Popular, whimsical Gnome Trail vanishes from Burnt Bridge Creek Trail

A beloved woodland village of mythical creatures located on the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail has vanished without a trace and gnome-body seems to know where it went.

Nestled in the woods on the south side of the Burnt Bridge trail is a whimsical grassroots project called the Gnome Trail. Nearby residents Stacey and Gary Condren created the display during the pandemic. They hoped the dioramas tucked into the woods would encourage children to explore the outdoors. The arrangement of gnomes and other figurines has been a favorite among locals and even has its own Facebook fan page.

But over the weekend, visitors noticed that the collection of statues was missing. Speculation quickly spread on social media. A city of Vancouver spokesman told The Columbian city workers were not responsible for the removal. Some social media users suggested that a disgruntled neighbor might be behind it.

This marks the second time the trail has been targeted. In May, the Gnome Trail was vandalized, with figurines either removed or destroyed.

Christopher Durtschi and his wife, who moved into a house near the trail two years ago, discovered the Gnome Trail and were enchanted by it. They looked forward to enjoying it with their future family.

The couple now visit the trail daily with their 1-year-old son, who marvels at the various gnomes and likes pointing out the figurines nestled against trees. Durtschi said he hopes the community can rebuild what was once there.

“I don’t want this to go away. It’s such a cool little thing on the trail,” he said. “This would be a sad loss if it were to go away forever.”