A giant 15-foot-tall troll lurks in a Colorado forest – here’s how to find it
The short hike to find a massive 15-foot-tall wooden troll dubbed Isak Heartstone is fun for all ages in Breckenridge, Colorado.
A creation of Danish artist Thomas Dambo, Isak Heartstone went viral online a few months after his August 2018 unveiling. The surge in popularity resulted in an overwhelming number of visitors tracking down his location in a residential part of the mountain town, ultimately resulting in the wooden troll being deconstructed and later rebuilt in a new location near the town’s ice rink in spring of 2019. Heartstone remains at this location today.
Photo Credit: Chancey Bush.
Find Isak Heartstone near the Illinois Gulch trailhead. He’s on a trail built just for him – Trollstigen Trail – which is located on the south end of Breckenridge off of Boreas Pass Road. There’s no troll-dedicated parking at the trailhead, so plan accordingly.
According to GoBreck.com, this trailhead can be reached via 15-minute walk from the town’s Welcome Center at 203 S. Main St. GoBreck describes the Illinois Gulch trailhead to be in the southeast corner of the Breckenridge Ice Rink with Trollstigen Trail on the left. Once on the correct trail, it’s approximately a .25-mile one-way hike to the troll.
This close-up shows the texture of the troll. Photo Credit: Chancey Bush.
The troll sculpture was originally created as part of the 2018 Breckenridge International Festival of Arts – a $40,000 commission. Costs related to the initial removal and rebuild of the troll have not been released.
Here’s a look at troll in its original spot for comparison:
This giant troll is actually called Isak Heartstone, created by Thomas Dambo. This photo shows the troll at its first location. Photo Credit: Jenise Jensen, courtesy Breckenridge Creative Arts.
Note that if you’re visiting Isak Heartstone, it’s crucial that you do your part to take care of the troll and the trail. Pack out any waste you produce and don’t damage the troll. If you see something suspicious going on, report it to local authorities. This troll isn’t built to last forever, but it will stay in its spot longer if it’s taken care of.
Not headed to the Breckenridge area any time soon? There’s another Thomas Dambo troll in the historic town of Victor near Cripple Creek. The two Thomas Dambo trolls in Colorado are among the artist’s 130 recycled wood troll sculptures found worldwide.
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