At Life and Whim we are passionate about engaging the imaginations and inspiring the curiosity of children, and so we set out to build a special spot for kids in a place we love—Traverse City! The Fairy Trails is full of all natural, magical fairy houses built by us, and many other members of our community.

From inspiring kids to pursue an active, outdoor lifestyle, to encouraging them to become stewards of the environment while igniting their creativity and imaginations, the Fairy Trails is a special place to explore ways in which the world of fairies can connect our kids to the natural world and each other.

Watch the Video

June 2, 2024
from 1 to 4 p.m.
Celebrate Your Parks: A Fun Fairy House Competition

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There are few things as magical as a hike on one of Traverse City’s many trails and pathways. It’s not just the fresh air and beautiful surroundings that thrill and inspire, but also the sense of discovery that comes from exploring nature’s wonder. From a brilliant blanket of trillium to a majestic soaring eagle, there is always something to see in Traverse City’s forests. And now there’s even more to discover at Traverse City’s Fairy Trails, an enchanted forest filled with tiny fairy houses.

While mystical creatures have inhabited the minds and imaginations of Traverse City’s youth for years, Traverse City’s fairies and sprites will now have dwellings of their own in a magical woodland setting.

We invite you to come explore and discover the fairy houses and build one of your own using all natural materials! Searching for fairy houses on the Fairy Trails is a fun family adventure. The Fairy Trails are free to explore. In order to stay up to date about events and news about the Fairy Trails, please subscribe by using the link below. We can’t wait to see you on the Fairy Trails!

Build a Fairy House on the Fairy Trails

The fairies on the Fairy Trails love houses made with all natural materials such as pine cones, shells, branches, flowers, and more. Have fun exploring, scavenging and building your fairy house! Please place your fairy house near the edge of the path so as not to disrupt the flowers and natural plants. Download a copy of our free “How to Build a Fairy House” eBook for fun and creative ideas and crafts that are fun for the whole family. And please remember to help us keep the forest clear of man-made materials, such as toys, books and plastic fairies. Thank you!

Visit the Fairy Trails

The Fairy Trails at The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park
1490 Red Drive, Traverse City, Michigan

A beautiful new fairy trail was designed and created by The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park in August 2020, across from the Pavilion, to the right of the Butterfly Garden, and adjacent to the entrance of Meadow’s Loop. The trail is a beautiful loop (a little over 1/10th of a mile) filled with a small creek and many nooks and crannies perfect for fairy abodes! The trail does not allow the use of bikes for the safety of small children. Pets on leashes are allowed. The Fairy Trails are open year-round and free to visit. You’re welcome to add your own fairy house to the trails at any time as long as it’s made of all-natural materials and built near the trailhead.

Check out some of the fantastic and magical fairy abodes created for the past Fun Fairy House Competition. Have fun exploring the Fairy Trails!

Free eBook: How to Build a Fairy House

Here’s a surefire way to plan an activity that is fun and rewarding for the whole family: Build a fairy house! In this free eBook we provide you with all you need to know about building a fairy house with your children. We learned a lot about fairy houses (more than we ever thought possible!) while working on the development of Traverse City’s Fairy Trails, and we wanted to share some of that knowledge with our readers and their families. As an added bonus, we included some unique craft ideas to enhance the fairy house building fun.