Hiking Dog Mountain: Everything You Need To Know

Permits are required to hike and park here on weekends during the peak wildflower season from April 27th through June 16th. If you’re unable to secure a parking permit, shuttles are available from Stevenson.

I would consider this a pretty strenuous hike. It is a steady uphill climb the whole way to the top, but the views are worth it. You’ll also encounter many dogs on this hike.

It was exceptionally hot the day we did this hike. Luckily, the majority of the hike climbs through a temperate forest with plenty of tree coverage. Once you reach the summit, there are many places to sit and enjoy the views!

Neighboring Hikes

There are plenty of hikes along the Washington and Oregon side the Columbia River Gorge. After tackling Dog Mountain, consider exploring these other great hikes.

SPIRIT FALLS

There is a beautiful waterfall tucked away off the Columbia River Gorge above the Salmon Hatchery. Your GPS will not take you there, and there is no signage, so it can be tricky to find if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

Take Cook-Underwood Road for a few miles. You will continue up several winding turns until you see a parking lot on the right-hand side of the road. There is a huge dip that goes down into the parking lot. From there, walk over to the clearing near the telephone pole and take the trail heading to the left. It is about 0.60 miles out and back with 380 feet of elevation gain, so it is very steep. The waterfall is incredible!

BEACON ROCK

This was a bucket list hike of mine for many years. It was a fun, short hike with great views the entire way. The top was a bit underwhelming, so I don’t recommend spending too much time there since it’s pretty small and gets crowded quickly. A Discover Pass is required to do this hike.

Length: 1.5-miles

Elevation Gain: 574 ft

Estimated Time: 1 hour

Route: Out & back

White Salmon

The town of White Salmon is a great spot to grab lunch or a beer after a day of hiking. I recommend Everybody’s Brewing or Feast Market & Delicatessen.

We found a unique Airbnb that was inside a converted school bus. The directions provided were a little difficult to follow but we eventually made it to the Magic Bus. There is a compost toilet, bath tub, and full kitchen inside the bus. This was definitely a unique experience.