part of the “Esophagus Cave” system from what I can determine. Apparently ( I am finding these things out through a lot of research online) that whole [small] cave network over by “Canyon Pit” has about a million different names. Ray Wilson’s list calls it “Cave of the Black Well”, and I kind of like the tone of that, but the most prevalent monniker I keep seeing is, of course, Esophagus. (the “Black Well” part of it?) From the way I piece it all together, Esophagus is the vertical pit that you chimney down for about 15 feet. It looks like a man-hole in the rock-pile, and is very easy to miss; Until you look down and see how far the darkness goes… At the bottom there is a fairly good sized cave that you can squeeze into with about a 7 foot high, sloped cieling. There’s probably room for about three or four adults. I have not seen so much as a spider down there, and the area is not secluded enough for bats, so if you dont mind dropping into a pit to get to it, it seems fairly empty.
There is a cave off the green trail with copperheads? Wow, I might know where it is. Believe it or not I have actually gone to the Giant to deliberately take photos of copperheads. Beautiful snake, and hey – they are only venomous if they bite you. As long as you keep that from happening, they’re not so bad. LOL 😉
Chuck
http://www.seefranke.com
We need to head back it looks like. Thanks all for the great info.
Steve
Hey guys, the cave is amazing. It’s rumored by alot of the guys at the local high school that Jerry Garcia as been down there, seeing as his signature is on the wall.
However the one thing i will say is, on more than one occasion I’ve been “welcomed” by quite a few bats.
Me and my friends have visited Dead man’s Cave, Spider cave, and the third one on that cliffside, but we can’t find the caves on the white trail. Is there anyone that can elaborate a little on the location, if it isn’t asking too much.
Joe
I think this is all very fascinating but did anyone actually take pictures of being inside these rooms? I’m not brave enough to go in but would love to see what you guys are talking about. Is no one afraid of getting stuck in there?
I took some shots of many of the rooms. Unfortunately I have not been back to get better ones yet. Dead Man’s cave *can* be tricky if you are very large, and if the idea of sliding along on your back – feet first – through a ‘tunnel’ of rock until you feel your feet dropping into an unseen space freaks you out, then you may want to think it over a bit. So far nobody has gotten stuck, to my knowledge, however. Personally I have no desire to go back to spider cave at all, since I dont think I could fit through the little crawl-space… And dont really want to meet up with the denizens of the place that closely, even if I could.. 😀
The caves on the White trail are hard to describe with accuracy… Just find “canyon pit” (the spot on the edge of the trail that looks like a small gorge in the rock surface) and explore from there. They are in that area, and the opening looks like a jagged man-hole…
I’ve been to Sleeping Giant many times, been to every cave to my knowledge besides the ones on the white trail. I found an arena in the beginning of the white trail(starting from the parking lot), where there seems to be a lot of small holes leading beneath rocks, but we have had no luck finding anything significant. Would anyone happen to have coordinates? Also, Chuck, how far up the white trail is “canyon pit” starting from the bottom(parking lot).
Thanks in advance.
I dont actually have the GPS coords… maybe there’s a geo-cache’r lurking about that might. But the easiest way I can think of is to go up the tower path and take a RIGHT on the white trail where it crosses (the ravine that forms the”neck” of the Giant) and follow that up and around the “stairs” and to the top where you can see over to Quinnipiac University. On the inside (right hand side) of the trail – where it looks back toward the “chin” – you’ll see what looks like a crevasse in the ground at the edge of the cliff. It looks like something from an Indiana Jones movie. You’ll see it as you round the top of the white trail ridge. If you are looking at the University you are in the ball-park. The caves are in this area. Just climb around on the rocks as if going straight toward the University – and look down into the rocks as you explore…
Chuck is right about DMC.
it’s like sliding down into oblivion until your foot touches that rock!
Spider cave is much more tame, but still cool.
Never saw the 3rd cave.
I see this thread hasn’t been touched since last year but if anyone’s still out there… I went looking for DMC last summer with my son and his friend and was excited when I thought we had found it. We climbed down in and then I saw the crack below the entrance. They thought I was crazy but I started sliding down in and then I got stuck! I finally got my foot up high enough in the void to push off a rock on the ceiling. I later figured out that we had been in Spider Cave. I still haven’t found DMC but thanks for renewing my interest. I know where that rectangular pit off the White trail is (I was there a couple times in the past week) but I didn’t realize there is a cave below that. I’m going to have to check that out also.
Mick,
If you are standing with Spider cave at your back (as if you just came out) Dead Man’s cave is about 200 yards to your LEFT on the cliff wall. It is up from the rockpile about 10 feet and looks like an inward carved slash in the rocks. Just go about 200 yards from Spider Cave, and when you see the fissure in the rock-face, climb up, then down inside. There is a “Mouse-hole” opening in the back, with a tree-trunk inside to use for climbing down. From there, just slide under the rock and drop down into the room. Not as cramped, nor as many spiders… 🙂
To mainly Chuck or anyone else.
The lookout tower I read was built in the 1930’s is there any signifigance to it or is it just built for fun. I noticed it saying “CSP” my first thought with that is Connecticut State Police. After investigating the tower there does seem to be some empty rooms that would be used for storage or stuff like that. Any idea’s as to the original use of the tower?
Just a guess but it could be “Connecticut State Park” also.
The Tower, completed in 1939, was a WPA project designed by an architect named Barker, and constructed by conservation corps workers supervised by Harry Webb. The spider web is a play on his name – CSP stands forCt. State Park. The Tower was built partially from stones that comprised an earlier house built by Wiser around 1910, subsequently owned by a family named Park, and demolished to built the Tower. The ’empty rooms’ were once men’s and women’s toilets. If you look carefully you can see where the plumbing was, and where the stall were attached to the floor. Also, you can see around the perimeter the remains of cement pilings (for lack of a better word) that supported columns with a trellised ‘roof’.
For pictures and other info check out ‘3rd ridge’ under Giant Lore at http://hikeagiant2.wordpress.com/giant-lore/
actually went and climbed dead mans cave today, it was nice no snakes no spiders just wet. Trying to figure out where this “black well” is off the white trail. is it over by the geology station making?
Dude, can you describe/explain how to get to the cave starting from the main parking lot by quinnipiac university? or anyone else I have no idea where to even start.
Orange -> main trail (then immediatley get on white)-> once you get to white follow to the top and get on the green trail. follow the green all the way to the yellow intersection and bring some rope because that log has now fallen into the cave making it difficult to get out
To say the least those directions are very confusing. I have the trail map and see multiple intersections of the white and yellow trails. If you or anyone else can highlight the path to DMC or give clearer better directions. I’d like to go here soon before plants and stuff start growing too much. Thanks for any help.
I was up there the last 2 evenings just hiking on the Green trail. Coming from the Red Triangle on Green I did see a large gash in the cliff like what Chuck described above but it was BEFORE I got to the Yellow/Green crossover trail. When I found Spider Cave last year, I’m pretty sure it was just above the Y/G crossover. So again, is DMC to the west (towards the head) or to the east (towards Chestnut Lane) from Spider Cave? (200 yards is 2 football fields, right?)
Oh, and I assumed that the “pit” off of the White trail was the big hole with the “Geology Station” marker that Dude refers to where you reach the top of the hill after taking a right onto the White trail off of the Tower path.
Mick, that large opening before the yellow trail sounds like the shallow cave just a few feet above Spider cave. Keep walking toward the red switchback until you see the markers for the yellow cross-over trail on your right. Stop. Turn to your left: You will be staring at what they call down south a “telephone pole pine tree”. (about 80 feet tall and straight as a pole) Start climbing up the rocks right there. You are essentially heading right for DMC. You cannot see it easily from the trail, but once you start in on the rocks, it will appear soon enough.
Thanks, Chuck. I was told before that it was right across from where the yellow crossover leaves the green trail but maybe this pine tree will help. And have you seen that “geology station” marker on the white trail? The “pit” that I know of is right there – is that where the “black well” cave is?
Ok…to say the least I am still lost as to where this cave is. Is it on the far right (looking at the map right side up) or closer to the tower? I see two yellow crossover trails one closer to Chestnut lane the other closer to the tower area. If someone want’s to map it out on the map and just highlight the route would be awesome lol.
If your looking at the tower on the map the cave is too the about 45 degrees if using a 360 degree compass it is right below the cliffs so if youve found spider cave dmc is abou100 yardsnorth following the rock face its a crack that you slide in between to get down into the “c” and then the opening. It is however extremely tight to get in to the room I dont recommend trying to squeeze in with a 36+ waist
Also its prob 200 yards from the tower and down on the right side of it If your looking at your map and
Try it this way: Take the tower path up to the castle, then continue on the blue trail to the open spot on the top of the cliff where a small, scraggly tree with a blue marker on it stands near the edge of the cliff. Look down. There is a tall pine tree looking back at you from the green trail below. You are standing directly over Dead Man’s Cave. How to get down there from that cliff is up to you. But there are “chutes” (rock washouts) not far from where you are standing, that make for an adventurous, yet manageable, climb down.
Ok so today me and two buddy’s climbed the blue trail from start point to the tower. Upon arriving at the tower we continued onto the blue trail found what would be called a scraggly tree was and had no idea where to go from there. We are heading back either this weekend or next week when we have more daylight. Any other descriptions coordinates or something as to how to locate DMC???
Ok, so searched other websites and I believe I know where to go now. Once I fin it I’ll post some coordinates.
Aram, you were there. as Me Again says, climb down the wash out and then go left(north) along the cliff wall for what feels about 100 yards. The slash-like entrance is in an upward step of the cliff base profile, but you can’t miss it if you traverse the entire length.
Also, there’s a very small room-like cave in the quarry that’s an interesting folly and a small reason to climb the rock pile. Standing at the base of the quarry looking up, it’s at 10 o’clock. An appropriate destination for a 12 year old before the internet was created.
“Yes, its me” is correct: Climb down the washout and go left – pass the “table rock” thing and keep looking up at the cliff wall for an inward-curving crack/slash in the lower part of the rock profile. Once you find it this way, you will also be able to locate it from where it falls on the green trail, thereby making all future trips much easier. 🙂
Question for “Yes”: What part of the quarry do I need to be standing in to see the little cave at 10:00? I have seen a number of things in that place that look like possible caves, but they all struck me as shadows in the rock, and I didnt know if they were worth investigating.
To everyone else out there – be VERY cautious climbing on the actual ROCK FACE of the old quarry, as I’m sure “Yes, its me” and alot of others on this board will tell you: It was a real, genuine, working trap-rock quarry at one time and that is essentially dynamite-compromised rock that we are looking at. Every summer I see lots of people contemplating the top as they pick their way up to the cliff walls. Sadly, a number of people have gone in looking for a challenging rock-climb and came out feet-first in a shiny black bag. Have fun, enjoy, but keep your wits about you and be careful.
Can someone tell me where the “canyon pit” is? I think that’s what its called. I read that its off the white trail and im going there soon so i want to know where to look.
guy, I’m guessing they mean the big pit to your right if you take the white trail to the right from the tower path. When you get to the top of the rocks, there is now a big red-on-white “Geology Station” arrow pointing to the right and that’s what I think they mean. I was told that the new trails guy is making geological points of interest along all the trails, much like the nature trail.
that trail that goes up the side of the quarry (I think its blue?) theres an arrow pointing to a geology station is that what your talking about? then the cave would be near there? I dont think ive ever gone to the geology station but i always go on that quarry cliff trail
No – the tower path is the big wide trail that everyone walks on. A quicker, steeper route to where I’m talking about is to leave from the back of the picnic area on the white trail (starts at a little bridge you can see from the picnic area road). When you cross the wide tower path, keep going up the white trail on the right. When you finish the climb, if you’re watching your feet, you’ll see the geology station marker with an arrow pointing to the right. I think that’s the “pit” they’re talking about.
Made it to the cave today and inside, we didn’t drop down due to lack of gear and fear of getting stuck as well as fading light conditions. But I took a couple pictures of the entrance and have the coordinates from GPS as N-41 25.889-W-072 53.309.
Trails Crew (clean up) began yesterday with the traditional hike to Dead Man’s Cave. The crew that went there picked up 24 lbs. of trash much of it thrown down from the Blue Trail, but some from the Cave. If you go, help us out by carrying out what you carry in. Be safe! Thanks.
In the early 1960’s I explored the Dead Mans cave many times with friends. We called it by that name back then although we didn’t know why. I was about twelve at the time and don’t believe Icould fit through as easily today. I haven’t seen any mention of the fact that the cave is shaped like rosary beads meaning one had a choice as to which direction to proceed. We only used candles never flashlights and used the candle smoke to leave markings on the walls of the deepest room. I wonder if those marks have survived. It’s been 50 years since I’ve been there but i’m sure I could walk right to the entrance again.
I found Dead Man’s Cave today. I was trying to look for it while walking along the green trail (came up from the white trail to check out the “canyon pit”, as I had seen it a few weeks ago and thought there was a cave there) but didn’t find it. While walking back, I instead climbed up the rock pile and walked along that. And sure enough, I found it. Or, at least I think I did. I took photos of the outside and a few of the inside. If the photo in this article http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/672959/connecticut_rock_climbing_mysteries_pg2.html?cat=37 is correct, that’s exactly where I was. There is a very large fissure in the rockface to the left of the entrance. If you’re walking along the green trail, you will probably see that large crack before you will see Dead Man’s.
Can we talk about this “crawlspace”? I didn’t go into the little room, but I was leaning in and taking photos and poking around with sticks. That crawlspace is (or at least seems) miniscule. I would love to actually get down INTO the cave, but with how tiny that space is, I don’t know if I’d get back out! I’m 5’3 and average, but I dunno if I want to squeeze myself into that space. I’m still so curious though! Unfortunately with the weather warming up, I don’t think I’ll be squeezing in anytime soon. I’m not looking forward to running into large insects and possibly copperheads in such a small space. Also, if you look down at the rock near the entrance of the cave, it looks like someone wrote “Dead Man’s” with a marker.
How safe is it for a person to go through that crawlspace? I didn’t really get in there and try, but how tight is it?
Grace, that pic to me I don’t recognize it as dead mans cave, inside the cave there’s about 4 feet to squeeze in and then a drop. During that 4 foot area there is a ton of graffiti saying everything you can imagine. If you saw all this graffiti and graffiti on the outside which was covered by whitish paint then that was it. That pic (dunno the angle taken) doesn’t look like it to me.
Grace,
What you found is Spider Cave. If you dont like insects, then I am sure that what is lurking in that cave will not do much for you either. Do a Google image search for “Meta Ovalis” and just picture that – but about 2.5″ long…
Now, imagine where you were… pretend you just came out of that cave and were standing with the entrance behind you. Look to your hard left (9:00 o’clock) and start walking along the rocks for about five minutes until you come to the white-painted graffiti about 50′ up on the rocks. THAT is where dead man’s cave is. Fortunately there are no… Ummm… Meta Ovalis in there – at least not like Spider Cave. And it is WAY bigger. I would think that if shimmying under a rock in darkness and dropping down into a pitch black chamber does not freak you out, then you should fit through with no problem. 🙂
Chuck, my description of DMC is correct?
Yep – that’s the place. Your description is dead on. I was just there yeserday and saw the covered graffiti. It is a shame people are doing that up there. As for Spider Cave – I would just hate to have anyone climb into that (and down into the crawl space below) without some idea of what is waiting for them…. LOL ;->
Remotely related note: Who out there might be interested in a FaceBook page dedicated to Dead Man’s Cave (and other Sleeping Giant caves) ???
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sleeping-Giant-Caves/166475013410606
Aram or anyone who can help –
What other website did you use to find directions because none of these are working for me? We attempted to follow the directions that you were originally describing (go to castle…continue on blue trail…look for scraggly tree on the edge) but we’re not sure we were doing it right. We ended up at the top overlooking Quinipiac with rock piles and the white trail FAR bellow, is this right? Is the cave somewhere on the wall between the low white trail and the high blue trail (with the talus pile in between)? And if this is the right area, then it’s not so far from the parking lot, correct, or am I totally in the wrong spot? I’m so confused!
-Lauren
everyone keeps saying there’s no spiders in dead man’s cave but the past few times i went theres been a lot of them mainly in the very bottom but a few in the top layer.
Oopsie! I just looked up those GPS cords from Aram and if those are correct then I was totally in the wrong area. Looks like we may have followed the blue trail the wrong way? No wonder the directions made no sense! Grrrrr!!
Lauren those coordinates are pretty much in front of the cave, once I got off the rock pile I marked it. Best way I can describe it is take tower path to tower, once at tower continue on blue trail (right if facing tower from tower path) scraggly tree is the best describer of the area you need to be, the tree is small whitish and is directly above the cave look down ya gotta get down there. We continued on blue trail until cliff face was manageable and went off path to the bottom now facing the cliff. Keep walking and if you just pay close attention to the cliff face you will see graffiti covered up by off white paint (easiest way to spot it) There is a couple of the telephone pole tree’s so look in front of those and you can spot it easily. I took a couple pictures from the yellow? path showing where cave is but images were blurred.
Lauren also I ave it mapped out here for you
http://boulter.com/gps/#41%2025.889-072%2053.309
The clearing you see is the cliff/rock pile’s the cave is pretty much right there in those rocks.
Thanks so much for the info…We’re going to try again next weekend and I think this should help!
Thanks Chuck & Aram. I was so excited when I thought I had found DMC! Turns out I was like the rest of the commenters here, only finding Spider Cave :p oh well.
Question about Canyon Pit- dropped down into the “pit” and going up on the rocks to the other side- is there a “cave” under that jumble of rocks? It looks like a rockpile to me, and there’s certainly not enough room to get down there (comfortably). Unless I didn’t look in the right place, which is entirely possible.
Hopefully I’ll get to DMC soon before brush, insects, and snakes take over. I’m fascinated that there are caves on Sleeping Giant (been hiking there for a while) and I don’t have the patience to wait until fall/winter! I read here that there used to be a log to get back up into the small room, but it’s not there anymore (?). How hard would it be to get out without rope or other equipment?
The log was nice, but probably not vital. As I say, I am not very large compared to some, and I could probably get in and out without it. A rope might make it easier though. Maks sure you have a decent head-lamp (you can buy relatively inexpensive ones at Sports Authority) because a flashlight is going to be working against you in those small spaces until you drop into the lower room.
Some New Photos up at the FACEBOOK page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sleeping-Giant-Caves/166475013410606
Chuck, thanks a lot for that Facebook page. I will definitely post some of my own photos when I go back to the Giant, possibly this weekend.
Someone upthread mentioned another cave off the green trail (one inhabited by copperheads?). Does anyone else know of this cave and the location of it? The guy who went into Spider Cave is a brave man. All I saw in Spider Cave was a very tight passage (but I also didn’t go into the cave- I wasn’t sure what was lurking around so I stuck my camera in and took photos), if it was a passage at all. Chuck, have you ever had any problems with copperheads in the Esophagus area? My main concern with exploring around the caves and rock piles right now is copperheads (though I would really like to see one and photograph it while NOT squeezing through a cave!).
Grace,
I have never seen copperheads in the Esophagus Cave (“Black Well?”) area. Nor spiders. Bear in mind, there is probably nothing to eat down there, and a 20 foot drop into a pit where there is no food items is a liability for virtually ANY critter, so this might explain why it has been empty when I have gone. I also tend to go when it is below freezing…
I am not totally sure where the snake pit is. I think I know, but I dont want to give wrong information. I’ve only seen some baby copperheads in the rockpile by the green trail, personally. However, I have seen the bigger guys in other places. I have never had a problem with them, but I give them a lot of respect. As I say, they are beautiful snakes – and only venomous if they hit you. So just keep that from happening and its all good 🙂 I’ll post some photos on the FB page……..
Wondering if anyone can help me ID the various random structures in this video: http://youtu.be/VSAJN12qW8w The video was shot by East Haven high video students as part of a 3-day state-wide film competition. The structures about 2/3 into the film are behind the head of the giant, not sure which trail they lead from, and are obviously more modern, but equally curious. We encountered no spiders…just one vengeful wizard…lol Thanks!
The lower Quarry is most easily reached via the Red Diamond/Red Hex trails that lead along the Mill River off Tuttle Avenue. The princess is ‘found’ in the building that once was a machine shop/repair shop for the quarry company. From the ‘quarry road’ bear left up the Red Diamond trail. Before you reach the princess, the small building on the left is the Powder Magazine. The quarry operated there between 1911 and 1934. It is this operation that is responsible for the loss of the back of the Giant’s Head.
BTW – nice job on the film!
couldnt find any caves there, any sites with good directions ?
Mark read above, that’s how I found it! I have put links to GPS coordinates of the site, the actual coordinates. If you click on my link from April it show’s Google Earth view of exact cave location. getting to it is your own adventure (I suggest continuing on blue trail till cliff edge is manageable then backtracking from bottom of cliff and walking along rock pile.
where are the copperheads on the mountain ?
Copperheads have been sighted throughout the Park, on a variety of trails. They have also been encountered in the quarry area where they like to sun themselves on the outcroppings and in the scree at the base of the cliff. They are quite beautiful and– in our experience– are usually docile (non-aggressive). They should be respected and not bothered. If you encounter one while on a hike, simply give it wide berth and time to move out of the way, then carry on with your hike. Count yourself lucky to have seen such a wonderful creature.
Damn, I should have read this more thoroughly before trying to find it today! I (literally) haven’t been there in 30 years. The route I USED to use to get there was the one that involved proceeding past the Tower on the Blue Trail. There were two wash gullies, the larger of which was sometimes called “The Devil’s Chute”. I never used the Green Trail. Today, I descended the chute & bore left, saw what looked like a faint path, but did NOT find the opening. I think it was a more popular destination in the 70’s, with more graffiti. Thanks for the tip about the tall pine tree, I’ll keep it in mind. I’d rather go when its still too cold for Copperheads.
Finally found it today. The above directions and landmarks are very good-my problem was that I was relying too much on 30-year-old memories. I hadn’t been going FAR enough down the green trail. I mistook a split pine tree for the “telephone pole pine”. I was stuck thinking that it was just a few steps to the left of “The Devil’s Chute”, but its a good ways away from it. There was also a good landmark mentioned on the Facebook page: three rocks just to the right of the opening that look like “Tetris Pieces”. Several boulders fit together so neatly, they almost look like a wall.
Pretty much as I remembered it, but with much more graffiti. The above mentioned log has fallen into the drop, so I didn’t try it, although I seem to remember going down there once without it.
I do not mean to solicit through this site by any stretch, but I am definitely interested in forming a paranormal society. I have a lot of tools that can be used to do investigations, but I am having trouble finding people who are willing enough to come with me to the certain places.
I do have certain ways to obtain information and access to different places, but I can always use a hand, if you are interested please respond to untitledstory14@yahoo.com, and I will get in touch with you as soon as possible so we can form a new paranormal society.
hey guys, this forum was so helpful.. i had only a clue of where i was going.. i am bringing a few friends there tomorrow and was wondering if the log had really fallen. and if i should grab some rope to help climb in/out please respond
-Chris
Chris,
I might bring a coil of a hundred feet or so… Even if the log is still there (it was the last time I went in) once you use it to jump down into the back of the cave, you still have to get down and shimmy along UNDER the rock – on your back – and then DROP into a chamber in the darkness. So rope is defintely a good thing! 🙂 By the way, for yourself and anyone else joining this part of the DamnedCT site: Y’all can find Sleeping Giant Caves on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/Sleeping-Giant-Caves/166475013410606
@ Chuck,
Hey thanks and my friend went about a week ago and said that one of the hikers put a rope there for people to use.. i guess he ust of tied it or something.. thank you though.. and a hundred feet? i thought it was only like a 15 foot drop into the main cavern? and btw he also told me that i should use candles instead of flashlights.. im bringing both but just in case 😉 oh and thank you for the page
Was just at the cave yesterday. We wedged a new stick in the initial drop that will help you get up and down and readjusted the bigger log to a better angle. Also wedged another stick in the big room to help with getting up. Didn’t drop all the way down b/c I left my rope in the car, but am going back next week….can’t wait. I love that this is the one spot on the mountain where I consistently see vultures….fitting that they’d hang out by Dead Man’s Cave…beautiful birds though.
I saw the remains of a white rope to the right when you’re about to drop down into the big room, but it was ripped. And I found spider cave for the first time. Didn’t go in, of course.
This coming Saturday the Sleeping Giant Park Association is doing their annual “History of the Giant” hike. It starts @ 1:30 and meets in the parking lot. Here’s a list of hikes that they do throughout the year: http://www.sgpa.org/hikes/hikes.html
Glad the name Devil’s Chute came up. In the 50’s and 60’s we called it Devil’s Slide.
It IS ‘Devil’s Slide’ – and the almost free standing basalt column nearby is known as ‘Devil’s Pulpit’. Just FYI, I’ve been asked to pass on – any and all climbing and other material will be removed from the cave – for safety and liability reasons – when last there, park crews found unsafe equipment, frayed rope and poor quality carabiners – use of which could compromise the safety of the inexperienced.
@Hikeagiant2: THANK YOU for mentioning that people bringing junk and not taking it back out with them will have it removed! I have found rope, string, candles, and some things I wont mention here, all about the place. Not cool. Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints folks. It is a STATE PARK, after all. Nothing diminishes the fun of “discovering” the caves more than finding someone’s frayed rope and melted candles strewn about. I would love to get in on a cleanup one of these times, myself. We have mentioned it on the Facebook page… How cool would it be to get rid of that graffiti!!
i wonder if the Leatherman ever used DMC.
anyways, anyone know the history of what is being called the geo station?
i never much hiked the colored trails outside of the blue trail when i was a boyscout in the early 60’s. sleeping giant was a hippie hang out where we went swimming before the flood in the 80’s took out the mill dam. they also offered camping which was really cool. having such a gettaway so close was fantastic. same with brooksvale park, being no longer available to campers. i never understood the closed at sunset BS. there is a whole ecosytem that exists at nite the people are deprived from. not saying rock climbing is a nitetime endeavor. but sitting at a table and listening for owls would be cool.
my great grandfather planted with the WPA or CC’s perhaps?, some of what are the massive pines still existant in the “park” areas.
as to graffiti and the like, nobody wants these places to become trash pits. i do wonder how much of the graffiti is in its own way now part of the history of this DMC. it would be terrible to erase “Gerry Garcia” for example. remember, just because we maybe on the side of whats “proper” park usage, that it is a park. that people were on the giant before the dickermans or the tuttles or the ives. lets hope they will be on the giant after we are long gone. or untill the Hobbonoks awakes. we dont moraly own these caves anymore than jerry garcia or pt barnums nephew did. remember, the facination of DMC seems to be its historical human element, so what ever humans do in there becomes part of the deal. even some grafiti.
I believe the Leatherman used a shelter on Pine Rock when passing through the area.
well that certainly could be. but my question stems from a road in westwoods named leatherman trail. it is located off fans rock road and dead ends on the north side of high rock. without a map of the blue trail, my memory says that road is pretty close to the blue trail, which is a fairly linear run back to the giant. i would also think that it could be a good days walk/hike in those days from high rock to pine rock. so assuming the leatherman had a shelter on pine rock, it still makes sense (to me anyways) that he had a place to stay back toward the giant someplace. with all these caves up there, i was just curious. i much appreciate your response to my inquery. so much of this backwoods history has been lost. i grew up in the area and wish i knew more about its past.
About 30 years ago Howard Dickerman’s widow gifted an acre of land off Joyce Road to the Hamden Historical Society. Located at the base of the rock ridge that runs east-west from the old Enos Dickerman farm on West Woods Road to and beyond the Brethren on Shepard Avenue, the “cave” is basically a cleft in the rock that would barely keep him out of the elements. There must be info buried in their room at Miller Memorial.
I can’t remember where I read it, but many folks did speculate that the Leatherman (his circuit was roughly 1886-1889) used Dead Man’s Cave (aka Abraham’s Cave, for reasons I have not been able to discover). P.T. Barnum’s nephew’s body was found there mid-April 1873, and widely written and spoken about at the time. It’s possible that the OLM could have known about it. Early residents also speculate that the Regicides used Abraham’s cave, but there has been no real evidence found.
There *is* a known OLM cave off a street called Leatherman Trail in Hamden acquired, as Woody said, from the Dickerman’s who donated it to the Hamden Historical Society. There’s a picture at http://hamdenhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com/our-society-2/properties/the-leather-man-cave/
As for graffiti – I admit to having a fondness for inscriptions left “back when” – and far less tolerance for spray painted anything – while I did not join last week’s Trails Crew in the clean up, the one small area ‘gifted’ us with a large black trash bag full of ‘stuff’ – as Chuck said earlier in a post … some of it ‘unmentionable’. The focus of the park is the preservation and appreciation of nature, and I love delving into the ‘human element’ and bringing the folks who have enjoyed and preserved the Giant to the fore. Turning a natural spot into a graffiti laden inner-city tableau doesn’t make it with me. I see the fascination with Dead Man’s Cave two-fold: a fascination with ‘what lies beneath’ and the desire to explore unknown spaces vs a desire to go where one can do ‘whatever’ and run no risk of getting ‘caught’ and leaving their ‘mark’ in as garish and invasive way as possible.
If you are interested in the History of the Giant, SGPA is running a hike tomorrow, April 14th on the History. If you have stories or memories of the Giant’s past, we’d love to hear ’em! Thanks.
well joyce road, at least most of it, is a fairly recent st. some fairly well heeled friends of mine built up there maybe 20 years ago. its also a fair distance to what is presently named leatherman trail, itself really not that old of a town street. however it does seem reasonable to beleive an old logging road or farm service road may have been existant from joyce to leatherman and indeed used by the OLM while traversing the area. i would beleive the westwoods dickermans in the days of the leatherman had contact with him and the decendants there of, would know the lore.
so thanks for all that conversation.
i am not sure i fully agree that a “park” main mission is for the preservation of nature as much as it is for providing public use for people to enjoy it. that would be more a wilderness area. a thin line there i would admit. but think its important to remember the park belongs to all ct taxpayers, not any one group or individual, no matter how noble their intentions. as to graffitti, i am not advocation spray cans, i am just stating a cautionary word regarding the removal of graffitti. it usually makes more of a mess and rarely keeps it from reaccuring. the only way to stop it is to fence it off. which was done, speaking of the regicides, to their cave on west rock. eventually, and thankfully, that iron stuff was removed and people have access once again. (can anyone imagine fencing off a cave that was used by men whom were evading going to prison? ) the last time i was up there, the graffiti seemed to be under control. anyways my point is fighting graffitti maybe a losing battle at a cave as remote as DMC.
i do give thanks for the folks that made up the clean up crew. keeping it clean as possible goes along way toward creating the sense of an unspoiled place. you know, one cigarette butt will lead to 3 , 4 or five more, and then to empty packs and snapple bottles and empty ez widers packets and what i assume to me used “unmentionables” …yukk!
i guess i really dont have an answer to any of this. meaning i should be quiet i guess. lol. i wouldnt mind coming to a meeting or taking hikes. my stories arent all ones my mother would want to hear. like when we threw one of the summer rangers into the mill pond. (statue of limitations hopefully applies). and i do have better ones than that! but as to hiking my legs suffer from complications due to diabetes. i havent been able to do much of anything for the last couple of seasons. i am geting better and might be able to walk the main castle path sometime. climbing the quarry is out. plus i am on raising my second family and my girls have fastpitch commitments almost every day for the next couple of months.
sorry about my spelling. carpal arthritis i guess.
Only been there once since the ceremony 30 years ago, when we went in from Joyce, which is only a couple or three hundred feet longer than it was in 1978 and 1948 and long before. There’s also the remains of an old road that leads right to Joyce Rd from near Enos’ farm where a hiker’s car or two is often parked. The HHS piece was carved from the land sold to the developer of Leatherman trail, so the cave is probably best described as between Joyce and there.
well it looks like there is 2 joyce roads then. perhaps, as is with paradise ave, the road did go thru at least on paper or old dirt road in the field. i was talking about joyce road off of west todd. i do find your joyce road which is off west woods and now makes sense. even though i went to alice peck school, i admit to growing up on the south side of the ridge .
anywayz, i get it. the OLM is rumored to have hit up DMC. then came from Mt Carmel. past the 3 Brethren, and to a shelter rock/cave of sorts located on what is now historical society property off current leatherman trail, and in the direction of joyce road. sounds like he then followed the west rock ridge for the most part, and ending up on pine rock. of course he may not have taken the exact trail each time. and now i would have to wonder if he ever used judges cave as a shelter.
another question. the OLM era of the late 1880’s. this was before, or during when all the first growth forest was cut down? i am wondering about how it was to traverse the land back then and to find places for shelter. imagining him trekking the woods as it exists today could be very inaccurate.
getting back to SGSP, i would imagine it was logged as much, or not more, as it was quarried. i dont recall ever running into a tree i would call old growth forest.
I’ll leave the logging question to the experts, though I know selective cutting was done on both the Giant and West Woods area by several different Dickermans, and they and the Doolittles had saw mills. The Joyce Road to which you refer was called Joyce Rd II by the town when it came off the “paper roads” list in the 80’s or so.
ok. thanks!
woody, if i may, do you belong to the HHS? my father once contributed photographs he took of hamden historic homes to a book published by that organization.
Once upon a time yes. Should, I guess. Live in New Mexico now.
oh! hey thats cool. i wouldnt mind spending a couple years or so in new mex. ct is a really good place to live if one has big money. or if one has no money! i got a good pension but it really isnt enuff to raise my second family on with any extras. hamdens taxes are outrageous and they are set to get much worse. nostalgia and history are cool. but consider yourself lucky. things are not the same around here as we remember it.
In New England in general, as much as 95% of land was used for agriculture as late as the 1880’s – which means, generally, clear cut. I don’t know about logging operations that might have rivaled the quarrying, but a great number of people held lots of varying sizes, some small (under 5 acres), some larger – the wood from these lots – back then chestnut, as well as the oak and maple – was used around the home for heating, fence posts, building, etc. – wood was also cut and transported to Stiles and other brick yards for fuel. At the presentation on the cabins on SG that I did for the Hamden Historical Society about a year ago, one of the audience said that men would go up to the mountain to their woodlots, cut wood all day and take it over to Stiles, overnight in Joel Beach’s barn on Sackett Point and return home the following day. If you are local, stop by the Hamden History room any Thursday afternoon, 1-3:30 or so – the room is a magnet for storytellers – we’d love to have you visit.
Oh, the book you mentioned is still on sale at the history room 🙂
yeah, my leg appts are thursdays at 1.15! hope that doesnt continue forever. so i will keep that HHS day/time in mind.
where actually is sackett point? assuming it relates to the quin river. i do remember Stiles. its no secret so many of the older homes in that area are red brick.
i do have that book. i should revisit it. actually i have so much of my late fathers photography,mostly he did 35mm slides, i need to do something with it someday. in later years he was facinated with the SG. he took many photos similar to the one heading this site from lockwood farm.
you are also right about the wood lots. i researched several i once had a mind to buy. most of them in my area of interest (around high rock) are now homes or under state control.
(more get out at dark BS.) Chesnut! great wood. my dad was also “curator” or manager or whatever his role was, to the eli whitney barn back when it held cultural events (why did they stop?) i beleive he mentioned much of the framing was chestnut .
my guess is much of new england woods went into blast furnaces. especially up north where they may have had large areas under control to the companies. i read once that we have the colorful maples that give new england its fall foilage colors as a result of the denuding of pine forests used for those furnaces.
i wish i could have seen the Hobonocks back around 1650.
hobbomock, sorry!
Sackett Point is a spit of land where the Muddy River flows into the Q river in North Haven. I’d think that the slides for the architecture book would be accepted at the Historical Society should you wish to donate them. As far as pictures of SG – would love to see them! Hobbomock is fascinating!
My dad went to Quinnapiac. We visited when I was much younger and it was cool seeing the mountain and hearing the story from what my dad remembered. If you’re in the area, I found a good article on some Hamden activities to do during the winter. Something to help get you through the cold until that lovely spring comes.
very creative, phil. still spam in my book.
dead man’s cave
I’ll be hiking the giant this weekend, would be happy to show anyone interested where dead mans’ cave is.
Hello, I grew up right near
Hello, I grew up right near sleeping giant (Wallingford corner) and have been hiking it my whole life. I have been to DMC several times and been all the way around and also had a run in with spider cave. This third one (Esophogus / black wells, whatever it is called) I have never experienced. I am sure I would be able to find it but I don’t hike that part of the mountain at all (I like less crowded parts). If someone were willing to show/tell me how to get there I would appreciate it. I can trade info and I probably know some secret places up there that few others do.
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