Dog Mountain is a very popular trail, particularly from mid-April through early June, when the hills are filled with blooming wildflowers. Hikers will see impressive views of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood. The trail is somewhat challenging as it gains 2,948 feet and is 3.5 miles to the top. Plan four hours to hike this one and take water and food for the break on top.
Getting there: To reach the trail, travel on Hwy 14 to MP 53. Dog Mountain is halfway between Stevenson and Bingen, Washington. Look for a large parking lot on the north side of the highway.
Note: NW Forest Pass required for parking along with permits, which are also required for each individual hiker on Saturdays and Sundays from mid-April to mid-June. If parking at the trailhead, you will need to have both a per-person trail system permit and a per-car recreation day-use or annual pass. Hikers can reserve a permit through the recreation.gov online reservation system at a cost of $1 per permit. The number available will be limited to match parking capacity. A hiker permit is automatically included with the shuttle bus from Stevenson, Washington.
More shuttle info at: ridecatbus.org/dog-mountain-shuttle
More info to purchase parking + visitor permits at: recreation.gov and waterfallcorridorpermits.org