Explore the enchanting world of Pacific Northwest Trolls in Part 2. Discover the stories behind these whimsical Pacific Northwest Trolls today!

This ambitious public art project is presented by Scan Design Foundation, whose mission is to support Danish-American relations with a focus on environmental sustainability. Pacific Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King features six giant hand-built troll sculptures by Danish environmental artist Thomas Dambo. The publicly accessible sculptures are located around the Pacific Northwest (Washington and Oregon), where each whimsical troll sculpture is part of an underlying environmental story. The project celebrates the human experience of art by amplifying the connections of cultural heritage between Coast Salish Tribal Communities and Scandinavian traditions. There is no admission fee to visit any of the trolls.

Frankie Feetsplinters, unlike the other Pacific Northwest Trolls, lives in the city, and because of this, he isn't a happy camper. You can find him in front of the National Nordic Museum in Ballard, Washington. There is no hiking to get to him because he is in the city, so this is an easy troll to see for everyone.

In Nordic mythology and folklore, trolls are known to be fierce protectors of nature, so meet Jakob Two Trees. He has a birdhouse necklace along with a ponytail. Jakob stands around 14 feet tall, looking down at passersby who walk near him on the trail.

Jakob can be found in Issaquah, Washington, and hangs out approximately a quarter mile from the Issaquah Community Center, down the Rainier Trail. The hike here is pretty straightforward and is very family-friendly with wheelchair accessibility. If you start at the Issaquah Community Center (301 Rainier Blvd S, Issaquah, WA 98027) and walk south on the paved Rainier Trail past the Dog Park, you will find Jakob several minutes down the trail on the right.

The last Troll in this post is Bruun Idun (“Idun” for short – pronounced like “Eden”), playing a flute with a song for the orcas. It is a hike to get to him, and this does depend on where you park. If you park in the parking lot along Fauntleroy Way SW, there are numerous trails to take to get to him, and some are longer than others, so plan your hike. He is located near Coleman Pool, so that should help you prepare.

The hike is relatively easy and very family-friendly, but it is not wheelchair accessible. Note: you start the hike at a higher elevation and have to hike down, so there are some steeper areas.

On your way, there are some great views of the Olympic Mountains. This is a great hike, and you get views of the bluffs along with the beach below.

When you start going downhill, keep looking to the west, and you can see Bruun from the trail.

Once you get to the bottom of the trail, you come out to this view. Coleman Pool is on your right, and head past Coleman Pool, and Bruun is also on the right. You can't miss him if you keep walking along the bottom of the woods.

Bruun Idun is playing the flute for the Orca Whales and has seashells around his feet. The sad thing is, he became the victim of taggers sometime in the middle of September. Bruun had its legs and stomach painted over, as if someone was trying to paint pants on it. Luckily, crews with Seattle Parks and Recreation power-washed the troll, and the paint has been removed.

If you do come here, I would highly recommend spending some time here on the beach. There are benches and a large area to have a picnic with both sand and grass. You can even take a swim, but remember the water here is cold, so I recommend the pool. The view of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains in the background is incredible. Find a log along the beach and try some meditation!!

Now you can decide how you want to hike out. You can take the same trail you came in on, or you can explore and take a new trail. I love to explore, so I chose a crazy trail that was pretty steep and had a lot of steps. I HATE hiking on steps!!!

The Troll hunting experience so far has been fantastic, and if you have any comments or feedback, please let me know.

You can check my earlier post on Ole Bolle, who is located in Portland, Oregon, at this page: Portland Oregon Nordic Troll (crazydsadventures.com). In the next part of this series, I will talk about the last two Pacific NW Trolls, Pia the Peacekeeper on Bainbridge Island, Washington, and Oscar the Bird King on Vashon Island, Washington.

Places to Stay:

Hotel Max

Emerald Skyline

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