Isak Heartstone (Dambo troll, relocated to Illinois Gulch)

Breckenridge, Colorado, United States

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Public art

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Current

Listed, not yet checked · Oct 2026

This Big Thing is recorded as still being here.

Isak Heartstone is a 15-foot wooden troll by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, built for the 2018 Breckenridge International Festival of Arts and rebuilt in spring 2019 beside the Illinois Gulch Trailhead, reached by the quarter-mile Trollstigen Trail.

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PLAN YOUR VISIT

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This takes you to the Big Thing itself. If stopping, choose a safe and legal place nearby.

Isak Heartstone (Dambo troll, relocated to Illinois Gulch)

This pin marks the Big Thing itself. If stopping, choose a safe and legal place nearby.

Site-level location · 39.4933° N, 106.0492° W

FIELD GUIDE

The story

A 15-foot troll made of scrap wood waits at the end of a short trail on the edge of Breckenridge, and the story of how he got there is half the appeal. Isak Heartstone is the work of Danish artist Thomas Dambo, who is known for turning recycled and upcycled materials into large sculptures. He was unveiled in August 2018 as part of the Breckenridge International Festival of Arts, a $40,000 commission according to the Denver Gazette.

He was an instant hit. The Gazette reports that Isak went viral online within months of his unveiling, and the crowds heading for his first site, in a residential part of town, became overwhelming. The troll was deconstructed and rebuilt in spring 2019 near the town ice rink, where he remains. The Gazette says the costs of the removal and rebuild have not been released.

The trailhead is in the southeast corner of the Stephen C. West Ice Arena parking lot, next to the Illinois Gulch Trailhead, and the Trollstigen Trail runs about a quarter of a mile one way. GoBreck says the trail was upgraded to be accessible from summer 2024, with a maximum grade of 3 percent and two rest areas. Isak is one of about 130 recycled-wood trolls Dambo has built worldwide, and Colorado has a second one in Victor.

Visiting takes planning. There is no troll parking, and GoBreck warns that parking on town or county roads is ticketed at $50; it suggests the Breck Free Ride bus. The trail is one-way, bikes are not allowed, dogs must be leashed, drones are banned and the path is not maintained in winter. The Gazette notes the troll is not built to last forever, so take care of the troll and the trail, and avoid damaging him.

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PRACTICAL

Plan your stop

WHAT TO EXPECT

A short walk on the Trollstigen Trail (about a quarter-mile one way) leads to the wooden troll. There is no troll parking, and parking on nearby town or county roads is ticketed at $50. The trail is one-way with no bikes, dogs on leash, no drones, and the trail is not maintained in winter, so expect ice, snow or mud in late October.

ACCESS

Trollstigen Trail, from the southeast corner of the Stephen C. West Ice Arena parking lot beside the Illinois Gulch Trailhead, Breckenridge. No troll parking; GoBreck suggests the Breck Free Ride bus.

COMMUNITY

Visitor Log

WHAT'S NEXT

Find another Big Thing nearby

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Coney Island Hot Dog Stand

Bailey, Colorado

The Coney Island Hot Dog Stand is a hot-dog-shaped building, 42 feet long and about 18 tons, beside Roark Creek along the highway in Bailey, Colorado. Built in 1966 on Denver's West Colfax Avenue, it moved to Aspen Park in 1970 and to Bailey in 2006.

Buildings and structures

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49 km away

TRANSPARENCY

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