On November 18 2025, we drove to Asheville, to see the trolls at the North Carolina Arboretum. The Arboretum was holding its annual Winter Lights holiday show — a magical nighttime extravaganza featuring over one million LED lights, a towering 50-foot “Tree of Light,” and sweeping displays that dance in time with festive music.

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The exhibit Trolls: A Field Study, is created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo who uses recycled and reclaimed materials to craft his trolls. Each of the twelve sculptures is seven to nine feet tall and has its own unique personality: one is drawing with a pencil, another fishing with a net, one wears a dumpster on its head, and more.

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As darkness fell, we began our evening stroll under a canopy of lights. Six of the trolls from the exhibit were illuminated among the gardens, lending a whimsical, almost magical air to the walk. We followed the lit path, warming our hands over hot drinks, roasting marshmallows, and soaking in the twinkling atmosphere. The crowd was surprisingly large for a weekday; we had to exercise patience to get photos of the trolls with no people.

A scaled-down model train set up is lit up in the center of the arboretum. There were two trains running through the miniature town display during our visit one of which is modeled after the North Pole Express.

A highlight of the Winter Lights was a light show synchronized to music: lights pulsed and shifted along a section of the garden painting colorful patterns on the ground.

The following morning, we came back to explore the entire troll trail in the daylight. With a map from the visitor center in hand, we set off on our adventure. Scattered throughout the park, the trolls turned the walk into a whimsical treasure hunt—I felt like a child chasing hidden wonders.

Once we found all twelve wooden figures, we left the gardens and slipped into the quieter, more natural side of the Arboretum toward Lake Powhatan. We hiked Lake Powhatan via Bent Creek Trail. It is a well-maintained, mostly flat out-and-back of about 5.5 miles with only a gentle ~196 ft of elevation gain, so it felt easy and restorative at this time of year. The trail threads through mixed pine and hardwood forest, follows the Bent Creek for long stretches, and crosses a couple of small footbridges before opening onto the lake. Beautiful white clouds reflected on the calm lake. Apart from a handful of hikers the hike was peaceful and scenic.

If you go

• Winter lights run 11/15 through 1/4/2026
• Troll exhibit runs 11/15 through 2/17/2026 at no additional cost.
• Arboretum Day time Admission is free with a $20 daytime parking for non-members, standard cars.
• Arboretum Winter Lights tickets are $45/vehicle, $60/vehicle or $75/vehicle depending on the day. It is a timed entry. Tickets can be purchased here.

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References: North Carolina Arboretum, Winter Lights, Lake Powhatan via Bent Creek

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Dambo’s Trolls at the North Carolina Arboretum

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North Carolina Arboretum Winter Lights

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Lake Powatan Via Bent Creek Trail

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North Carolina Hiking and Attraction Map

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You might enjoy these posts nearby:

• Newati Trail, NC
• Tanawha Trail – Viaduct to Stacked Rock, NC
• The Linn Cove Viaduct and Tanawha Trail
• Rough Ridge along the Tanawha Trail
• Hawksbill Mountain
• Grandfather Mountain State Park
• The Cone Manor
• Flat Top Mountain Trail
• Wilson Creek, Philips Branch Falls, Harper Creek Falls
• Upper Creek Falls
• Jane Bald via Apalachian Trail
• Jones Falls, Elk Falls
• Lake Lure Flowering Bridge
• Catawba Falls
• Discover 12 Trolls at the North Carolina Arboretum During Winter Lights

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