Dog Mountain
Encyclopedia
Dog Mountain rises above the north side of the Columbia River Gorge
in the U.S. state of Washington. The base of the mountain is in Skamania County along Washington State Route 14, about 9 miles (14.5 km) east of Stevenson
and 53 miles (85.3 km) east of Vancouver
. From its base at 150 feet (45.7 m), it climbs steeply to an elevation of 2948 feet (898.6 m).
The mountain is the site of a popular hiking trail that begins on the north side of Route 14 at milepost 53. The 6 miles (9.7 km) trail winds through heavy forest to meadows and the site of a former fire lookout. After climbing steeply for about the first half mile (0.8 km), the trail splits into two forks that meet again at the summit. The lookout was built in 1931 and reconstructed in 1952 to watch for fires across the river in Oregon
's Mount Hood National Forest
. Outmoded by surveillance from roads and airplanes, the fire lookout was dismantled in 1967.
Attractions include views of the Columbia Gorge, Mount Hood
, and wildflowers, especially in May. Flowering plants along the trail include chocolate lily, woodland star
, fairy slipper, long-spurred violet
, and yellow fawn lily
. Hazards include poison oak, rattlesnake
s, and steep slopes. The trail's difficulty caused one writer to describe it as "a grueling hike", while another said that Dog Mountain might better be called "Dogged Mountain or possibly Doggone Mountain", and recommended good boots for descending its steep pitches. A fatality occurred on the mountain in 2003, when a hiker lost her footing and fell 500 feet (152.4 m).
The trail is open from May through December to hikers and to dogs on leashes. It cannot be used by people on horses or mountain bikes, and it is not suitable for wheelchairs. No permits or fees are needed to hike the trail, but parking at the bottom requires a Northwest Forest Pass. Passes are available from a wide variety of vendors in Oregon and Washington.
Hang gliding
occurs at Dog Mountain.
Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range forming the boundary between the State of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south...
in the U.S. state of Washington. The base of the mountain is in Skamania County along Washington State Route 14, about 9 miles (14.5 km) east of Stevenson
Stevenson, Washington
Stevenson is a town in Skamania County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,465 at the 2010 census, a 22% increase over 2000. It is the county seat of Skamania County and home to the Skamania County Court House and Sheriff's Office...
and 53 miles (85.3 km) east of Vancouver
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
. From its base at 150 feet (45.7 m), it climbs steeply to an elevation of 2948 feet (898.6 m).
The mountain is the site of a popular hiking trail that begins on the north side of Route 14 at milepost 53. The 6 miles (9.7 km) trail winds through heavy forest to meadows and the site of a former fire lookout. After climbing steeply for about the first half mile (0.8 km), the trail splits into two forks that meet again at the summit. The lookout was built in 1931 and reconstructed in 1952 to watch for fires across the river in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
's Mount Hood National Forest
Mount Hood National Forest
The Mount Hood National Forest is located east of the city of Portland, Oregon, and the northern Willamette River valley. The Forest extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than of forested mountains, lakes and streams to the Olallie Scenic Area, a high lake basin under the slopes...
. Outmoded by surveillance from roads and airplanes, the fire lookout was dismantled in 1967.
Attractions include views of the Columbia Gorge, Mount Hood
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
, and wildflowers, especially in May. Flowering plants along the trail include chocolate lily, woodland star
Lithophragma parviflorum
Lithophragma parviflorum is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common name smallflower woodland star. It is native to much of western North America from British Columbia to California to South Dakota and Nebraska, where it grows in several types of open habitat...
, fairy slipper, long-spurred violet
Viola rostrata
Viola rostrata, is a stemmed herbaceous perennial plant that is native to eastern North America. It is known by a number of common names including long-spurred violet.-General description:...
, and yellow fawn lily
Erythronium grandiflorum
Erythronium grandiflorum is a species of flowering plant in the lily family which is known by several common names, including yellow avalanche lily, glacier lily, and dogtooth fawn lily....
. Hazards include poison oak, rattlesnake
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae . There are 32 known species of rattlesnake, with between 65-70 subspecies, all native to the Americas, ranging from southern Alberta and southern British Columbia in Canada to Central...
s, and steep slopes. The trail's difficulty caused one writer to describe it as "a grueling hike", while another said that Dog Mountain might better be called "Dogged Mountain or possibly Doggone Mountain", and recommended good boots for descending its steep pitches. A fatality occurred on the mountain in 2003, when a hiker lost her footing and fell 500 feet (152.4 m).
The trail is open from May through December to hikers and to dogs on leashes. It cannot be used by people on horses or mountain bikes, and it is not suitable for wheelchairs. No permits or fees are needed to hike the trail, but parking at the bottom requires a Northwest Forest Pass. Passes are available from a wide variety of vendors in Oregon and Washington.
Hang gliding
Hang gliding
Hang gliding is an air sport in which a pilot flies a light and unmotorized foot-launchable aircraft called a hang glider ....
occurs at Dog Mountain.