Vancouver ‘gnome trail’ gets unofficial nod of approval

Freya Fischer and her daughter Cyrus hike Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway in Vancouver, Washington, once a month, to enjoy nature’s changes. A while back, they noticed a small handmade sign with an arrow labeled “Gnome Trail.”

Along a 600-foot side trail, a tiny gnome village rests in the roots of a tree; a gondola hangs from branch-to-branch with tiny gnomes inside. There are mushroom fairy villages, windmills, dragon nests and all kinds of whimsy.

“I think it’s delightful and lovely,” said Freya. “It is almost like you’re in a little fairy world or a gnome world and you kind of discover these things as you’re walking along.”

Cyrus Fischer said she plans to bring a crystal to place somewhere fun in the display, but keeps forgetting.

“I think that the existence of (the gnome trail) does encourage people to engage more with nature,” she said.

The trail was dreamed up by local physician Stacey Condren and her husband, Gary, during the depths of the pandemic. The aim was to give kids something to do outside.

“We were very aware that a lot of people are spending all kinds of time by themselves or on their devices,” Stacey said. “We’re just looking for a way to make it a little more magical for the kids.”

The couple started small, with a handmade sign and a half dozen little gnomes.

“We could watch people with their kids and it brought us so much joy,” she said.

Then, the idea caught on.

“Every time we would come, there would be more and more (gnomes) that we did not put there. And that’s been really fun,” Stacey said.

Now there are maybe 100 gnomes. The biggest is about a foot high, but most are much smaller. The trail has become a local highlight with its own Facebook page.

Then, sometime in April, many of the figurines were smashed to pieces.

“I just think there was probably one very, very unhappy, really angry person,” Stacey said.

The pair think the destruction was likely systematic, rather than kids acting out.

“They would have had to have tools to do what they did,” Gary said, theorizing that someone used a hammer and chisel to pry various gnomes off their perches leaving a trail of plastic and clay trash.

The couple said if the community didn’t want the trail, they would have cleaned it up and taken the gnomes away. Instead, when they came back to the trail one Sunday in early May, they found the village restored.

“All of a sudden there was this outpouring of support,” Gary said. “We’ve done some cleanup. But it was totally cleaned up, repopulated and we didn’t do it.”

The Condrens said they understand it’s in a public park, and not officially sanctioned — although when a city cleanup crew came through earlier this year, they didn’t move anything.

“This is not untouched wilderness. As we walk down you’ll see manhole covers, you’ll see drains and stuff like that,” Gary said.

In a statement to OPB, the city of Vancouver said that while it doesn’t typically endorse unsanctioned development on trails, it’s willing to allow this pocket of “joy and whimsy to stay,” as long as it does not become a danger or cause damage.

In the statement, city officials said its Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services department is contacting project organizers to see how to support the trail.

“We want to work with organizers on an agreement that will define roles and responsibilities for the gnome trail,” the statement said. “We have used a similar approach successfully with other comparable community projects.”

Vancouver resident Kristin Kautz likes to walk her friend’s dog along the gnome trail and has even seen people getting married there. But like a number of hikers OPB talked to, she is torn about the gnome trail.

“Two feelings. One is: ‘Kinda cute.’ The second is: ‘This is nature. Leave it alone,’” Kautz said, adding that her feelings weren’t strong enough to act upon, one way or the other.

Stacey Condren said they’re trying to make it tasteful. “On the Facebook page we’ve said all gnomes that are friendly, looking for a home, get along well with others, are welcome. But G-rated gnomes only.”

She’s also mindful of the concerns that visitors like Kautz have, and wants to maintain the boundaries between nature and whimsy.

“We don’t expect it to get any bigger than it is,” Stacey said. “There may be more gnomes, but our intent is not to have it grow and take over the entire pathway.”