Visit the Dambo troll installations closest to Detroit

• The trolls tell stories and act as playful monuments to environmental topics important to Dambo, like reuse and recycling.

Zoom in: There's one troll in Michigan and seven others within a 6.5-hour drive from Detroit, per Dambo's website.

• The closest trolls to Detroit are just over three hours away in Dayton.
• The "Troll That Hatched an Egg" exhibition at that city's Aullwood Audubon Center tells the story of a family of three trolls that make friends with a cardinal and become inspired.

Between the lines: "Benny the Beard Fisher," created in 2023, is a large lounging figure whose beard reaches into a river in the U.P.'s Germfask — approximately 5.5 hours from Detroit.

• "Mama Rosa," a troll depicted smelling lamps as though they were flowers, has set up camp in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, near Milwaukee. That's just under six hours from here.
• A group of three forest giants is 6.5 hours away in Kentucky.

💭 Annalise's thought bubble: I've seen two trolls so far during trips to Colorado and Washington. If your first inclination is to dismiss these as a selfie gimmick, just try visiting one.

• There's more to appreciate about them than a photo-op.
• Sure, they're popular, but they're also lovingly constructed with a giant, calm, natural presence.

Go deeper: Explore a map of the world's Dambo trolls