Take A Stroll With Trolls On This Enchanting Nature Trail In Nebraska
By Delana Lefevers|Published June 11, 2019
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Delana Lefevers
Author
As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.
If you need a little more fun and whimsy in your life, you’ll find it in Oakland, about an hour northwest of Omaha. The cozy little city of just more than 1,200 people is charming all around, but it’s this path in Oakland City Park that will steal your heart. The No Toll Troll Stroll was established in 1987, and for quite some time was a popular tourist attraction. Today it’s a bit worse for wear, but still offers a unique nature walk with a little something extra.
The trail is a bit removed from the rest of the park. Elsewhere, you'll find lots of grassy open spaces. But the No Toll Troll Stroll is a slightly darker, wilder, wooded path that you can't help but be drawn toward.
You know you're in for an unusual adventure when you see the brightly painted sign at the trailhead. The 3/4-mile wood chip path is fun and easy, even for little legs.
Throughout the trail you'll find several enchanting little wooden bridges. They all look like they're straight out of a fairy tale - and true to the path's name, there's no troll underneath demanding a toll.
There's also a fun little photo opportunity where you and a friend can pretend to be Swedish children. Oakland is the Swedish capital of Nebraska, after all!
Be sure to bring plenty of bug spray on this walk. The path is full of trees, tall grasses, and a stream - all favorite breeding grounds for insects. Don't forget to do a tick check when you get home, too.
A little distance from the Troll Stroll is another spot worthy of a visit. Oakland's Four Trees are a well-known local landmark; in fact, the forest itself and a nearby housing development are named after the trees.
The trees are around 130-150 years old and so majestic that you'll want to snap plenty of pictures. It seems that one of them is no longer with us, but its stump remains.
