A Whimsical Hidden World
The Iowa Great Lakes are filled with hidden gems, little treasures waiting for visitors to stumble upon their magic.
One such special location is found in the beautiful canals of West Lake Okoboji, just south of Gull Point State Park, where a charming, whimsical community resides and is really only viewable to kayakers and small fishing boats.
Mystical fairy families live in Thistle Thicket Cottage and along Paddler’s Path and Wilderness Way. Their magical lives await guests and are showcased in villages filled with unique pieces covered with color and glitter.
Five years ago, the first fairy dwelling appeared, specially placed by Fairy Godmother Cathy Kuker, a high school history and psychology teacher at Spirit Lake. Since then, there are at least seven fairy communities residing along the edges of the canal. 
“I love flowers so when my daughter Kaitlyn was little, we enjoyed making fairy gardens in containers,” Cathy shared. “She grew up and the gardens were put away. Then five years ago, when I was kayaking the canals with a friend, I knew the fairies had found a new home!”
Through the years, Cathy has learned special techniques for setting up the fairy communities. Initially, she used her kayak but that quickly became cumbersome hauling tools and supplies. “You really don’t want to tip over!” she exclaimed.
Now, Cathy uses a mini pontoon and it easily maneuvers the waterway, whether it’s near Joy Loy or Driftwood Bend. The trolling motor attached allows her to easily float up to her fairy garden with her tools and check on them throughout the summer. She places her special pieces close to where she can keep track of them.
While few humans bother the fairies, animals have been known to make friends. Cathy avoids placing her fairy families where deer cross or muskrats make their home.
“I’ve learned the hard way a few times,” she said with a smile.
Each fairy garden is drilled or screwed into the wood, and at times gorilla glue is used for the smaller pieces. Christmas villages don’t allow for predrilling so she uses their included holes to wire them to the wood.
The Canals - The Fairies’ Habitat
This year, each of the fairy communities have gained solar lights shaped like mushrooms, adding sparkles up and down the channel at dusk. Special signs are also being added, naming each fairy village. Her daughter Kaitlyn helped her with the names, often reflecting the location at which the homes reside.
She is always excited when other fairy homes relocate up and down the canal, when other people add fairy communities. “One neighbor added Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, which was a fun surprise,” she said.
Then in the fall, the fairy homes relocate for the winter months and Cathy refurbishes each one so they are ready for the next season. She gains new items from garage sales or from 4 Evergreen in Milford. Snow villages are remodeled and painted, transforming into whimsical buildings all ready for a new summer out on the water.
While a passerby may see a few from the bridge just south of Gull Point, close action is best viewed via a kayak.
To stay updated on the fairies, visit their special Facebook page, “Fairies in the Canal.”
Kayakers have explored these beautiful waterways along the west side of West Lake Okoboji for over a hundred years, first established in the early 1900s by JA Beck and HE Mills. The dredging of the canals around Crescent Beach Lodge were completed to fulfill a desire of summer guests to explore the surrounding area. The vision of an “American Venice” consisted of five openings, one of which the current Fairy families have established their housing community.
These canals were not only created for pleasure but also for drainage and to become a safe harbor during storms. 
In 2025-2026, nearby Turtle Lake, a waterway that connects with Millers Bay, Emerson Bay and Spencer Beach, was dredged and several feet of sediment was removed, improving water depth up to eight feet and will help restore the water’s long-term health. With the Turtle Lake project complete, the group “Wahpeton Waterway Restoration,” along with the Iowa DNR, Lakewood Park’s Association, and Okoboji Foundation has begun the next phase of the Waterway Restoration Project, which includes dredging and restoring the 120-year-old Canals: Paddler’s Path, Wilderness Way and Joy Loy.
In May, the Iowa DNR allowed for the removal of the pedestrian bridge located along the Barney Peterson Trail in Gull Point State Park, clearing the way for additional dredging operations to take place. With the age of the canals, there are decades of sediment buildup and downed trees that greatly reduce water flow, water quality, navigation and overall lake health. The water depth of the canals has decreased to two-three feet and dredging will improve them up to six to eight feet, greatly enhancing water quality, aquatic habitat, and recreational access for fishing, canoeing and kayaking.
Once funds have been fully raised, the canals will quickly be dredged, and the Iowa DNR will replace the pedestrian bridge as a part of their FY28 project schedule.
For questions about the project, call Tim Ireland at 712-229-1450. If anyone would like to donate towards the Waterway Restoration Project, contact Mindy Gress at the Okoboji Foundation at mindy@okobojifoundation.org.