Trip Report: Hiking Dog Mountain in the Columbia River Gorge
When: 05/26/2019
Location: Dog Mountain
Conditions: Cloudy, windy, and slightly rainy
Duration: 5 hours
Difficulty: Strenuous
Kid Freindly: Yes
Pet Freindly: Yes
The Full Report:
After years of seeing pictures of beautiful wildflowers and stunning views, I finally decided I had to join the masses and give Dog Mountain a try. The hike is one of the most popular in the Gorge, so much so that there is a new online permit system in place for weekends to prevent overcrowding. The hike is about an hour away from Portland on the WA side of the Gorge, and we got one of the last parking spots in the lot when we arrived at 8:00 am. We went on Memorial Day, so while we didn't need a permit there were likely many more people than there would have been on a typical Monday. That being said, as we were leaving in the afternoon, we saw police giving every car that wasn't in an official spot a ticket, probably about thirty cars in total, so watch out!
It's about 3.5 miles to the top of Dog Mountain - a pretty strenuous 3.5 miles. The trail, while well-groomed and in good shape, is steep and doesn't include any substantial flat (or even only a little steep) portions. After a little less than a mile, the trail splits into "difficult" and "more difficult" options. I would definitely recommend the "difficult" path - it's still pretty hard and has an awesome lookout. Most of the trail is covered, while the last .5 - .75 miles are exposed. This final section of the trail is also pretty narrow, which makes it congested if there are a lot of other hikers and dogs as it's difficult to pass people. Finally, the summit has a wide grassy area that's perfect for eating a snack or enjoying the view.
Much to my dismay, the views I had hoped for were replaced by a wall of fog. We truly couldn't see anything at the top other than the flowers that lined the path - no Gorge view, no flower-covered hills. This was definitely a bummer, as sitting at the summit is definitely less pleasant when it's cold and blustery and there isn't much view to soak in. The lookout that's about halfway up the trail on the "difficult" side did have a great view though, so that was a bonus. I think the fog would have likely burned off if we had hiked later in the day, although balancing that with the crowded parking lot would have been tricky. I think this could be a great evening hike, which would probably be better for both views and crowds. Another change I'll make the next time I do this hike is that I'll bring hiking poles. Several sections of the trail are really steep and don't have any rocks or bumps for traction, making them a bit slick. I think bringing poles (or splitting them with a friend) would have helped a lot.
Overall, I can see why Dog Mountain is so popular - it's fairly accessible, a decent hike, and has (the potential for) great views. The crowds were significant, though, so be prepared to see a lot of fellow hikers if you go during wildflower season (May-June). Bring poles, plenty of water, and a snack to enjoy at the top!
The Full Report:
After years of seeing pictures of beautiful wildflowers and stunning views, I finally decided I had to join the masses and give Dog Mountain a try. The hike is one of the most popular in the Gorge, so much so that there is a new online permit system in place for weekends to prevent overcrowding. The hike is about an hour away from Portland on the WA side of the Gorge, and we got one of the last parking spots in the lot when we arrived at 8:00 am. We went on Memorial Day, so while we didn't need a permit there were likely many more people than there would have been on a typical Monday. That being said, as we were leaving in the afternoon, we saw police giving every car that wasn't in an official spot a ticket, probably about thirty cars in total, so watch out!
It's about 3.5 miles to the top of Dog Mountain - a pretty strenuous 3.5 miles. The trail, while well-groomed and in good shape, is steep and doesn't include any substantial flat (or even only a little steep) portions. After a little less than a mile, the trail splits into "difficult" and "more difficult" options. I would definitely recommend the "difficult" path - it's still pretty hard and has an awesome lookout. Most of the trail is covered, while the last .5 - .75 miles are exposed. This final section of the trail is also pretty narrow, which makes it congested if there are a lot of other hikers and dogs as it's difficult to pass people. Finally, the summit has a wide grassy area that's perfect for eating a snack or enjoying the view.
Much to my dismay, the views I had hoped for were replaced by a wall of fog. We truly couldn't see anything at the top other than the flowers that lined the path - no Gorge view, no flower-covered hills. This was definitely a bummer, as sitting at the summit is definitely less pleasant when it's cold and blustery and there isn't much view to soak in. The lookout that's about halfway up the trail on the "difficult" side did have a great view though, so that was a bonus. I think the fog would have likely burned off if we had hiked later in the day, although balancing that with the crowded parking lot would have been tricky. I think this could be a great evening hike, which would probably be better for both views and crowds. Another change I'll make the next time I do this hike is that I'll bring hiking poles. Several sections of the trail are really steep and don't have any rocks or bumps for traction, making them a bit slick. I think bringing poles (or splitting them with a friend) would have helped a lot.
Overall, I can see why Dog Mountain is so popular - it's fairly accessible, a decent hike, and has (the potential for) great views. The crowds were significant, though, so be prepared to see a lot of fellow hikers if you go during wildflower season (May-June). Bring poles, plenty of water, and a snack to enjoy at the top!