Augspurger Mountain Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
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- Start point: Dog Mountain Trailhead
- End point: Augspurger Mountain
- Hike Type: Out-and-back
- Distance: 12.6 miles
- Elevation gain: 4767 feet
- High point: 3,667 feet
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Seasons: Spring through fall; snowshoe in winter
- Family Friendly: No
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Hike Description
The hike to Augspurger Mountain takes you away from the stressful crowds of Dog Mountain (although including that popular destination is an option) and takes you to a higher point. If you want views, however, you'll need to continue a little way down beyond the summit of Augspurger Mountain to a ridge top meadow with vistas to the Washington stratovolcanoes to the north. Note that a sign at the trailhead indicates that it is 7.5 miles to the top of Augspurger Mountain. Several GPS measurements have it at just over 6 miles, however.
WARNING: You'll be sharing the trailhead with the Dog Mountain crowds, so the parking area fills early. To avoid frustration, even on weekdays, try to arrive before 8:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m. between March and July.
Permits for the Dog Mountain Trail System are required on Saturdays and Sundays between April 29th and June 18th, 2023, as well as Memorial Day (May 29th) and Juneteenth (June 19th). There are 90 permits available for online reservation, with some available from March 15th, while others open up three days ahead of each weekend. You can reserve your permit by visiting Dog Mountain Trail System Permits.
Starting at the Dog Mountain Trailhead, take the Augspurger Trail #4407 around the west flank of Dog Mountain. The trail ascends more gradually than other Dog Mountain trails and there are views of Wind Mountain and the Columbia Gorge. After 2.8 miles and 2200 feet of climbing, you'll reach a junction with the Dog-Augspurger Tie Trail, which will switchback up to the right. Keep left to stay on the Augspurger Trail and go downhill on a narrower path into a basin. After .6 miles, the trail climbs slightly and intersects with a forest road. Take a right and head uphill another .6 miles, continuing straight through a four-way junction under powerlines. When the road takes a hairpin left turn, look for a trail to your right with a sign that says "Augspurger Mt., 2.5 mi." Continue on the Augspurger Trail as it climbs and switchbacks through the woods for 1.1 miles until you pop out onto an open ridge. There are powerlines below the ridge and fantastic views west, down the Gorge, and south, across the Gorge, to Mount Defiance and Mount Hood. Continue along the ridge and follow the faint trail as it climbs through brush and forest another 1.1 miles to the forested summit of Augspurger Mountain.
To reach a great viewpoint and lunch spot, continue on the trail as it descends steeply for .1 mile and pops out of the trees onto a long open ridge that is covered with wildflowers in late spring. There are excellent views to the north of Mount Saint Helens, Mount Rainier, and Mount Adams, as well as Silver Star Mountain to the west. You can stop here or continue down to the end of the ridge, which adds approximately a mile round trip, with about 300 feet of elevation loss and regain. This part of the trail is especially overgrown in summer.
Retrace your steps to return to your car. When you reach the Dog Mountain Trail junction, turning right will take you back down the Augspurger Trail to the trailhead. If, instead, you turn left, you can take the Dog Mountain Trail #147 for one mile up to the summit of Dog Mountain, and then continue down the Dog Mountain Trail to the trailhead. This adds approximately 1.4 miles and 750 feet of elevation gain to the hike.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Green Trails Maps: Hood River, OR #430
- Green Trails Maps: Columbia River Gorge - West #428S
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service/Bureau of Land Management: Columbia River Gorge
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Adams Ranger District
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Gifford Pinchot National Forest
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Regulations or Restrictions, etc.
- Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful Pass) required to park at the Dog Mountain Trailhead.
- On weekends between April 29th and June 18th, 2023, as well as Memorial Day (May 29th) and Juneteenth (June 19th), a trail permit for each vehicle ($2.00) is required in addition to the Northwest Forest Pass; order in advance at Dog Mountain Trail System Permits beginning March 15th. Additional permits will become avaiialble three days in advance of each weekend. Only 90 parking permits are available per day for those using the parking area at Dog Mountain Trailhead.
- Those taking the Dog Mountain Shuttle have the cost of the permit included in the their ticket; shuttle users do not need to order in advance.
- Restrooms, picnic table, information kiosk
- $3 toll each way at the Bridge of the Gods
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Augspurger Mountain Hike
- Augspurger + Augspurger + Augspurger (Winter edition)
- Augsperger Mtn (7/11)
- Augspurger and Dog redux - 7/2/11
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Augspurger Mountain Hike
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Day Hikes in the Columbia Gorge by Don J. Scarmuzzi
- Day Hiking: Columbia River Gorge by Craig Romano
- Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver by Douglas Lorain
- 100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington by William L. Sullivan (listed as optional extension to the Dog Mountain Hike)
- 70 Virtual Hikes of the Columbia River Gorge by Northwest Hiker
More links
- Augspurger Trail (#4407) (USFS)
- Augspurger Mountain Hike (Northwest Hiker)
- Augspurger Mountain (Friends of the Columbia Gorge)
- Augspurger Trail (Washington Trails Association)
- Augspurger Mountain (Outdoor Project)
- Augspurger Mountain (Went Hiking)
- Hikes: Augspurger Trail (Henry Hooper)
- Augspurger Mountain (Summit Post)
Contributors
- Bosterson (creator)