South Mountain Fairy Trail – Millburn, New Jersey - Atlas Obscura
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South Mountain Fairy Trail

Millburn, New Jersey

These mystical miniature houses bring a touch of magic to the New Jersey woods. 

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Hopefully this won't disappear or be destroyed. South Mountain Fairy Trail/Used With Permission
Hopefully this won't disappear or be destroyed. South Mountain Fairy Trail/Used With Permission
A stone house with deck in the twig home cluster. South Mountain Fairy Trail/Used With Permission
Inspired by the Norwegian log chair "kubbestol." South Mountain Fairy Trail/Used With Permission
A quaint shelter beneath a tree trunk. South Mountain Fairy Trail/Used With Permission
The new table, chair, and couch in the house in the tree by the big steps. South Mountain Fairy Trail/Used With Permission
Close-up of the birch and fungi swing in the oldest fairy house. South Mountain Fairy Trail/Used With Permission
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Intricate little fairy houses, made mostly of natural materials, line a stretch of trail in the South Mountain Reservation park near Millburn, New Jersey.

These minute birdhouse-like creations feature teeny chairs made of acorns, ladders made of twigs, beds made of moss, and roofs made of tree bark. Walkers can expect to find them tucked within the tangle of trees along the trail’s edge.

Therese Ojibway, a special education teacher, started building and placing the fairy houses along the trail in 2011 to offer unexpected surprises for outdoor explorers. She originally added her miniature touches of magic anonymously, but revealed herself after ill-received imitation structures began popping in the area.

Know Before You Go

South Mountain Fairy Trail is located in South Mountain Reservation of Essex county, at the Locust Grove entrance at 197 Glen Avenue, Millburn, New Jersey, across from the Millburn Library. Head toward the Rahway Trail. The full loop is about 1 mile, but can be shortened by taking a right turn onto any of the first three trails that connect to the Rahway Trail.

imaginary world fairies magic miniatures forests trails houses homes ecosystems nature
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