There are whispers of a hidden community scattered around the Vancouver, Washington area. A community connected through nature without ever seeing or speaking to each other. They formed a magical world hidden along the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail that most will never notice. Its members know one another’s whimsy, artistic vision, and sometimes even their pain, all without ever knowing each other. The Gnome Trail is a thinly veiled path where otherworldly creatures hide from the dirt below to the trees above.
Forging a Gnome Trail in Clark County
The story begins with Stacey and Gary Condren during the pandemic’s isolation. While faced with the challenge of lockdown, they envisioned a playful escape for local families. “We created the Gnome Trail,” Gary shares, “in hopes that it would get kids outside.”
And it worked. The trail is often fill with the squeals of surprise, joy, and excitement from kids as they stroll through, discovering all the treasures, shares Julie Worrall, a Battle Ground daycare teacher. Soon, the Condren’s gnome friends had friends of their own. Villages popped up all along the path, unicorns joined in on the scene, and the gnomes started scaling trees.
Part of the beauty of the gnome trail was the way it spread, not through any grand announcement but quietly, just like the tiny figures hidden along its route. The trail’s only broadcastings were a carved wooden sign at one end and a subtle “G” painted at the other. While the markings are missed by most, they beckon in the curious.
Sadly, the trail’s whimsy didn’t enchant everyone who stumbled upon it. In May 2024, the gnome trail was attacked. An unknown culprit smashed and crashed their way through the passage, destroying the many villages created by the close-knit yet invisible community.
At a devastating time for the collective, Stacey and Gary Condren once again kept them connected. “My wife told the story to The Columbian,” Gary recalls, “and the community came out in full force.” They cleaned up the wreckages and repopulated the space with gnomes and fairies. Next, the couple created a Facebook group. Then the community, once hidden in whispers, became “publicized and visited by many,” he adds.
Preserving Vancouver’s Gnome Trail
In a forest, there’s nothing more important than a strong root system, and the same goes for the Condren’s movement. If something grows too big too fast, the root system can’t keep up to support it. And Gary Condren fears what such expansion could mean for their little world. “My only concern is that if we have too many people visiting the trail, it could become trashy and junky. This has not happened yet,” Gary shares.
So, the Condrens stay in contact with the City and visit the Gnome Trail to help support it, clearing trash and broken pieces. Sadly, the gnome attack left behind no gnome survivors and only a few remnants from the original installations. For the sentimental and interested, the old cozy fireplace still sits near the entrance at the cathedral trees.
Whether you’re a part of the initial community, a newcomer, or just curious, the trail offers enchantment that’s timeless and yet fresh. It’s a place where simple items, like a plain gnome left behind, might transform into something vibrant and unexpected upon your next visit. An inspiring place to enjoy the community’s creativity and even share in their pain. Cradled amongst the fantastical worlds created by this cohort is a memorial for Layla, a little girl who loved the Gnome Trail before she lost her life. And while it won’t bring her back or give her another chance to play along the trail, her mementos keep a part of her in that special place.
Finding the Gnome Trail in Vancouver
Despite the growing buzz, the Gnome Trail still doesn’t appear on Google Maps. Well, not the original Gnome Trail in Vancouver, at least. The couple only posted the coordinates within the trail’s Facebook group, so the magic remains somewhat hidden. To maintain this enchanting world when you finally wander upon it, you don’t have to bring an offering, but remember the number one rule of nature — always leave it better.
Of course, you’ll have to find it first, which, for some, can turn into an adventure reminiscent of fantasy novels. “It was elusive,” Aaron Howard, a local, shares. “As our first attempt was thwarted, and we ended up in some unrelated neighborhood.” But Howard and his partner didn’t give up. They felt it was “Magic, of course,” as Howard describes it. “It wanted to be found in us.”
While the trail may be hard to find, for those willing to follow the subtle signs, another world awaits through magic or creativity or the enchantment of community. Get the coordinates off the Facebook group – it’s about .75-miles down the Stewart Glen Trail on your right.
And as you stroll through it, you’ll feel that same sense of wonder that has captivated so many. You’ll find the fairytale world beckoning wanderers in for a breath of whimsy and a glimpse of something otherworldly.
