Easy, short trail lined with whimsical “fairy houses” made entirely of natural materials.
1.0 miles or less, total round trip. Easy dirt surface with some roots; little elevation change.
- Shorter: Turn back sooner.
- Longer, this lot, 5.9 miles: South Mountain Reservation – Hemlock Falls.
- Nearby, different lot, 1.8 miles: Hemlock Falls Loop.
- Nearby: Watchung Reservation – History Trail; Watchung Reservation – Sierra Trail;Great Swamp NWR; Great Swamp – Blue Trail; Great Swamp – Orange Trail.
Our two cents:
Easy hike with lots to see for little ones – but fun for adults too. Not hiking with young kids? Try our longer 5.9 mile loop to Hemlock Falls that includes the fairy houses at the end.
Super duper popular. The trail was hoppin’ around noon on a Sunday. Delighted kids were running every which way, gleefully discovering the houses along the trail.
Please take only photographs and leave the houses as is for others to enjoy! Note: The park does not allow visitors to add houses or other structures or add to existing ones.
About the South Mountain Fairy Trail
Small handmade structures started appearing in South Mountain Reservation several years ago. Our first encounter was in late 2011, when we were surprised to spot a little camp scene nestled at the base of a tree along the Lenape Trail, a bit after Maple Falls Cascades. We had no clue who put the tiny wooden ladders and lean-to there, or why, but it was a fun discovery.
More started appearing over the years, growing in complexity to include functioning doors and furnished interiors. Everything is made out of biodegradable materials. On a hike in 2015 we spotted this scene towards the end of the Rahway Trail:
The houses appeared for many years before the creator, Therese Ojibway, was revealed in a July 2016 New York Times article, “Thumbelina’s Secret Architect, Creating Fairy Houses on a New Jersey Trail“. See also, “Along the fairy trail: The N.J. woman behind the tiny homes” and “There’s an Adorable Fairy Village in New Jersey—and the Story Behind It Is Even More Precious“.
The upkeep of the fairy houses is now handled by volunteers after Ojibway moved from New Jersey in mid-2022 to be with family.
How long is the South Mountain Fairy Trail?
The Fairy Trail is about 1 mile total round trip but it can be shortened by turning back sooner.
Where is the Fairy Trail in NJ?
Locust Grove Parking Lot, 197 Glen Ave, Millburn, NJ 07041 – N40.72832° W74.30421°
The fairy trail is on the Rahway Trail in South Mountain Reservation and is accessed from the Locust Grove parking area.
From east of the park (westbound) on I-78: Take exit 50 B “Millburn” “Maplewood”. At the end of the ramp, you must go right. Drive through 3 traffic lights, not counting the one at the end of the ramp. At the fourth light (Millburn Ave.), turn left. Drive to the second traffic light (the road makes a turn to the right and becomes a one-way street called Essex Ave.).
Turn right onto Lackawanna Place, go under the RR tracks, and you come almost immediately to Glen Ave. Across the street and a little to the right is a driveway entering the park with a sign “Locust Grove”.
Directions for other approaches on the park site. Via train: Millburn Train station is 100 yards from the Southern entrance to the Reservation- Locust Grove Trailhead, check njtransit.com.
Note: This lot often fills to capacity – if the lot is full, park across the street. When we started our longer hike around 8am on a Sunday the lot was nearly half-full, and by the time we finished around noon there were cars were waiting for our spot.
Map/Books:
Follow along on your smartphone with our Fairy Trail Interactive Map.
There are trail maps for the whole park, but they’re more than is needed for this short trail. There is a large overview map on the trail kiosk at the end of the parking lot. A waterproof, detailed, color trail map can be purchased ahead from the South Mountain Conservancy site, linked above.
Restrooms/Picnic Area:
Multiple portable toilets in the paved parking lot. Just beyond the trail kiosk at the back of parking lot is a picnic grove with tables.
Fairy Trail Visitor Etiquette
There a few simple things to keep in mind while enjoying the trail. This ensures it’s sustainability, allows others to continue to enjoy the trail, and keeps the fairies happy! Don’t be an ogre!
Leave No Trace: Do not add fairy homes, construct other structures, or leave any objects as they disrupt natural habitat.
Respect the fragile structures: Most small doors can be opened to see inside but be gentle and do not touch or remove any items so others can also enjoy. Fairies live here!
Stay on the path – all homes are visible from the path: The woods has been scavenged along the Rahway Fairy Trail in search of houses and to build forts, damaging the vegetation and paths.
Hike Directions:
Overview: Rahway (WHITE) out-and-back
Because the houses change according to the whim of the fairies, the photos here may not reflect your experience… it’s always a surprise!
0.0 – The Fairy Trail starts on the left side of the parking lot, a little more than half-way down, at a large wooden sign (…which we managed to forget to take a pic of). Begin following Rahway (WHITE).
There are houses at the very start of the trail, such as this “Round House”. The houses are very detailed and cleverly use natural materials like logs, bark, vines, sticks, and stones.
The trail generally has a flat, easy surface. A low rope fence lines the trail to protect the delicate vegetation from being trampled.
The houses are along the trail and within the roped path. This half of a hollow log features a door and a little bed inside (the fairy was probably out enjoying Sunday brunch).
Treehouse nestled in a curved branch with a sturdy ladder leading up to it.
No fairy home would be complete without chairs, tables, and couches.
Tall, rounded, bark-covered tower just barely balanced on the tip of a branch.
Stone steps leading up to a mysterious door.
0.3 – The trail splits in two (both soon meet up). One side goes down by the river where many families were hanging out. This may be good point to loop around and head back – though there are a few more houses here and there.
The trail gets a bit harder after this – the surface has more roots and it’s slightly uphill in this direction.
We didn’t spot many houses along here but in a few minutes there were a couple more.
0.5 – The “And a Swinging Hot spot” sign seemed to be pretty much the last of the fairy trail. This could change at any time however (and this sign may or may not be here when you go!). The park’s trail map does show the fairy trail continuing to the intersection with Sunset woods road.
Turn around when ready and follow Rahway (WHITE) back to the parking lot. Alternately, there are other trails in the area that also will loop back to the lot.
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Hiked 6/5/22. As part of the full loop with Hemlock Falls.
Hiked 12/11/15. Full loop.
Hiked: 12/22/11. Full loop. Trail Blog: “South Mountain Reservation in December“