In early 2024, Great River Bluff State Park in Winona, Minnesota, developed and began construction on the “Troll Stroll,” a hiking trail inspired by an urban legend about giant trolls inhabiting the park's mysterious areas. During planning, they encountered a challenge: a creek bed that required crossing. While the creek was often dormant, it became too tumultuous for everyday hikers to cross safely during heavy flow. A bridge was needed—but not just any bridge.

The park approached Rock Solid Trail, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, to construct the bridge and complete the new Winona Bluffs Hiking and Biking trail system. Rock Solid’s design and fabrication teams collaborated closely with the park to create a bridge that incorporated a whimsical troll theme, honoring local folklore. “It’s a mindful act of rebellion against the cookie-cutter, pre-engineered pedestrian bridges typically found within trail systems,” said Adam Munich, Solid Rock’s Marketing Coordinator.

Galvanized steel was selected for the structural elements of the bridge due to its exceptional longevity, ensuring the bridge would withstand both time and the elements. However, the laser-cut railing panels were intentionally left as raw steel to develop a natural patina over time, complementing the forested setting of the nature trail. Artist Sammi Runnels, who designed the intricate illustrations for the railing panels, initially proposed a simpler design featuring ducks in flight, assuming the City of Winona would prefer a more conservative approach. However, the city requested a design featuring trolls to align with the trail’s “Troll Stroll” theme. “I took that opportunity to push the boundaries of laser cutting with this intricate and playful fairytale design,” Runnels explained.

The bridge is part of a larger project encompassing the Bluff Traverse trail system in Winona. Construction crews began working on the trails in 2023, with the design, fabrication, and installation of the bridge occurring between March and August 2024. All fabrication, aside from the laser cutting, took place in-house, and the Rock Solid fabrication team also handled the on-site installation. “This was my first time working with a galvanizer, though some of our fabrication team had experience with galvanizing before,” Runnels shared. “The provided information documents made the process very seamless.”

The collaboration resulted in a 40-foot-long pedestrian bridge that serves as the finishing touch to the trail system. It playfully embraces the wild-hearted fable, drawing adventurous hikers and families to Winona and showcasing the legend of the “Troll Stroll.” “I’m really happy with my first bridge design to be built in the wild! We wanted to keep it creative for their ‘Troll Stroll’ trail, so I put together a fairytale illustrative design for the railing panels,” Runnels said. The bridge now stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, creativity, and a little bit of troll magic.