Tucked into the woods behind a Rabbit Creek home outside Anchorage, a winding backyard trail holds something most hikers wouldn’t expect: half a dozen miniature villages populated by gnomes, fairies, hermits and trolls. The tiny scenes are the handiwork of homeowner Panu Lucier, who’s been building out the whimsical landscapes for roughly 16 years.

Lucier said the project started almost by accident, when a uniquely shaped piece of wood on the property caught her eye. “There was a perfect piece of wood there, the way it was shaped, and it looked like a gnome home,” she said. From there, the collection grew steadily as she found more materials on outings, bought gnome figurines, and received donated pieces from friends and neighbors who caught wind of the project.

Each village carries its own name and character — “Hermit Homestead,” “Fairyville” and “Gnomeville” among them — with Gnomeville holding particular meaning as the very first village Lucier built, incorporating keepsakes that once belonged to her late mother. Her husband, Mark, has carved some of the tiny figures himself, adding to a mix of handmade and gifted pieces.

The wilderness setting means the villages don’t always stay untouched. Lucier said squirrels regularly poke around the miniature homes, and a bear once made off with a tiny doll, which the family later found abandoned partway down the trail. Despite the occasional wildlife interference, Lucier said children tend to respond to the villages most enthusiastically of all — a reaction she credits to exactly why she keeps building them. Before winter sets in, she’ll cover the scenes with tarps to protect them until spring.