HOOD RIVER, Ore. — March 25, 2021. The U.S. Forest Service will release online permits on March 31 at www.recreation.gov for hikers headed to Dog Mountain on weekends from April 24 to June 13 this year. New this year, permits will be required on Memorial Day (May 31).
The permits are required as part of a partnership that began in 2018 to ensure public safety near Dog Mountain Trailhead, where congestion during the spring wildflower hiker rush created dangerous traffic congestion and at least one fatal accident prior to when permits were required.
Every hiker on the Dog Mountain Trail system on Saturdays and Sundays between April 24 to June 13 (as well as on Memorial Day) will be required to carry a permit (or digital proof thereof).
There are two ways for hikers to obtain permits:
· Ride the shuttle from Stevenson. A permit is included automatically with the Skamania County Transit bus from 518 Rock Creek Drive, Stevenson. Seats are available on a first come, first served basis. In lieu of the previously required fee, donations will be accepted. Each permit is good for one individual on the day it is issued. The shuttle runs about every 30 minutes from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekends from April 24 to June 13. The last shuttle to depart Stevenson will be 1:00 p.m. and the final shuttle departing the trail head will be at 5 p.m. Shuttle capacity will adhere to current CDC physical distancing requirements and follow the Washington State Mask Mandate in place.
· Reserve a permit online. Anyone not taking the shuttle will need to reserve one permit for each person online at www.recreation.gov and pay the $1.00 non-refundable administrative fee (per person) in addition to paying the recreation site fee of $5 per car. Valid Northwest Forest or interagency federal passes are accepted (but not state parks passes) as a form of paying the recreation fee but are not a substitute for having the per person permit.
This year, 100 permits will be released on March 31 for each day through the permit season. New this year, an additional block of 100 permits will be released online three days before each permit date at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time. As the season progresses, there may be adjustments made to the number of late-breaking permits to increase access if parking lot is under-utilized.
The permit system is designed to limit congestion, but a permit does not guarantee a parking spot will be available at the time a hiker arrives, so visitors are encouraged to carpool.
The Dog Mountain permit system was made possible by a U.S. Forest Service partnership with Washington State Department of Transportation, Skamania County, Skamania County Chamber of Commerce, Skamania County Sheriff’s Office, and Washington State Patrol.
More details about the permit system and related shuttle are available at:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/crgnsa/recreation/?cid=FSEPRD572962
https://www.skamaniacounty.org/departments-offices/senior-services/dog-mountain-shuttle