State: Washington
Location: Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Length, Round Trip: 7 miles
Trail Type: Loop
Minimum Elevation: 150 feet
Maximum Elevation: 2800 feet
Elevation Change: 2650 feet
Best Season: March to December
Difficulty: Moderate
Usage: Heavy
Parking: Northwest Forest Pass is required at trailheads.
Trail Information
The hike up Dog Mountain is one of the area’s best and most accessible spring and summer escapes. The Dog Mountain Trail is a heavily used loop opportunity climbing rapidly in the first 0.5 mile. In this short distance, the trail gains 700 feet in elevation but past this point the trail levels off a little. The trail forks, giving hikers the option of heading north on the more direct, but steep route to the summit, or to the east for a longer but more gradual climb.
The eastern fork of the Dog Mountain Trail climbs 2,000 feet over the next 2.5 miles, ascending to the site of a former fire lookout. A 1 mile loop trail to the summit provides easy access through flowered hillsides and offers an incredible view of the western portion of the Columbia River Gorge. You can also get superb views along the eastern fork of the trail, without having to climb all the way to the summit.
The Dog Mountain Trail offers scenic views of the Columbia River Gorge from the prairie-subalpine steppe at the summit and is famous for its spring wildflower displays. You should arrive early since this trail is crowded on spring weekends.
Directions
From Portland, OR or Vancouver, WA:
Drive east on Washington State Highway 14. The trailhead and parking lot are located at milepost 53.
Popularity: 1% [?]
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