PNW Trolls

Trolls: A Field Study — Northwest Trek Wildlife Park & Point Defiance Zoo

Twelve giant Thomas Dambo trolls are coming to Northwest Trek and Point Defiance. We're putting TROLLS: A Field Study on our list for an October adventure combining giant recycled-art sculptures, wildlife, forests, trails, and plenty of quirky photo opportunities.

Location: Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Eatonville & Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Tacoma, Washington
Type: Quirky Stop / Outdoor Art / PNW Trolls
Status: WANT-TO-GO 🟡

Why It’s on Our List

We've already made a habit of looking for the giant trolls scattered around the Pacific Northwest.

So when we discovered that Thomas Dambo's TROLLS: A Field Study was coming to Northwest Trek and Point Defiance, it didn't take much convincing to put this one on the list.

This isn't just one giant troll hiding beside a trail.

It's a whole field study.

There are 12 trolls in all — eight at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and another four at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. The trolls are enormous, ranging from roughly 7 to 9 feet tall, and are built primarily from reclaimed materials such as fallen branches, scrap wood, pallets, and twigs.

That's right up our alley.

Meet the Trolls at Northwest Trek

Taks — The Fearless Leader

Taks organized the field study after noticing signs of human waste and environmental damage. Rather than being angry with humans, Taks is curious about us and wants to understand us before deciding how trolls might help.

Find Taks along Northwest Trek's cat pathway.

Anja — The Counting Troll

Anja watches human behavior, particularly those little acts of kindness toward the planet — recycling, planting trees, and helping animals.

Find Anja behind the Golden Eagle habitat.

Wilde — The Wild Guardian

Wilde is concerned with the forest and the wildlife that depends upon it, watching what happens when humans enter the picture.

Find Wilde along the Tour Station pathway.

Bignut — The Planner

Bignut thinks about the future of forests and how today's decisions affect what happens years from now.

Find Bignut along the Nature Trails Fairy House Loop.

Lilnut — The Seed Keeper

Lilnut is interested in how forests regenerate after storms, fires, and other disruptions.

Find Lilnut along the upper bear pathway.

Hasse — The Look Through Troll

Hasse experiments with building structures from reclaimed materials and is fascinated by the ways humans construct things.

Find Hasse near the gray wolf pathway.

Kirse — The Handstand Troll

Kirse is the one who apparently can't stand still.

Always appearing to be in motion, Kirse represents curiosity and human physicality.

Find Kirse along the lower bear pathway.

Valle — The Sleepiest Troll

Valle has figured something out that the rest of us haven't.

Sometimes you just need to stop and rest.

Find Valle in the Free-Roaming Area. Valle can be viewed from the tram, Keeper Adventure Tour, or Wild Drive.

And Then There Are Four More at Point Defiance

The troll hunt doesn't end at Northwest Trek.

Four more trolls are waiting at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, giving us a second opportunity to go looking for these enormous recycled-art creations.

Boge — The Welcoming Hands

Boge believes trolls and humans should learn from one another.

With arms stretched wide, Boge represents openness, connection, and the possibility that humans and trolls might actually figure out how to work together.

Find Boge at the front entrance of Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.

Larke — The Mask Troll

Larke watches the weather, birds, and changing seasons, reminding the other trolls that nature works in cycles and can't be rushed.

Look for Larke near the polar bear habitat. Her distinctive hat is part of her personality, reflecting human individuality and fashion.

Poppy — The Curious Collector

Poppy collects small objects humans leave behind.

By studying these discarded things, Poppy is trying to understand why humans make so many objects designed to be used only once.

Find Poppy near the muskoxen habitat.

Birch — The Measure Troll

Birch studies trees and forests, particularly the fascinating ways trees communicate through their roots and soil.

Birch sees forests as communities and represents the growing human understanding that a forest is much more than a collection of individual trees.

Find Birch at the Asian Forest Sanctuary.

A Different Kind of Troll Hunt

What makes this one particularly interesting is that the trolls aren't simply placed in a field for people to photograph.

They're integrated into the landscape.

At Northwest Trek they're tucked among wildlife habitats and forest trails. At Point Defiance they're mixed into gardens, pathways, and animal habitats. The whole idea is to slow down, explore, and see the natural world from a slightly different perspective.

And there's a bigger idea behind all those enormous faces staring back at us.

Thomas Dambo builds his trolls primarily from reclaimed materials, turning things that might otherwise become waste into giant works of art.

So the troll hunt is really a combination of:

giant trolls + forests + wildlife + art + a little environmental awareness.

The Plan

We're planning to make the trip in October.

We'll start with Northwest Trek and go looking for the eight trolls there.

Then we'll make a separate trip to Point Defiance to find the other four.

That gives us 12 trolls to find.

And, naturally, we'll be taking pictures.

Lots of pictures.

We'll add our photos and our impressions after the visits.

The goal isn't just to find the trolls.

It's to see how well these enormous pieces of recycled art fit into the Northwest landscape — and, of course, determine which ones we like best.

Practical Notes

TROLLS: A Field Study opens October 15 and runs through January 24. The exhibit is included with paid admission or membership at each park location; you don't need a separate troll ticket.

Parking is free at both Northwest Trek and Point Defiance.

Most of the trolls can be viewed from accessible paved pathways. At Northwest Trek, one troll is in the Free-Roaming Area and can be viewed from the accessible tram, while another is along an unpaved nature trail with roots and uneven terrain. Point Defiance says all four of its trolls are accessible from paved pathways.

Guests can hug the trolls and take pictures with them, but climbing or standing on them isn't permitted.

Northwest Trek:
https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Northwest+Trek+Wildlife+Park%2C+Eatonville%2C+WA

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium:
https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Point+Defiance+Zoo+%26+Aquarium%2C+Tacoma%2C+WA