Dolason Prairie Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · River/Creek · Views · Wildlife

Access this trail from the marked trailhead off Bald Hills Road, around 11 miles from the turnoff on Hwy 101, at the Dolason Parking and Picnic Area. It can also be accessed via the Tall Trees Grove Trailhead and the Emerald Ridge Trail.

The swaths of open meadow on this trail provide a unique experience in this otherwise densely wooded national park. Starting from the easternmost end, this trail winds through beautiful fields and oak woodlands. Look for the interesting structure that serves as a relic from the days of large sheep-herding ranches that operated in this area for close to one-hundred years.

Use the open vistas to scout out Rodgers Peak to the south/southwest, which was clear-cut by loggers during the 1960s/70s. Continue down the trail into an old-growth redwood forest as it heads deep into the gorge along Emerald Creek.

This trail ends at the junction with the Emerald Ridge Trail.

Look for soaring red-tailed hawks, black-tailed deer around the meadows, and signs of elusive mountain lions.