How to See Vashon Island’s Giant Troll
Not to alarm you, but six giant trolls live in the Pacific Northwest. Those brave of heart can find their monarch, Oscar, the Bird King, in the forests of Vashon Island. Having long been enamored with Ole Bolle, the giant troll in my home city of Portland, I went on a quest to see the others, a journey I call the Trollgrimmage. Oscar was the finale. Because he takes the most work to find, he gets fewer visitors than his fellow trolls despite being the most regal and magnificent. You'll receive a grand reception if you make it to his court. Here is how to find Oscar, the Bird King, on Vashon Island.
Ferry terminal on Vashon Island
Know before you go
To reach Vashon Island, you’ll need to take a ferry from West Seattle or Point Defiance, Tacoma.
Oscar is in Vashon Island’s Point Robinson Park. It’s open from 8 AM until dusk and free to visit. Park in the upper lot, which is also free.
Point Robinson Park has picnic tables and accessible port-a-potties.
A short dirt trail leads from the parking lot to Oscar the troll. It’s wide, flat, even, and without barriers like steps.
Leashed dogs are welcome in Point Robinson Park. They need to be in a carrier or kennel on the ferry.
It’s difficult to reach Vashon Island’s troll without a car. The transit system doesn’t go to Point Robinson Park. You can bring a bike on the ferry. The roads on Vashon Island are good for biking. Just know that it’s a hilly 12 miles from the ferry terminal to the park.
Oscar, the Bird King, is not a permanent installation. He will stay on Vashon Island for a few years until around 2026.
Oscar's court is set back in the trees
How to find Oscar, the Bird King
Take the ferry from West Seattle or Tacoma to Vashon Island.
Drive or bike to Point Robinson Park.
Follow the Troll sign. Oscar is about 0.1 miles from the parking lot.
Address: 3705 SW Point Robinson Rd, Vashon, WA 98070
Ferry routes
Two ferry routes go to Vashon Island. Their cost and travel times are similar.
Starting in Seattle, head to the Fauntleroy Terminal in West Seattle. The ferry goes to the terminal at the north end of Vashon Island.
Starting in Tacoma, take the ferry from the Point Defiance terminal. You’ll arrive at the Tahlequah terminal on the south end of Vashon Island.
Vehicle deck on the ferry
West Seattle
Navigate to: Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal, Seattle, WA 98136
Transit time: 20 minutes
Frequency: Every 50-60 minutes. Find the schedule here.
Point Defiance
Navigate to: 5810 North Pearl St, Tacoma, WA 98405
Transit time: 15 minutes
Frequency: Every 50-60 minutes. Find the schedule here.
Cost
Fares for the ferry involve a complicated pricing grid based on number of passengers, age of passengers, and type of vehicle. As an estimate, it cost about $35 for my friend and me to cross with a car. Whether you leave from Seattle or Tacoma, you’ll only pay on the way there. The return trip from Vashon Island is free. Kids 18 and under ride for free both ways.
If you’re biking, you’ll only pay an extra dollar on top of the adult fare, about $8 total per person.
The trip
I enjoy taking the ferry. Once you park the car on the lower deck, you’re free to walk around the boat. There are comfy booths next to big windows where you can watch the water and do one of the ferry’s puzzles. If it’s not raining, it’s fun to admire the Puget Sound and look for sea lions from the outside deck. The boats have bathrooms and a snack bar. When you arrive at your destination, an announcement lets you know to head back to the car.
Ferry puzzle
Oscar, the Bird King
After the ferry ride, head to Point Robinson Park to continue your troll quest. From either ferry terminal, it’s a 20-25 minute drive. On the way, you’ll cross over to Maury Island. Point Robinson Park is on its eastern shore. When you arrive, park in the upper parking lot. If it’s full, you can park on the street. Look for a trail near the park entrance that points toward the troll. Oscar is just around the corner.
Follow this sign
Oscar is the largest of the trolls in Thomas Dambo’s Way of the Bird King exhibit. True to his regal status, Oscar, the namesake Bird King, sits on a throne of logs. He wears a crown of sticks and birdhouses. His open-air court has benches and picnic tables to welcome human visitors. Stakes with birdhouses surround the court, housing some of Oscar’s subjects.
Oscar, the Bird King
Unlike the other Pacific Northwest trolls, Oscar is commanding. Seated, he’s an impressive 20 feet tall. His eyes follow you as you move around his court. From a distance, his outstretched arm and pointed finger look benevolent, as though he’s giving his blessing. Up close, his face shows a remarkable animation that’s not without humor. You get the sense that you’ve surprised him with your presence and must wait to see if he will bellow or laugh in response. Approach his giant form and tremble.
Oscar's gaze is, shall we say, direct
Like all of Thomas Dambo’s trolls, Oscar is made of recycled material, mostly repurposed wood shipping pallets. Dambo’s design shows that trash can become beautiful again and return seamlessly to natural spaces. Oscar does not distract from the peace of the forest. He highlights its magic. As you linger, you’ll notice more details. Sticks from the madrone tree form his rust-red beard. Shells adorn his log throne.
Approach, puny humans
Point Robinson Park and Lighthouse
Trails through the forest lead to the Point Robinson Lighthouse
After visiting Oscar, it’s worth spending some time exploring 10-acre Point Robinson Park. An easy 1.2-mile hiking trail makes a pretty loop through the woods. It winds past some picnic tables and a couple of campsites and then leads to the lighthouse. Since no roads connect the cities to Vashon Island, the park stays peaceful and fairly uncrowded, even on beautiful afternoons.
Point Robinson Lighthouse
After the giant troll, Point Robinson Lighthouse is the park’s next biggest attraction. On the eastern tip of Maury Island, it has been guiding ships since 1885. Today, it’s fully automated, and the keeper’s quarters have become vacation rentals. The lighthouse stands on the shore of a tranquil, sandy beach rich in driftwood. Across the Puget Sound, you’ll see Seattle’s Alki Point. On a clear day, look for the distant peak of Mt Rainier. Take a minute to watch the water. Orca sightings are rare but not impossible in the Sound. If you visit on a Sunday in the summer, you can take a lighthouse tour.
Former keeper's quarters at Point Robinson Lighthouse
Vashon Island
Despite being a 20-minute ferry ride from both Seattle and Tacoma, Vashon Island feels far away from the city. Scenic country roads lead from the ferry terminals to the island’s beaches and parks. For more time near the water after your troll quest, head to KVI Beach.
Vashon Island has a small downtown with shops and restaurants.
For coffee and pastries, try Snapdragon Bakery & Cafe.
For lunch, May Kitchen and Bar has Thai dishes beyond what you find on most American menus. Think fried watercress, oyster mushrooms, and trout with mango and mint.
For pizza and beer, head to The Rock Island Pizza.
On the way to see Oscar, you’ll pass some of Vashon Island’s farm stands. One of the best is Flora Hill, the popsicle and drinking shrub stand close to Point Robinson Park. Expect creative rotating seasonal flavors like pumpkin, quince sorbet, and rose cardamom.
Flora Hill popsicle and shrub stand
Make it two trolls
If you’re returning to Seattle after visiting Oscar, the ferry terminal is just down the road from another of the Pacific Northwest’s giant trolls, Bruun Idun. Once you leave the ferry, drive 0.3 miles north on Fauntleroy Way SW to Lincoln Park. Park the car and follow the hiking trail closest to the water. In about a half mile, you’ll reach the troll. She’s just past the pool.
Bruun Idun
Bruun Idun is surprisingly serene for being in a much more crowded forest than Oscar. Chances are you’ll need to wait for a photo op while other troll hunters visit her. The 16-foot-tall Bruun Idun is popular. Shell offerings lie at her feet as she plays a song for the orcas, asking them to return. If you look closely, you’ll see orcas carved on her flute, a creation of Muckleshoot artist Coyote. Like Oscar, Bruun Idun’s body is made of recycled wood. Her hair is sticks of driftwood from the nearby beaches.
After your troll visit, you can head back to the car or explore Lincoln Park’s five miles of hiking trails. Visiting Lincoln Park and its troll is free.
Post-troll explorations
Seattle
If you’re returning to Seattle after your troll excursion, see Bruun Idun in Lincoln Park and then head a few miles north to Alki Point. This peninsula extends out into Puget Sound, forming Seattle’s westernmost point. A promenade runs parallel to sandy Alki Beach. Its centerpiece is, oddly enough, a replica of the Statue of Liberty. Alki Point is a good place to look for seabirds, seals, and sea lions hunting for fish.
Alki Point
On the other side of the road, the restaurants facing the Sound are great places for people-watching while having drinks and snacks. Try the cocktails and curry at Lotus on the Beach or wine and stuffed squash blossoms at Driftwood. Troll questing is thirsty work.
Drinks at Lotus on the Beach
Tacoma
If your troll quest ends in Tacoma, the ferry terminal is next to the city’s coolest place, Point Defiance Park. The best time to visit is in the summer when the gardens are blooming. The highlight is usually the roses, but the dahlias stole the show when I visited in late summer. In early spring, check out the cherry blossoms in the Japanese garden. In late spring, look for irises and rhododendrons. Besides the flowers, Point Defiance Park has miles of hiking trails, an off-leash dog park, beaches, a zoo and aquarium, a living history museum, and real-life Chutes and Ladders. Most attractions are free, including the garden. A few, like the zoo and aquarium, charge admission.
Dahlias at Point Defiance Park
Enjoy your visit to Vashon Island’s giant troll!
With love,
Emma
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