Troll Hunt
Near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
By Nicole Thom-Arens
Published in 2024
The air was thick with humidity as I looked up ready to tackle the remaining trail ahead, but when I raised my head after making a steep climb, Tim and Liam were stopped. We had made it to our destination and were standing at the base of the Golden Rabbit—the sixth sculpture on our scavenger hunt that started three hours earlier in the Detroit Lakes, Minnesota City Park. The final hike, advertised as the most difficult and longest—nearing a half mile—passed so quickly, I was not expecting to already have reached our destination.
Trolls in D.L. by Thomas Dambo is a free family-friendly scavenger hunt that started in summer 2024. Dambo, a Danish artist, uses his art to showcase how old wood and what might be considered trash can be transformed into something exiting and otherworldly. Dambo and his team, along with more than 300 volunteers, spent four weeks completing the collection, which is the largest installation of trolls in the United States at the time of publishing. Dambo’s trolls occupy other U.S. cities and 20 other countries across five continents.
Trolls in D.L. by Thomas Dambo is a free family-friendly scavenger hunt that started in summer 2024. Dambo, a Danish artist, uses his art to showcase how old wood and what might be considered trash can be transformed into something exiting and otherworldly. Dambo and his team, along with more than 300 volunteers, spent four weeks completing the collection, which is the largest installation of trolls in the United States at the time of publishing. Dambo’s trolls occupy other U.S. cities and 20 other countries across five continents.
Each troll is distinctive in its charm and character, made with recycled wood, and equipped with a childlike name: Ronny Funny Face, Barefoot Frida, Jacob Everear, and Long Leif. The scavenger hunt includes a story, Alexa’s Elixer, in which the Golden Rabbit is the villain (and the only sculpture made from recycled plastic). As you discover each troll, you learn they each have something unique to contribute to Alexa’s protective elixir.
We embarked on our hunt the morning of July 4, 2024, and encountered fellow hunters young and old along the way. Most of the hikes are fairly easy with slight inclines. All except Alexa and Ronny Funny Face are tucked away in wooded areas and require venturing off the paved roads.
The troll locations can be found on the Visit Detroit Lakes website. The Golden Rabbit’s location is revealed by decoding the symbols on each of the troll’s necklaces and the relics on the three portals—we easily solved the puzzle just by visiting each troll. You’ll need to use the key and map to find the Golden Rabbit’s location once you’ve solved the word puzzle. Happy troll hunting!
This project was made possible thanks to Project 412, a Detroit Lakes nonprofit.
The troll locations can be found on the Visit Detroit Lakes website. The Golden Rabbit’s location is revealed by decoding the symbols on each of the troll’s necklaces and the relics on the three portals—we easily solved the puzzle just by visiting each troll. You’ll need to use the key and map to find the Golden Rabbit’s location once you’ve solved the word puzzle. Happy troll hunting!
This project was made possible thanks to Project 412, a Detroit Lakes nonprofit.