The Burlington County Troll Trek is a free, self-guided art trail scattered across South Jersey parks and downtowns, where 19 giant troll sculptures built from recycled and natural materials wait to be found. It started with one Danish-made giant named Big Rusty and grew into a county-wide scavenger hunt that has outlasted its original end date by more than a year.
How One Troll Turned Into Nineteen
This whole thing began with a single, slightly intimidating lady named Big Rusty. In the summer of 2023, world-renowned Danish sculptor Thomas Dambo came to Hainesport and built her at the site of an abandoned factory that’s slated to become the future Creek Turn Park. The 20-foot-high Big Rusty troll sculpture, unveiled in 2023, is made from mostly recycled materials found at the abandoned Creek Turn Ceramic supply factory in Hainesport, which will become Creek Turn Park. She was built from an odd inventory that includes plywood, electrical equipment, a concrete wall, wood and 100 square meters of a rusty metal roof, and she happens to be the 116th troll that was created by Thomas Dambo, the artist known worldwide for his enormous wooden creatures built from society’s leftovers.
Big Rusty was such a hit that county officials decided she needed company. Rather than commissioning more Dambo originals, Burlington County put out a call to local artists. The new trolls were made by 16 artists and teams of artists selected from dozens of submissions made in response to a Burlington County Parks System prospectus. Each artist or team was awarded a $500 stipend to help cover the cost of materials and installation expenses. The rules kept things interesting, too: trolls were required to be larger than 4-feet in height and should be original designs and not copies of Thomas Dambo’s sculptures.
The Kickoff at Smithville Park
The whole exhibition officially launched at a festival, not a press conference, which feels about right for something this playful. Burlington County’s Arts After Dark festival, held at Historic Smithville Park in Eastampton, kicked off the new Burlington County Troll Trek public art exhibition with music, theater performances, fine art exhibits, and poetry. Two of the new trolls debuted that night, and one of them has a genuinely charming backstory: Gracie the Gardener, made from bottle caps, cans and old baseball gloves by artist Norma Neimeister and her husband, John.
Why the Trek Never Actually Ended
Originally, this was supposed to be a temporary thing. The exhibit began in September and was expected to end on December 31st last year but was extended indefinitely at the request of residents, municipalities and sponsors. County leadership sounded genuinely surprised by the response. As Deputy Director Allison Eckel put it, “Troll Trek’s success has well exceeded our expectations, attracting visitors to Burlington County’s parks and downtowns while also inspiring others to create their own trolls from recycled materials.”
Not everything has stayed put, though. Two trolls that started out at Smithville Park have since relocated: Gracie the Gardener and Troll on a Stroll, currently in Historic Smithville Park, were expected to move to new locations at Pennington Park in Delanco and Amico Island Park in Delran. If you’re planning a visit, always check the current map before you head out, since these giants apparently like to wander.
Big Rusty Survives a Scare
Big Rusty’s story took a dramatic turn in late 2024. A wildfire broke out near her Hainesport site, and for a moment it looked like the county’s most famous troll might not make it. All 19 trolls remain in their original locations, including “Big Rusty,” who survived a wildfire in November 2024 that engulfed approximately 40 acres around him. Firefighters moved fast, and according to local reporting, the Big Rusty wildfire that had broken out on November 18th, 2024, was contained by November 20th, 2024, thanks to the prompt response time of local firefighters. She’s still standing today, a little smoke-stained maybe, but very much intact.
Where to Find the Trolls
The trek spans a genuinely large chunk of Burlington County. Partners in the initiative include Lumberton Township, Mount Laurel, Mount Holly and Main Street Mount Holly, Delanco and the Delanco Environmental Advisory Board, Springfield Township, Burlington City and the Lyceum Hall Center for the Arts, Medford and Lower Forge Brewery, Shoppes at Medford Mill and the Medford Arts Center, and the Rancocas Nature Center in Westampton. Trolls turn up in parks, along bike paths, and tucked into downtown storefronts, so this isn’t a single trailhead kind of outing. One rider who mapped a route noted that two of the trolls are where the ride starts, one is an easy detour in Lumberton, and two others are a few blocks off the route in downtown Mount Holly, with one more two miles from Smithville, and another troll is somewhere on the stunning Arney’s Mount Trail.
If you’re determined to see all of them, a map detailing the locations of all 18 trolls, including GPS coordinates, was released and can be found online at the county’s Troll Trek page. It’s the single most useful tool for the whole outing, so pull it up before you leave the driveway.
A Bonus Troll in Bordentown
The troll fever spread beyond the official roster, too. One of the original Troll Trek artists liked the idea so much he made a second sculpture entirely on his own. One of the Troll Trek artists created a second troll now on display in Bordentown City, named Iris, created by John Cannon as a companion to his original troll statue named Edward, both found outside Boyd’s Pharmacy. It’s not officially part of the county map, but it’s proof this idea has legs beyond the original grant program.
What to Know Before You Go
- The whole exhibit is free to visit, with no admission fees at any location.
- Climbing on the trolls isn’t allowed, though photos with them are encouraged.
- Locations shift occasionally, so check the official county map for the most current spots before your trip.
- Pair a troll or two with a stop at one of the partner downtowns, like Mount Holly or Medford, to make a full afternoon of it.
Why This Trek Is Worth Your Time
What makes the Burlington County Troll Trek stand out isn’t just the scale, though 19 sculptures spread across an entire county is nothing to sneeze at. It’s that almost none of this was built by one famous artist parachuting in. A single Dambo troll sparked something, and then sixteen local artists and teams took the baton and ran with bottle caps, old baseball gloves, and scrap wood instead of a blueprint. That’s a rare thing in the world of “big art installation” tourism, and it’s exactly the kind of homegrown, slightly scrappy magic that makes a drive out to South Jersey worth the tank of gas.
NOTE TO THE ADVENTURER: This guide is meant to spark curiosity for what lies beyond the horizon — not to serve as a guarantee. Roads fall into disrepair, buildings are torn down and rebuilt, and properties change hands; 'tis your responsibility to do your own research before setting out. Always heed local and regional law, and always respect ground that isn't your own. Take every entry here as a suggestion, not a decree. This guide's contents were gathered with the aid of artificial intelligence, and like any scout, it will from time to time lead you astray. You assume all risk in following its counsel, and neither this blog nor its author is liable for any loss, injury, or misfortune that results.
