Trail wasn't too busy which was surprising for a later-morning Saturday hike, but maybe the fog contributed to that. Most people were not wearing masks, but mostly respected our distance. Wish we had clear views but caught some peak views! 

Beautiful weather. Great time to hit this trail before the craziness of spring flowers. Able to park in the lot just fine. Took the "more difficult" trail up and the "difficult" down. Trail was muddy but snow free. Very windy as per usual Gorge! 

Trail in good condition.  No snow at top (as of late afternoon 1/4).  Gale force winds at top so would recommend layers and wind breaker.  

Enjoyed a rain-free fall hike in the Columbia River Gorge.  Forested trail emerges to breathtaking views.  As you approach the summit, the trail crosses the open mountainside.  We were socked in with cloud cover and ducked under a tree for lunch, only to emerge 15 minutes later to clear skies and miles of view.  

As noted by others, it's a significant elevation gain, but not too difficult if you are in moderately good shape.  Just take it at your own pace;  reaching the top is worth it!  For those of us over 50, the downhill portion is just a different sort of challenge;  I felt the stress in my knees for sure.  :)

This time of year, the parking lot was probably 1/3 full. We had a NW Forest Pass and paid the $5 day use permit fee.  There are pit toilets just up the trail from the parking lot.    We saw other hikers but I wouldn't say it was crowded, unlike the spring season.  We were alone at the top when we got there.

We took the East leg of Dog Mountain trail going up, and came down the West leg of the trail.  Will do this again and explore the Augspurger route back down.  Spring goals! 

I recognize this is a popular trail, but I encountered the worst of the worst today. Dog poop in the middle of the trail. Multiple dogs off leash. Music blasting on speakers. A child (maybe 8 years old?) left alone and unattended at the second viewpoint while her parents continued on to the summit without her, who nervously asked me to stay with her awhile.

Alright, I'll stop ranting. I arrived at the trailhead around 9 am and there were plenty of parking spots open. When I arrived back at my car around noon, the lot had filled up considerably. The trail was in good condition and there were a sprinkling of flowers blooming at the top. It was completely foggy at the summit this morning but the views from the lower viewpoints were still worth the climb.