Sleeping Giant, a traprock mountain in Hamden and Wallingford north of New Haven, is a prominent section of the Metacomet Ridge named for its humanlike outline. Formed about 200 million years ago from basalt lava flows later tilted and exposed by erosion, it has sheer cliffs, unusual microclimates, uncommon plants, and serves as an important seasonal raptor migration route. Its stone observation tower, built on the Left Hip by the Works Progress Administration in 1936, overlooks surrounding valleys and Long Island Sound. Quarrying scars on the Giant’s Head helped inspire a preservation campaign that led to the creation and expansion of Sleeping Giant State Park.

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