TRAIL GUIDELINES & ETIQUETTE
All About Dogs on Trails
Where to take your bestie, on and off leash.
Park City is a very dog-friendly and dog-respectful community. We have a number of off-leash dog parks and a few off-leash trails. There are some areas where dogs are not permitted due to watershed and/or other trail use designations. Explore the trails areas below and watch for posted signs when you are out and about. Check the FAQs below for more info.
It’s important that you clean up after your dog as well as follow the laws & posted signs so we can keep Park City trails dog friendly!
Find Dog Parks and Dog Friendly Trails
You know your pup best, so be sure to use a trail or park that sports the rules that are in you and your pup’s best interest.
Things to know before you go
Please clean up after yourself and your pets. Travel on marked trails durable surfaces. Dispose of waste properly.
Please do not ride (fat bikes and mountain bikes) if you are leaving a rut. If snow or dirt is too wet or soft to ride a straight line, then turn around. Tires can leave ruts that ruin groomed trails for other users. Ruts lead to erosion and costly trail repairs.
Leash dogs immediately upon wildlife encounter and keep your distance. Do not let your pet chase or play with wildlife.
Be aware and in control of where your dog is and who they are approaching at all times. Not all dogs respond the same to other dogs.
Always place dogs on leash immediately upon arriving at trailhead parking lots. That way excited pooches never get the chance to harass others, get hit by a car or sneak in a bathroom break while owners are distracted.
Of course not! Dog waste is not part of a healthy ecosystem and dog owners are expected to remove dog waste – regardless of where it falls. If a dog goes bushwhacking and lays one down, then the owner needs to go bushwhacking and pick it up. Trash receptacles are often placed 100+ yards up trail from a trailhead, but if your dog relieves itself beyond that, do the responsible thing and pick up/carry out the waste.
Please do not leave a “doggie bag” on the side of the trail. More often than not, they are forgotten and left to rot on the side of a trail. Bring extra waste removal bags just in case.
Park City Municipal Code
https://www.parkcity.org/home/showpublisheddocument/242/635907004278770000
County Code of Summit County, UT
https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/summitcountyut/latest/summitcounty_ut/0-0-0-13960
Yes! Aside from designated trails and parks, you must leash your dog. Off-leash dogs can become confused by bikers and skiers. If a dog crosses the path of even a slow moving skier or biker, significant injury can result to person, dog or equipment. Confused animals can also do things their owners do not expect, like biting. Don’t find out the hard way that your nervous dog is a biter. Damages and injuries will likely become the liability of the person who allowed the dog to be off-leash. A dog owner found in violation of leash laws, could be sued!
Park City is a very dog-friendly community, but there are enforceable leash laws in Summit County. Watershed areas do not allow dogs, some trails are off-leash and some require leashes. We also have a number of off-leash dog parks. It’s important that you clean up after your dog as well as follow the laws & signs. You know your pup best, so be sure to use a trail that sports the rules that are in you and your pup’s best interest.
Visit our dogs page for all the info.