MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. — Nestled in the back of Maple Valley’s Legacy Site sits the trailheads to one very popular hike.
Gnome Trail is a half-mile hike with a forest full of trees — and, you guessed it, gnomes!
Some visitors describe these little embellishments as quirky or fun, but unfortunately some view them as targets. The original gnome trail was located in the Black Diamond Open Space but after some issues with vandalism, the trail was relocated to Maple Valley in September of 2020 with the hope of mitigating damages to the gnomes. Unfortunately, the damage continues.
Ongoing vandalism is frustrating some while prompting others to take action to replace the broken pieces as they appear.
Sam Rizer is a long-time resident of Maple Valley, and she is one of many people who are collecting gnomes to replenish the trail. She showed us over a dozen gnomes donated to her on Monday and she’s hoping to connect with local artists to add personal flare to the statues that are all identical.
With kids of her own who are fans of the space, she says she’s frustrated the destruction is the same as the old one. “They tried relocating it and obviously it doesn’t really do much. People aren’t really deterred from destroying things,” Rizer said.
We’ve reached out to the city of Maple Valley, and they tell KIRO 7 News that they’re working closely with the Maple Valley Police Department to install cameras at multiple sites, including Gnome Trail this summer. This upcoming addition is being installed with the hopes it’ll deter vandalism and theft or make catching those committing the crimes easier.
If you’d like to help restoration efforts on this trail you can connect with community members on Facebook.
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