Dog Mountain, Gifford Pinchot National Forest

A favorite among all Portlanders is Dog Mountain, being only an hour drive from our city. From Portland, take I-84 to Cascade Locks crossing The Bridge of the Gods. Take a right on Highway 14, pass through Stevenson and look for mile marker 53 to find the Dog Mountain trailhead.

The somewhat difficult hike offers rewarding views of the Columbia River Gorge in a short amount of time. We recommend the loop hike which is around 7.5 miles and takes around 4 hours to complete. Take the Augspurger Trail for 3 miles to the Dog Mountain Trail. Follow this to the Summit Loop Trail to the left, this is the last bit of incline! Then head back down toward the Columbia River to the Puppy Dog Lookout and following the "less difficult" route once you reach the junction. If able try this hike during the week to avoid the weekend crowds. Late April to May is when you can expect to see the wildflowers at the top. This is a great hike to take out-of-towners on, if they are in decent shape.

This hike gets an 8, the only drawback are the weekend crowds. Other than that, you get it all, views, wildflowers, a good workout, etc.