Driving DirectionsFrom Everett, take Dorsett Hill Road north 0.75 mile, then 333rd Street east 1 mile, and Dorsett Hill Lane 0.25 mile north. HighlightsThis area contains forest along with 15 acres of native prairie and 18 acres of old fields. About This AreaThe DHPCA is located in Cass County just northwest of Everett. This area was donated to the Missouri Prairie Foundation by the Good family in 1977. Ownership of this area was then transferred to the MDC in 1979. Dorsett Hill gets its name from the family that owned this area for nearly 100 years. James Dorsett originally purchased this area in 1865 and his son purchased what is now DHPCA in 1878 for $50.00. This area was farmed near the turn of the century but the farming efforts were unsuccessful and the prairie was allowed to return.Approximately 14 acres of this 79 acre area are considered original prairie. The prairie, a remnant of the once-vast tall-grass prairie that spread across most of northern and western Missouri, is characterized by tall and medium height warm season grasses such as big and little bluestem, Indiangrass, Eastern gamma, dropseeds and cordgrass. The vegetation also includes a great variety of broadleaf and herbaceous plants that provide a progression of showy colors from early spring to early fall. Pale purple coneflower, blazing star, prairie coreopsis, prairie clovers, lead plant, spiderwort and butterfly milkweed are but a few of those present on the prairie. Management of the area focuses on maintaining and expanding this unique prairie habitat. Periodic burns eliminate invading non-prairie plants and trees increasing the vigor of the existing prairie plants. Tree cutting and clearing are used to expand the prairie in areas where prairie species are evident but have been shaded out by trees.