Holly Skogen Park - Starbuck, MN

Holly Skogen, also known as the Troll Park by local children, is a little gem of a park on the corner off HWY 28 and 6th Street, on the west edge of Starbuck. The two acre park pays tribute to Starbuck’s Scandinavian heritage and to nature’s beauty even within the city limits. Arne Pederson, a beloved Norwegian resident, began its development in 1986 and made it available to the public. Visitors love to walk along the stone-lined trails which wind their way through a thick growth of trees and brush along a small stream of water. Several bridges, one of which is a covered bridge, span the stream. Trolls will surprise you at many turns in the path. A troll is a class of being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore who live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human beings. But don’t be afraid as they will never hurt you, they just have a mischievous nature. When visitors are present they stand still like a statue. This is a wonderful place to sit and ponder, play fantasy games, or write a nice letter to a friend. Be sure to check the Holly Skogen post office for troll mail too! By the way, “Skogen” is Norwegian for “forest” or “woods”, so Holly Skogen means “Holly Wood!”

The park is cared for by volunteer adults and students of the area schools who work together to restore and maintain the park. We welcome ideas and volunteers to make this park even better! 

 

Things to see and do in the park for all ages:

• Start at the Viking Ship Mooring Rock
• Cross the covered red bridge
• Find the 12 Trolls (standing still like statues) in the park
• Spot the huge glacially deposited Erratics (huge boulders) from Canada
• Find 8 different old horse drawn farming implements (Hay Cutter, Hay
• Rake, Single Bottom Plow, Wagon, Two Row Corn Planter, Grinding Stone, Single
• Row Cultivator, Potato Picker.)
• Identify the different birds, animals and trees in the park
• Decide which is the LARGEST tree in the park and measure it’s trunk.
• Check out the student constructed “stick fort.”
• Make a wish at the wishing well
• Have a picnic lunch on the angel’s porch
• Observe the 3 stone sculptures in the northeast area
• Close your eyes for 60 seconds and quietly listen to the sounds of the forest.
• Receive a note from a Troll or write a note to a troll at the post office.
• Imagine, Imagine, Imagine, living in the forest with the trolls.

Please wear shoes and be careful on and off the paths where there may be soggy grounds from
the natural springs. There is no drinking water, toilet facilities, or garbage cans in our park.

Thank you for being respectful and leaving only footprints.