My friend Monica and I are in and around Detroit Lakes today to see the Trolls of Detroit Lakes. They are amazing, large structures hidden around the area. Here’s a blurb from the DL Chamber website…
Minnesota’s forests have long inspired tall tales, legendary characters and cherished photo ops. This summer, thanks to a massive community effort, a fresh fairy tale is coaxing people into the outdoors and onto a one-of-a-kind treasure hunt for supersized trolls. International recycling artist Thomas Dambo and crews have built their biggest troll ever with 36-foot-high Long Leif, towering above a clearing at Detroit Mountain near Detroit Lakes.
There are five trolls, three magic mirror portals and one Golden Rabbit. We found all but the portal in Fargo, mostly because that was too far to drive. We started at Detroit Lakes City Park and then followed the instructions on the Trolls in DL website. It is a scavenger hunt – each troll (and portal) provides you with a letter than helps you track down the Golden Rabbit.
It took us about four and a half hours to complete. We weren’t in a hurry; it was about 5 miles. We dawdled if there were other cool things nearby to see. But also, we didn’t have a stroller, walker or bike we had to drag around. The drill was find a troll, drive to the next one (10-15 minutes) then walk a mile there and back (often less) to find the troll. If I had kids with me, I might turn this into a multi-day escapade.
Some walks are trickier than other given the terrain. If you check out the maps, they provide details on things like accessibility. We had a gorgeous day, which I’m sure made everything easier.
I cannot stress how impressed I was or how much I thought it was worth the drive from the Cities. Also, there are fun places to eat and stay in the area and who doesn’t want to be near a lake on a Minnesota summer day.
One tip: take time to take stock of your clues and get your bearings once you find the final troll. before you jump into heading toward the Golden Rabbit.
Mostly Minnesota 