My kids annoyingly had two different spring breaks this year, thanks to their schools being in different districts and so our adventuring had to stay local no matter how much my wanderlust had kicked in. I had seen pictures on instagram of these whimsical giant wooden trolls awhile back and I was determined to suss them out, so after googling which one was closest to us, the boys and I piled into the car and headed out. Of course in the rush to leave the house, I forgot my wallet, which lead to another adventure in itself, but more on that later.

The NW Troll project springs from the of creative mind of Danish environmental artist, Thomas Dambo. Since 2013, Dambo has constructed and hidden over 120 giant trolls in the woods in more than 17 different countries. Inspired by Nordic folklore, the trolls merge seamlessly with the environment and are built with the intention of luring more people back out into nature. There is even a troll map which marks where in the world these gentle giants can be found and someday, I’d like to check a few of these beautiful beasts off my own list.

The PNW lays claim to six of these amazing works of art and since Jakob Two Trees was the closest one to our house, he was the first we were able to check off on our giant troll adventure list. Super easy to get to, Jakob is about a quarter mile up the trail from Issaquah’s community center. The path is nice and flat, suitable for walking and biking, and though the boys were quickly whining about “where in the world we were going”, we made it there in about 15 minutes.

Made entirely out of recycled materials, Jakob stands over 14 feet tall and is the first troll to have a ponytail. Made of twigs, his woodsy locks are held in place with a band made by the local Snoqualmie Tribe. His necklace of birdhouses brings a little whimsey to his somber face and it’s easy to imagine him lumbering through the woods in search of mushrooms or whatever it is trolls lumber through the woods for.

After clambering around Jakob and exploring the woods nearby, the boys did finally admit to having fun and before we left, they were already talking about finding the next troll sometime soon. As we headed towards our car, not quite blending in with the hordes of high schoolers who swarmed around us on their walk home, we basked in the fleeting PNW sun and small town Americana charm. The boys, as always, were starving and once we reached the car, it become apparent that my wallet, our ticket to lunch and a brief reprieve from the boy’s voracious hunger, was still chilling at home. So once again we fell in with the tribe of teenagers, marching resolutely towards the local gas station in hopes that they took google pay. We bumped thru the crowded aisles, and as Takis and Cheetos made their way up to the register in record numbers, we gathered our own supplies and crossed our fingers, hoping for a technological salvation. Luck was on our side, google pay came thru, and we streamed back out the revolving glass doors, substance in hand and a new story on our lips. It was a good day for adventuring after all.

Jakob Two Trees is about 1/4 mile from the Issaquah Community Center, just a short stroll down the Rainer Trail.

Issaquah Community Center

301 Rainier Blvd. South Issaquah, WA 98027

Accessible daily, 24 hours a day

Trollmap.com