ROB’S TRAIL
Located near the top of Sun Peak, Rob’s trail offers beautiful views of Park City and the Canyons side of Park City Mountain. It’s a local favorite for May - November hiking and mountain biking and a great spot to take pups for a fun-filled hike through aspen groves. The trail switchbacks up the mountain for about 1.75 miles before flattening out and ending at the junction of the Olympic and Ambush trails, 2.5 miles in. If you hike up and run down like the dogs always do, it’ll take you about an hour, roundtrip. Make sure to bring a leash and water, and to watch out for moose as they are active on this trail.
IRON MOUNTAIN
Park City’s own natural stair-stepper - bring Fido to Iron Mountain for some quick cardio and a beautiful view. The trail begins at the top of Aspen Springs (the easiest place to park is on the road by the stop sign) and heads straight up for one mile until it reaches a bench with a view. You can continue another half mile until the trail intersects with Mid Mountain and Ironman. The trail is shady most of the day and can be very muddy until mid-June. Iron is also a great winter hike, as it’s usually packed down by swiss bobbing locals and their pups. Always bring a leash!
LOWER JENNI’S TRAIL
This pleasant loop at Park City Mountain Resort is a popular local favorite in the spring, summer and fall for mountain bikers — its wide switchbacks, flowy downhills, and decent shade make it the perfect post-workday peddle. It’s also a great place to hike the dogs. For a solid 3-mile hike, start on the right side of Jenni’s (bikers’ uphill) to head clockwise around the loop, paralleling the dirt road. When the trail forks about 1.5 miles in, head left onto the CMG Downhill for another 1.5 miles to finish at the base of PCMR. The loop is in the shade for about a third of its length, so I’d recommend an early summer morning or fall hike - but try to avoid Saturday morning bike traffic. This trail is inaccessible in the wintertime as it is on Park City Mountain Resort.
LAKE LAXAWAKAN
Up on Guardsman Pass, you’ll find the Bloods Lake Trailhead. Bloods Lake used to be a dog-friendly trail but now dog owners are being discouraged from taking their pups on this hike. BUT - beyond Bloods Lake sits Lake Lackawaxen just below Clayton Peak (Brighton Resort is just over the other side), which is the alternative hiking trail for dog lovers. The trail to Bloods Lake is very popular, but if you continue onto Lake Lackawaxen, the crowds begin to thin out. What I love about this hike is that Lake Lackawaxen makes you feel like you are in high alpine terrain, as you hike through open meadows and small scree fields before reaching the lake. It’s quiet and peaceful, and the scenery makes you want to meander over hiking at a brisk pace. To reach Lake Lackawaxen. Park City’s Mountain Trails Organization just finished a brand new trail that you can take to your left as you make your way from the trailhead. This trail is dog-friendly, and it will take you directly to Lake Lackawaxen bypassing Bloods Lake. Note that Guardsman Pass Road is closed in the winter and that dogs are not allowed west of the Guardsman Pass Summit, in Big Cottonwood Canyon.
GAMBEL OAK LOOP
This is another great 3.5-mile loop where you can take the dogs hiking (or running) with beautiful views of Old Town and the resort. To get the most climbing over with, start the loop at the Lost Prospector trailhead. After a half-mile, get on the road and head right, until you see the Gambel Oak Park Trailhead. This is a hefty mile climb that’ll get the dogs panting. At the top of the climb, go right at the fork onto Masonic, where you’ll begin a pleasant 1.5 mile downhill. For more shade, you can continue right at the fork on Masonic (as it tends to be shadier) or get back onto Lost Prospector for an easy, sunny walk back to the car. There seem to be just as many hikers as there are bikers on this trail, so the latter should be expecting you and your dog out and about. But be wary of blind corners and fast downhill bikers by keeping your dog on a leash.
UINTA MOUNTAINS
Take your pup for a scenic road trip up Mirror Lake Highway into the Uinta Mountains, a high alpine, pristine mountain area that is a magical spot to take your doggo. There are hiking trails galore and an abundance of high alpine lakes for Fido to swim in. Backpacking is popular here during the summer months as it’s a bit cooler than the trails in Park City. Mirror Lake Highway is closed during the winter but you can drive up to the gate and let the pups run free in the snow which is always a smile-inducing sight to behold!