There’s a new adventure in Minnesota this summer. The Trolls in Detroit Lakes by Danish artist, Thomas Dambo is a unique and fun way to spend a day in D.L. We completed the entire troll hunt, including finding the Golden Rabbit in about a five hours (there’s several miles of hiking and some time spent driving to find everything). We were able to include our kids’ grandparents in the troll trek, for a truly entire family approved adventure.
Recycling artist, Thomas Dambo constructed the trolls as well as the Golden Rabbit as part of his largest exhibition to date. Here’s a few tips and tricks to enjoy the troll experience and help you find the hidden rabbit.
Alexa Elixer-Start HERE
To begin the troll adventure, start in Detroit Lakes City Park. The Trolls in Detroit Lakes exhibition is sponsored by Project 412, a local community group focused on making Detroit Lakes a better place. They have an excellent website explaining the troll project including an invaluable map with the locations of the five trolls as well as the three portals. We used the helpful descriptions and addresses found there to easily locate all the trolls. We did stop at the portal in Detroit Lakes but did not visit the portals in Perham or Fargo. Despite this, we were still able to find the Golden Rabbit.
Code Word and Golden Rabbit Map
Be sure to read the last couple pages of the wooden book beneath the Alexa Elixer troll in City Park. The Golden Rabbit Map and the decoding key were critical to finding the rabbit.
Long Leif
After visiting Alexa Elixer, proceed to the other five trolls in any order. We suggest taking pictures of each, specifically the symbol located on the chain dangling from each troll’s neck. These symbols are key to cracking the code word. Our second troll stop was at Detroit Mountain to see Long Leif. Leif is the tallest troll and requires about a third mile hike one-way to reach. There is plenty of parking near the Tubing Lodge at Detroit Mountain. Look for the purple and yellow birdhouses that mark the beginning of the trek.
Barefoot Frida
From Detroit Mountain, we made our way back towards town to the future location of Ortenstone Gardens and Sculpture Park to see the Barefoot Frida troll. There is only roadside parking available here, so be careful. The walk to Frida is about a third mile each way with a few inclines. If you see all five trolls plus the Golden Rabbit you will hike about five miles total on the troll adventure.
Jacob Everear
To see the Jacob Everear troll, you’ll need to drive about twenty minutes east of Detroit Lakes to Frazee. Located in Wannigan Regional Park, this troll also requires about a third mile hike, one-way to reach. The trail however, is quite flat. At Jacob Everear, the symbol is trickier to see and you’ll need to use the reflection of the mirror the troll is holding to see the symbol.
Ronny Funny Face
The final troll on the hunt to unscramble the code word and locate the Golden Rabbit is Ronny Funny Face. Ronny can be found at Dunton Locks County Park by walking a shorter, entirely paved path to the forested location of the troll. Ronny Funny Face was my favorite troll. After seeing all five trolls, we had five letters of the code word. The final letters of the code word can be found at the three portals in Detroit Lakes, Perham and Fargo. We only had time to see the portal in Detroit Lakes, giving us six of the eight letters we needed in the code word.
Using the symbols we found on each troll and one portal we used the key to decifer the code word. That code word corresponds to a symbol on the Golden Rabbit Map. We compared the rabbit map with Google maps and were able to get a solid idea of where to go to locate the Golden Rabbit.
The Golden Rabbit
The trail to the Golden Rabbit is easy to follow and well marked, however the rabbit itself is well hidden in a heavily wooded area. A round trip journey to the rabbit has several inclines and is one mile round trip. It is recommended that you wear the proper footwear. We were so excited when we reached the rabbit.
The rabbit is constructed of yellow containers that were plucked from the land fill. Since the construction of the rabbit, a recycling solution has been created for the containers. They will no longer find their way to the landfill. The overall theme of the Trolls in Detroit Lakes exhibition highlights the need for environmental awareness and recycling as well as a joy for exploring the outdoors.
Go! See the trolls! Find that rabbit! If you’re looking for more things to see and do in Minnesota, see our list of Minnesota Bucket List Adventures.
Happy Adventuring, Rochelle