Giddings Park

Giddings Park

Franklin Town Park

72 acres in Franklin, CT

Parking: Large lots near 191 Pond Rd, North Franklin, CT

Trail Map        Trails: 1 mile   Trail Difficulty: Easy ⓘ Rating System:Easiest – Paved, Accessible Trail
Easy – Dirt, mostly smooth and wide
Moderate – Rolling terrain, variable width, standard rocks and roots
Difficult – Steep elevation and/or challenging
Strenuous – Likely long or technical segments with possible drops/exposure.     Rating: ★★☆☆☆  ⓘ Rating System:★☆☆☆☆ – Unmaintained, short hike, or not much to explore
★★☆☆☆ – Enjoyable short hike usually for locals
★★★☆☆ – Great hike with highlights, worth seeking out
★★★★☆ – Great area to explore worth repeat visits
★★★★★ – Must-see

Giddings Park is everything you want a town park to be.  There are ballfields, a horse ring, tennis and basketball courts, a playground, picnic pavilions, and a tiny lending library.  Then in the woods behind all that, there is a loop of trails with fitness obstacles.  The trails are wide and flat and total about 1.25 miles.

There are about eight obstacles that remind me of Ninja Warrior lite and a couple are legitimately difficult.  I ran the trails stopping at each obstacle which I will call:

Swinging Steps, Swinging Hands, Rope Climb, Wall Climb, Tire Climb, Tunnel Run, Monkey Bars, and Webbed Wall.

There is a large hornet’s nest above the swinging steps, one of the handholds on swinging hands has been knocked loose, and when I went back two days later the rope from the webbed wall had disappeared.  All obstacles are fixed and working as of September 2018.  The center trail also has a recently cleared area with a new mystery obstacle being constructed! As of July 2024, all but the swinging steps are in working order and the mystery obstacle has yet to be completed.

As far as I know, there isn’t anything else like this around and it’s a fun way to enjoy a walk and test your body at the same time. 

Giddings Park is also the site of an annual Tuff Run which takes place in August.

History:

Links:

• CTMQ – Giddings Park (2019)
• Town of Franklin – Plan of Conservation and Development

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Last updated July 24th, 2024