STEVENSON, Wash. — February 17, 2022 — The U.S. Forest Service will release online permits March 1 at www.recreation.gov for visitors interested in hiking Dog Mountain on weekends from April 23 to June 12 this year. Permits will also be required on Memorial Day.
The permit system was put in place in 2018 to ensure public safety near the Dog Mountain Trailhead. The trailhead parking lot reaches full capacity on weekends during peak season, causing visitors to park and walk along State Route 14 (SR 14) to access the trail system. The road’s high-speed traffic, narrow shoulders, and limited sight distances make it unsafe for pedestrian traffic and create a serious public safety concern.
Every hiker on the Dog Mountain Trail system will be required to carry a hardcopy or digital proof of permit on Saturdays and Sundays from April 23 to June 12 and Memorial Day. The Dog Mountain Trail System includes both forks of Dog Mountain Trail (#147 and #147C), Dog-Augspurger Tie Trail #147A, and the lower portion of Augspurger Trail #4407.
Visitors may obtain a permit by either taking the shuttle or reserving a permit online.
Ride the shuttle from Stevenson. A permit is included when visitors take the Dog Mountain shuttle to and from 518 SW Rock Creek Dr (near the fairgrounds) in Stevenson, Wash. Seats are available on a first come, first served basis. Each permit is good for one individual on the day it is issued. The shuttle runs about every half hour from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and Memorial Day from April 23 to June 12, 2022.
Reserve a permit online. Anyone using the parking lot at the Dog Mountain Trailhead 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). Visitors accessing the site in their own vehicles will continue to be charged a daily, per-vehicle recreation fee of $5.00. Annual passes such as the Northwest Forest Pass and other interagency senior, military, and Every Kid in a Park passes will continue to be accepted as alternate forms of payment. Reserving a permit online does not guarantee a parking spot will be available at the time a hiker arrives, so visitors are encouraged to carpool.
This year there will be 200 permits available per day through the online reservation system at www.recreation.gov. Of these, 100 permits for each day will be released March 1 and an additional 100 permits for each day will be released and available online three days in advance.
For more information, visit fs.usda.gov/goto/crgnsa/hikedogmountain or call (541) 308-1700.