Entry No. 19 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: outdoor
Rita the Rock Planter
“she crouches in the hills patching holes in the scarred earth”
A 21-foot troll built entirely from recycled wood by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, hidden up a short trail near the old mining town of Victor — she crouches in the hills patching holes in the scarred earth, a quarter-mile walk and a world away from the tourist trail.
The move: Drive the gold-mining backroads to Victor, take the quarter-mile Little Grouse Mountain trail to find Rita, and pack a picnic to make a half-day of the ghost-town detour.
📍 Before you go Rita sits on the Little Grouse Mountain Trail just west of Victor. There are two ways in: park at the lower dirt lot off Highway 67 (about a mile west of town) for the longer uphill climb, or drive Overlook Road to the upper lot for a much shorter walk. Easier still, leave the car in town near Wallace Park and the visitor center and simply follow the colorful birdhouses Dambo planted as trail markers. You're near 10,000 feet here, so bring layers and water and expect to be winded. The road and trail aren't maintained in winter — late spring through fall is your window. Cripple Creek's casinos and old depot sit minutes down the road.
- 📍 Victor
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Little Grouse Mountain Trail, Victor, CO 80860
Hours: Free, open to the public; ~0.25mi rocky walk on Little Grouse Mountain Trail. Remote — combine with a Victor/Cripple Creek day trip.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: visitcos.com · Roadside America · Atlas Obscura · Yelp
last checked: 2026-06-04