Entry No. 35 — the Fort Collins file — filed under: outdoor-weird

Gnome Road (Elf Lane)

Somewhere between Lake Hiawatha and Lake Apache, a hand-lettered sign warns you not to take, break, or relocate the residents — which is your first hint that this quarter-mile dirt lane is doing something. Ceramic elves peer out of tree roots, trolls wearing mushroom caps cling to bark, fairy doors are mortared into trunk hollows, and a plastic SpongeBob holds his position in the scrub like he's been there forever. Nobody organized this. Decades of anonymous mountain-town contributions just kept accumulating, and the lane absorbed all of it without comment.

The move: Drive up to Red Feather Lakes, walk the lane slowly enough to catch what's hiding in the roots and low branches, then grab a thermos stop at one of the lakeside pullouts on the way back.

📍 Before you go Dirt lane between Lake Hiawatha and Lake Apache, navigable by car or on foot. The road into Red Feather Lakes (County Road 74E) can be rough after spring thaw or heavy snow — high-clearance or AWD is helpful in shoulder seasons. No formal trailhead or parking lot; pull off at the lane.

• 📍 Red Feather Lakes
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Hours: Added 2026-06-21 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-21