Dog Mountain Washington Hike Guide
Dog Mountain is a popular summit located on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. This mountain is fantastic for views of the Columbia River and even Mt Hood on a clear day. If you time it right, this hike has some of the best wildflowers I have ever seen in my life. This hike does require a permit or a free shuttle during certain times of the year in order to hit the trail.
Dog Mountain Quick Facts
Dog Mountain Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Distance: 6.5-7 Miles RT depending on trail
Elevation Start: 114ft
High Point: 2,948ft
Total Elevation Gain: 2,965ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 3-5 Hours RT
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult What does this mean?
Class: Class 1 – What does this mean?
Season: Year round: Expect snow on trails November – March. Wildflower season is generally the end of April – mid June.
Directions to Dog Mountain
Trailhead: Dog Mountain Trailhead
Getting Here:
Permit:
If you have a permit to hike, you can drive directly to the trailhead located off Highway 14 just east of Home Valley, Washington. More information on permits is spelled out below.
Non-Permit:
If you do not have the permit required to hike Dog Mountain, you can take the free shuttle from the Skamania County Fairgrounds.
Parking: Even if you have a permit, parking at the trailhead is not guaranteed so have some patience. There is a restroom located at the TH. The fairgrounds lot is massive and parking will usually not be a problem here.
Permits/Fee: From April 27 – June 16 (and Memorial Day) on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) a permit is required to hike Dog Mountain. The fee is $2 and reservations can be made here. If you are not able to get a permit, no worries, you can take the free shuttle which runs about every 20 minutes or just head to Dog Mountain during the week. Shuttle information can be found here.
Summary
Dogs: This trail is dog friendly but must be kept on a leash.
Camping: Camping is not really an option for Dog Mountain. However, if you wanted to camp there may be options closer to Augspurger Mountain.
Make it a Loop: Dog Mountain can be hiked as an out and back or if you wanted a bit of additional mileage and to save your legs, you could take the Augspurger Trail down. This trail is a bit less steep than the main Dog Mountain trail. Be sure to stay right at the main trail junction up the standard Dog Mountain trail. If unsure, download my GPX file or take a picture of the trail map at the start of this hike.
Trail X Factors: Wildflowers
I was lucky enough to run this trail during peak wildflower season and let me tell you, it was absolutely breathtaking! If you have the ability to hike this trail during wildflower season I would HIGHLY recommend it. If not, it still offers great views of the Columbia River Gorge from the summit area.
Hike Tip(s): This hike is very steep so bring lots of water, snacks and hiking poles to save your legs both on the way up and way down. From the start to the summit, there is basically constant elevation gain which will test even the strongest of hikers.
Best Views: Overall, the views on this hike are fantastic from the time you leave the trees about ¾ up the mountain. If you are lucky enough to see the blooming wildflowers, this is an absolute destination worthy hike.
Dog Mountain Hike Route
I ran this trail and took the Augspurger trail down.
Gear Needed
- Men’s Trail Runners
- Women’s Trail Runners
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Women’s)
- Backpack (Winter)
- Backpack (Summer)
- Food & Water
- Layers: rain and for colder temps on top
- Optional: Water Filter
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Hiking Poles – 120CM
- Optional: Headlamp
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod, Selfie Stick, GoPro 360, Drone
- *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
