Editing Dolan Branch Trail

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{{Infobox Trail
 | Image Name = BMP Dolan Branch Trail waterfall.JPG
 | Park = Bays Mountain Park
 | City = Kingsport
 | State = Tennessee
 | Marking = Signs
 | Trail Use = {{Hike}} {{Dogs}} 
 | Difficulty Rating = Easy
 | Hike Time = 30 Min
 | Round Trip Distance = 0.6 Mi
 | Trail Distance = 0.3 Mi
 | Trail Type = Segment
 | Elevation Gain = 
 | Elevation Loss = 
 | High Point = 
 | Parking coords = 36.508821,-82.609545
 | Trailhead coords = 36.50821,-82.61196
 | Medical = Kingsport, TN
}}
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== Trail Overview ==
<!-- Enter a overview of the trail. What attracts you to this trail, points of interest, types of flowers, lakes, and peaks that you see along the way. -->
Located in [[Bays Mountain Park]].  Short walk around the base of Dolan Branch falls.  Deer like to graze farther down the trail in the forest along the creek.

== How to get there ==
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Follow directions to [[Bays Mountain Park]].  From parking lot, carefully walk along the left side of the park road or follow the short connector path by the chain-link fence to unmarked trailhead.

== Route Description==
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Originally, this trail followed the cast iron water line (see photo gallery below) down the hill from the reservoir.  While still shown on the park map as having a line to Eastman Recreation Area, that trail section has not been maintained or cleared from the 2009 winter storm damage, thus mostly impassible.

The 0.3 mile route shown on the map is down a few steps, cross the foot bridge, and peters out near the base of a former building.  Return by backtracking up the hill.  The main point of interest is the waterfall from the flow out of the dam, which is best after hard rains.

The original path along the water line and creek still goes some distance down to a valve house, although several very large blowdowns must be crossed.

== Typical Conditions ==
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The trail has bypassed to the side of the stone steps originally installed.  The footbridge was replaced a few years ago, but warning - several boards on the main deck have already broken.  As noted above, one path has few large blowdowns to climb over.

== Regulations ==
Dogs are allowed on this trail.  Bikes are not.

== Misc. Information ==

Joseph T. Wyrick published a book, copyright 1982, entitled "Hiking Trails in Bays Mountain Park" in which he described park trails in detail as they existed at the time of his book's publication. Book is in Nature Center library.

Dolan Trail was described in 1982 as a one-half mile loop trail which crossed Dolan Branch near the falls with a second crossing a short distance downstream for a return back upstream toward the dam. The concrete bridge abutments for both bridges could be seem in 2007 as could both sides of Dolan Trail loop as described by Mr. Wyrick. However both bridges were absent in 2007. The current upstream bridge was built in 2008.

A Bays Mountain Park 1982 trail map at the end of Mr.Wyrick's book showed Dolan Trail as a loop and the line down toward Eastman Recreation Center property was labeled Dolan Branch. As stated in the Route Description the waterfall is the main point of interest which the current map trail leads visitors to view. However, with a former Kingsport water supply pipeline along Dolan Branch and the general attraction of what is now Bays Mountain Park, a pathway became a natural means of access for many decades.

In November, 2011, Dolan Branch Trail, the unmaintained path between Dolan Trail and Eastman Corporation's Forest Walk trail were hiked. Forest Walk trail is a well maintained 0.7 mile loop that starts and ends at the Eastman Recreation picnic area and goes upstream along one side of Dolan Branch and back down the opposite side to the start/end point. Benches and steps are well placed along the loop. Eastman Recreation land is private property for use by current or retired Eastman employees and guests. The friend I was with is a retired Eastman employee who signed us in at the Eastman entrance for the Forest Walk loop hike.

== Maps ==
<!-- You can place pictures, PDF's, links, or even create a Google map with your waypoints and place it here. -->

<display_map center="36.50821,-82.61196" type="map" zoom="17" width="Auto" height="350">

36.50863,-82.61184~Trailhead~ ~MarkerT.png
36.50821,-82.61196~Footbridge~[[Image:BMP Dolan Branch Trail footbridge1.JPG|150px|Dolan Branch footbridge]]~MarkerL.png
36.50838,-82.61194~Footbridge~[[Image:BMP Dolan Branch Trail waterfall.JPG|150px|Dolan Branch waterfall]]~MarkerC.png
</display_map>

Bays Mountain Hiking and Biking Trail Map [http://www.baysmountain.com/Common/pdf_forms/Visitor_MapOpt.pdf link]

== Photos ==
<gallery>
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Image:BMP Dolan Branch Trail waterpipe.JPG|Former water pipe for Kingsport reservoir
Image:BMP Dolan Branch Trail footbridge1.JPG|Dolan Branch footbridge
Image:BMP Dolan Branch Trail footbridge2.JPG|Dolan Branch runoff and footbridge viewed from near trailhead

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</gallery>

[[Category:Tennessee]] [[Category:Kingsport]] [[Category:Bays Mountain Park]] [[Category:Waterfalls]] [[Category:Easy]]
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 |Trail page needs=KML;Remove prefixes;Detail route description;Winter photos;Remove trail in name;Update infobox;Trail pins;Update mileage|+sep=;
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