We opted to go on a weekday to avoid getting a permit and hiking on a crowded trail. Got amazingly lucky with the weather. Altough it was very windy at the top. This is such a beautiful hike!

A few notes:
-easy parking on a weekday
-bathroom at TH in good condition. Stocked.
-we opted to go counter clockwise (difficult)
-stunning trail through beautiful forest
-last -~1k feet of gain you get above the treeline with stunning views of the river
-wild flowers are blooming now and I expect more to come in the next 2 weeks or so (go soon if you can!)
-the wind was intense at the top. I wore shorts but packed long pants and a light weight puffy with a hood. I was very glad I had extra layers. I also had gloves but opted not to use
-poles were helpful
- we got lucky with clear skies and could see the top of Mt Hood. MSH. And on the backside as you wind to the summit /end of the trail - peak a boo views of Mt Adams
-for a slightly longer hike and less intense descent we opted to loop back on the Auspurger trail. Highly recommend. It’s beautiful and winds down gently (no steep sections).

Iconic spring hike. A must do!

We got lucky and scored a permit, woohoo! 

We arrived to the parking lot around 0830 this morning. It was about half full already. There are rangers at the start of the trailhead checking for permits and IDs before you can start. We saw them turning away folks without permits and encouraging them to take the shuttle instead. Make sure to have your parking pass as well. 

This was our second time doing this trail. The weather was absolutely beautiful today! As always though, once you get to the meadows, nearing the top, the wind gets really, really strong. Winds were probably a steady 30-40 MPH with even stronger gusts. 

We decided to take the "difficult" trail this time, since we did the "more difficult" trail last time. It is a fairly steep hike - bring poles! The first Meadow was stunning, views of the gorge and lots of Balsam root and some lupine popping as well. 

Once nearing the old lookout area, the wind really started whipping. The balsam root was popping up there! Even better than the lower meadow. It started to sprinkle and we were socked in a cloud, but decided to go the last 0.5 miles to summit. No views at the summit, but the cloud start to break as we came back down. We decided to take the same trail down as we did coming up. 

It took us a little less than 3.5 hours RT, with lots of time for wildflower pictures. My watch tracked 6.5 miles. Lots of hikers and dogs today, but it never felt too crowded. 

Fields of balsamroot in full bloom at the first lookout when you emerge from the forest, but still not blooming at the top — no lupine either. I could see the buds starting to form, so think it needs another week to be at its full glory. This hike is a killer, don’t underestimate the hard rating! Gorgeous view at the top (tip of Hood & Mt St Helens were clear), but for wildflower seekers like me, I prefer a lot of the other hikes in the area where you’re walking through flower fields for the majority of the hike. Dog Mountain is mostly shaded forest. 

Took the Augspurger trail back down, to make it a loop, which was nice because you can’t hear the road at all, like you can for a good portion going up Dog Mtn.

Signs on trail say 3.8 miles each way, so it’s more than 6 miles RT, especially if you add on the extra mile going back on Augspurger. More like 8-9 miles. 

Arrived around 9a on Friday and plenty of room in the parking lot. Not super crowded — maybe 8-10 other people spread out at the top eating lunch. 

At 7am, parking lot had only 7 cars. Trail was in good condition. Windy on the east side but was so inviting after that first mile ascent. Basalmroot flowers were just beginning to bloom. Beautiful day for a hike, no clouds, and views of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood. On the way down, I ran into James and the WTA crew. They are an incredible team. I appreciate all of you and the hard work you all do. At 11am, the parking lot was completely full. Thank you WTA.

Lost wesding rings Dog Mountain 4/12/25

Howdy friends!

My wife dropped a carabiner holding her 2 wedding rings and a ring identifying type 1 diabetes. If anyone happens to stumble across these we would sure love to see them again. If you find them my email is andrew315burns@gmail.com. Safe hiking !