Every Trail Tells a Story
Dolason Prairie Trail
Trace the park’s history from sheep pasture to redwood sanctuary.
Cross an open prairie with Pacific vistas, then descend into primeval redwoods.
Let scenery – not energy gels – give you the psychic lift you’ll need for the return climb.
Captivating, little-traveled Dolason Prairie Trail drops from the Bald Hills down into the redwoods, offering one of the most eclectic tours in Redwood National Park. On a single outing you’ll stride across wildflower-bright meadows, descend through oak woodlands, slip into the cathedral shade of Douglas fir and redwood, and finish at a sparkling mountain stream. Oh yes – and on a clear day, the Pacific Ocean gleams on the horizon. Not bad for a hike that starts in a sheep pasture.
Once upon a time, that sheep pasture was the livelihood of rancher James Donaldson. Somewhere along the way, either by accident or design, the spelling of his name was mangled into “Dolason.” Whether it was an early example of creative branding or just poor penmanship, the Dolason name stuck. Sheep rancher Sherman Lyons followed, constructing the barn that still stands on the prairie in 1914 to shelter flocks during the wet winters. Today Lyons Barn is a picturesque relic, a weathered reminder that the open slopes of Redwood National Park once echoed with the bleats of sheep rather than the bugling of Roosevelt elk.
The prairie, however, is anything but barren. Brush rabbits dart between the grasses, elk occasionally graze, and hikers get sweeping views of the Redwood Creek canyon. Look west and you’ll see the broad Pacific, rolling out endlessly. Look east and – well – there are those sadly well-named Bald Hills, where clear-cutting stripped ridges bare before the park was created. It’s a sobering reminder of what might have been lost and what was, thankfully, saved.
And then there’s the grade. This trail heads downhill at nearly a 10 percent clip for mile after mile. The good news is that the scenery delivers the kind of psychic boost that tricks you into forgetting you’ll have to climb back up. The redwoods help – when you descend into their shade, the trail seems to soften underfoot, the air cools, and your pace quickens. By the time you reach Emerald Creek, tumbling over boulders and bordered by ferns and flowering dogwood, you’ve nearly convinced yourself that the uphill return will be no big deal. (Your legs may lodge a formal protest later, but your spirit will remain uplifted.)
Dolason Prairie starts among barns and rabbits, drop past oaks and firs, and ends among giants of another order entirely: the ancient redwoods along Redwood Creek. Quite a hike – a Trailmaster favorite.
From Highway 101 in Orick, turn east on Bald Hills Road and drive 11 miles to the signed turnoff for Dolason Prairie Trail. Turn right into the parking lot and look for the path next to the information kiosk.
The trail wastes no time, dropping immediately down a Douglas fir-cloaked slope. At 0.5 mile it follows an old gravel road for a quarter mile before resuming as a single-track through mixed woodland and out to Dolason Prairie and Lyons Barn. From the barn, enjoy views of Redwood Creek Canyon and the Pacific, along with the less-inspiring sight of clear-cut ridges that gave the Bald Hills their name.
Beyond the prairie, oak groves alternate with stretches of Douglas fir and grassland before the path dives into dense forest where madrone, tanoak, and ancient redwoods thrive. At 4.5 miles, cross Emerald Creek on a wooden footbridge and savor its cascades and pools framed by dogwood and ferns. For a longer outing, continue uphill to Emerald Ridge Trail, which connects to Redwood Creek or Tall Trees Grove.