First time up Dog Mountain. We used the regular "Difficult" trail (not the More Difficult) up and returned via the Augsburger trail after lunch at the summit, for a total loop of 7.8 miles, and about 2880 feet. 

The flowers are ON. Absolutely spectacular. Lost track of the different varieties but of course the balsam root dominates. There were some gnats but I didn't think they were too bad.

Couple notes: we arrived at 8:30 am on the Wednesday and there were still a number of spaces. When we returned at 2:00 it was clear the lot had filled earlier since some cars were parked along the wider part of the US 14 shoulder. 

Despite its name I don't think this would be a great hike for dogs because there is no water whatsoever and lots of people. Despite this there were plenty of dogs many off-leash which was surprising. 

Returning via the Augsburger trail was peaceful and we got to see a bit more of the flower fields at the top. The trail is mostly smooth tread and easy walking. One rocky stretch near the bottom.  I think going up it rather than down might be discouraging because it's in the woods the whole way and you don't get to the flower fields as quickly as the other way. 

Tdlr: Flowers are at peak and amazing, bugs are horrific, parking is an issue even on weekdays.

I had an appointment on Tuesday morning so I wasn't able to get down to the trailhead until 3pm. By the time I got there, the parking lot was pretty crowded but there were a few open spaces. Parking pass is NW Forest or America the Beautiful. Additional permits are required for this trail on weekends and holidays during peak season, but not during weekdays. The parking lot is pretty small, and people were parking in questionably legal ways... Pit toilet is slightly up the trail, not directly at the parking lot. 

.6 miles from the parking area, the trail splits- there's a sign directing you to the "hard" trail to the right, or "harder" to the left trail. I went for the harder one... it's definitely nothing crazy (way less hard than something like the Old Mailbox Trail, for example) but it's .2 miles longer and has fewer switch backs so it's slightly steeper. I took the normal hard trail back down, and overall I think that side is prettier... it has a few more open areas so you can get some views. The harder one is all in the forest. Overall, I wouldn't go for the harder one unless you just really like making loops of things, or you're trying to avoid people. Bugs started to be an annoyance when I got on the harder trail, and they just got worse and worse towards the top. Definitely bring bug spray, and cover as much skin as you can stand. I hadn't been expecting the bugs and wasn't wearing spray and it was just miserable.. they were flying in my eyes and mouth, all over my hair, biting my arms.. disgusting. I wished I had my bug net hat. lol.

Shortly after the Hard and Harder trail rejoin, you'll come out of the forest and into the flower fields. The balsamroot was truly dense and amazing. Unfortunately the bugs were persecuting me to the point that it was kind of hard to even stop and take pictures. I kept hoping for every stray breeze that would push them away from me for a minute. Pretty gnarly. But yea, the views were amazing, and I understand why this trail is so popular. 

The actual summit was back in the trees, so nothing spectacular. I also did another little loop trail up near the top that was pretty overgrown... I would skip that next time. 

Tuesday night I camped at Turkey Hole campground off highway 142... it's a nice free campground (with a discover pass) on the Klickitat River for tents or RVs. I actually noticed some people dispersed camping right off highway 14 a little ways down from Dog Mountain, but I felt a little anxious sleeping in my car right by the side of such a busy highway. 

I had planned to come back to Dog Mountain on Wednesday to try to get up Augspurger Mountain, but unfortunately I slept in too late and didn't get to the trailhead until 10am at which point the parking lot was COMPLETELY packed with all sorts of dubious parking shenanigans happening... I went over to Spirit Falls (which was amazing!), ate lunch, came back again in the afternoon, and it was even MORE packed... I gave up at that point and just went over to Cook Hill. I've gotten careless because I'm used to showing up at popular spots on weekdays and avoiding people. Haha, lesson learned... Maybe next year. 

Currently the balsamroot flowers are thickest just as you get out of the woods, up til Puppy Dog Point—it's full bloom there. Near the summit I'd estimate it's another week to full bloom, but even that area has metric tons already, so you don't need to wait. The upper meadows also have plenty of larkspur, chickweed, buttercup, and other flowers.

Aside from the balsamroot, I saw blue-eyed Mary, shortspur seablush, blue dicks, bicolored cluster lily, giant red Indian paintbrush, larkspur, Western buttercup, lupine, stream violet, woodland star, Western wallflower, Western starflower, Columbian windflower, Pacific coralroot, Siberian candyflower, chocolate lily, lupine (not yet full bloom), Hooker's fairybells, star-flowered false Solomon's seal, vanilla leaf, miners lettuce, trillium, fringe cups, barestem biscuitroot, Gray's lovage (not yet blooming), common vetch, Hooker's onion, striped coralroot, wild rose, saskatoon, white inside-out flower, foothill death camas, fairy slipper orchid, rock pennycress, thimbleberry, wild strawberry, phantom orchid buds, ballhead onion, Pacific blackberry, field chickweed, variable leaf collomia, giant clover, stonecrop, Western groundsel, and phlox. I rather enjoyed the broadleaf lupine blooming between the oak trees in the first half mile.

The parking lot was full at 1:45 pm on a Tuesday, but people were starting to come down and leave. With a high of 70 degrees, it was hot in the forest but fine once the wind hits in the open air. Trail was wide enough for at least two people in most places. Be careful on the loose gravel coming down. There were also lot of bugs in love with me. I wouldn't recommend going to the actual summit, there's not much to see and the trail's rather overgrown.

Hiked to Dog Mountain today and the flower fields were amazing. Got to the parking lot around 9:30 and there were plenty of spots. Went up the trail marked Dog Mountain and later at the intersection, about half a mile in I opted for the more difficult trail (shorter). The trail is steep but in great shape. Easy does it. Lots of bugs on this trail. The trail joins the less difficult trail right before the Puppy Viewpoint. From the view point to the peak it's a delight. Flower fields galore. Stunning. It was my first time here. We came back on the other trail forming a lollipop loop. Great trail

As we drove toward Dog Mountain from our hotel in Hood River, we drove into some low clouds covering the mountaintops above the gorge. Arrived at the parking lot a bit after 10am and it was mostly full. We hiked the main trail both up and down. As I hiked up much of the early morning rush was already hiking down. Wildflowers begin in the switchbacks that lead to the first junction. Once past the first junction I started hiking into the clouds and it got misty. Pretty low visibility and zero views at the first viewpoint, though the balsamroot were in peak bloom. Beyond the second junction when I arrived in the beginning of the open flower slopes, I was amazed to see the vast slopes of flowers on both sides of the trail. The best balsamroot fields I have ever seen, and at peak bloom! Unfortunate that the clouds were so thick and there were no views. I reached the summit 2 hours from the trailhead, including some photo stops. I did hike to the true summit in the woods, just to make it official. There was a good crowd at the summit viewpoint. I waited at the summit for over an hour, waiting for the clouds to hopefully lift and also waiting for my dad to catch up. At about 1:30, after I saw many hikers come and go from the top and when my dad arrived, the clouds began to lift and the sun broke through, lighting up the flower fields and opening up the great view downstream past Wind Mountain! The hike back down through the flowers was absolutely spectacular!

The balsamroot is at peak and this is a bucket list wildflower hike.