Prescribed Burns Coming to Redwood's Bald Hills This Fall
This fall, Redwood is running a series of prescribed burns across six areas of the Bald Hills. Here's what it means for your visit.
Redwood National and State Parks has scheduled a series of prescribed burns in the Bald Hills this fall, the high, grassy plateau that rises above the coast. Six areas are on the list: DA Second Growth, Williams Ridge, Schoolhouse, Wooden Gate, Lower Dolason, and South Boundary.
A prescribed burn is nothing like a wildfire. Park crews set these fires deliberately, on a plan and under close watch, when the weather cooperates. Fall is a good window, once summer's heat has passed.
If you're planning a visit, here's what matters most. You may see smoke in the area on burn days, and sometimes after. It clears eventually, but it can drift for miles and cloud the view from the overlooks. If you have breathing trouble, keep that in mind.
You'll mostly experience the Bald Hills from the road that runs through them and a handful of upland trails, well away from the coastal redwood groves. If your route takes you up there, check road and trail conditions before you go. An area that's actively burning can be harder to reach for a while. The rest of the park isn't affected by any of this.
Our advice is to keep your fall plans flexible. A burn depends on a narrow weather window, so the exact date can shift from one day to the next. Have a backup hike in mind if the Bald Hills are your goal for the day.
To place this plateau within the wider park and plan your trip, lean on our Redwood park guide. And if you're driving down the Pacific coast, these hills fit right into our road trip route through the park.