Dog Mountain Shuttle Celebrates 7 Years of Learning, Growth, and Success
Riders in matching blue shirts exiting the CAT bus at the Dog Mountain trailhead. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Sponsored Content By Cole Goodwin
Stevenson, WA – The Dog Mountain Shuttle celebrated the successful conclusion of its 7th season, providing a safe and accessible transportation option for outdoor enthusiasts visiting Dog Mountain Trailhead to admire the wildflowers. This shuttle service, made possible through a collaborative effort between various organizations and agencies, aims to enhance the visitor experience, address safety concerns along the SR 14 corridor, and mitigate environmental impacts.
This year the shuttle service celebrated a 60% increase in ridership compared to last year.
Amy Schlappi, Executive Director of Columbia Area Transit said that the season had gone “wonderfully.”
So, CCCNews journalist Cole Goodwin went to check it out.
It’s June 10th and the early morning air is cool and breezy. I’m sitting in my car eating the breakfast I’d picked up in Stevenson when the shuttle pulls up in the gravel parking lot at Skamania County Fairgrounds at 7:30 on the dot. The driver gets out to put up signage directing people to the pick up location.
The pickup location in Stevenson, WA. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
We chat and he tells me that on Memorial Day weekend this lot was already packed with at least thirty cars by the time he’d arrived.
“The ridership was consistently high,” says Jim, the shuttle driver.
He guessed he’d transported over 250 to and from the trail on one of those days.
As riders arrived, I introduced myself and chatted with them about the shuttle.
Shuttle riders Katie and Chris from Vancouver were the first to arrive. They laugh and give each other knowing looks.
They tell me that they’d tried to hike the trail the weekend before. But they hadn’t known about the reserved parking permit system or the shuttle bus and had ended up having to hike elsewhere. So, today they’d made the trip again. Only to end up at Skamania Lodge instead of the Fairgrounds. Staff had redirected them and they’d eventually made it to where they were supposed to be.
Despite their mishaps they’re still excited for wildflowers and soon other hikers arrive and we all pile on the bus.
Dog Mountain Shuttle riders, having traveled from Vancouver, the Tri-Cities and beyond, are all smiles as they wait to board on June 10, 2023. Katie and Chris are pictured at the center. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Riders marvel at the gorge scenery through the bus windows on the short trip over. A few riders note the signs on the bus reminding them that the last shuttle back to Stevenson leaves at 5 p.m.
When the shuttle arrives at the trail every rider receives a hand stamp which serves as their day use pass and their return ticket for the day. At the trailhead Forest Service personnel at the trailhead help to direct hikers to the trail and restroom facilities.
USFS offering guidance to a hiker at the trailhead. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Don’t forget your stamp! Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
The adventure begins… Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
I look around the trailhead and I barely recognize the scene compared to when I worked at the forest service years ago.
In the past, the popularity of Dog Mountain trail led to overcrowding, causing the parking area to overflow with vehicles. Hikers resorted to parking along SR 14 and the BNSF railroad tracks, resulting in congestion, traffic accidents, and increased safety risks. Sheriff Summer Scheyer of Skamania County vividly described the chaotic conditions that existed before the shuttle service, permit system, and fixed parking spaces.
A crash history report from the 2022 SR 14 Safety Study.
“It was sheer chaos,” said Scheyer.
During peak visitation, the parking area often accommodated over 200 cars, leading to hazardous situations. In response to escalating safety incidents, Skamania County Community Transit partnered with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Skamania County, and other stakeholders launched the Dog Mountain permitting and shuttle system in 2018. And in 2023, the USFS revised the parking reservation system to encourage carpooling, implementing per-vehicle reservations during the peak wildflower season from late April to mid-June.
The parking lot at Dog Mountain is now much more orderly then in past years. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
More hikers arrive to embark on an outdoor adventure. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Hikers planning their route. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
The free shuttle service, in conjunction with the permit system, has significantly transformed the situation, improving public safety, fostering economic development, and benefiting the environment. The reduction in pedestrian traffic along SR 14 has resulted in fewer collisions, trespassing violations, and search and rescue incidents. Skamania County Sheriff Summer Scheyer commended the program, emphasizing the positive impact it has had on safety and emergency response.
“The difference now is night and day,” said Scheyer.
Even Katie and Chris, who had some initial difficulties navigating the new system felt that it was well worth the extra effort.
“The views of the gorge were great. The wildflowers were pretty nice and worth the whole trip,”
Emily Reed, Network Director of Columbia Gorge Tourism Alliance, also applauded the multi-agency effort and pointed out the potential for tourism to be a force of good that has a positive impact on local economies.
The success of the shuttle service can be attributed to the collaborative efforts of multiple partners, including Skamania County Senior Services, Skamania County Board of Commissioners, Skamania County Chamber of Commerce, Skamania County Sheriff's Department and EMS, Washington State Police, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), United States Forest Service (USFS), Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD), Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Columbia Gorge Tourism Alliance, Columbia Area Transit, Greyline of Portland, and the City of Stevenson.
Moving Forward
The CAT bus on it’s way to pick up another group of hikers. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
While the shuttle service has been successful, partners remain dedicated to identifying issues and improving upon the service. One area of improvement that has been identified is a need for consistent up to date information across multiple platforms.
Amy Schlappi, CAT Executive Director said this is something they hope to address before the 2024 Dog Mountain Shuttle starts up next season.
“It seems like there is some conflicting information out there which we are working with our partners to reduce – since it is a seasonal service there is sometimes historical information that has not been updated,” said Schlappi.
More information about public transportation in the Columbia River Gorge is available at gorgetranslink.com.
More information about recreation in the gorge is available at www.fs.usda.gov/crgnsa.
Want to explore the Gorge without your car? https://columbiagorgecarfree.com/
Information about where to stay, eat, and play in Stevenson, WA is also available at skamania.org.
