Run-A-Muck’s reopening has a dangerous component

Yesterday, Basin Rec reopened Run-A-Muck Dog Park. We were excited to get back. Yet after experiencing it, I’m not sure the risk-reward is worth it.

For those who haven’t visited Run-A-Muck, it is a fenced dog-park that sits below the Utah Olympic Park (UOP). It covers many acres and legally permits dogs to run off-leash.

When I arrived this morning at the main parking lot, a sign stated that there was only one entrance to the park and one exit to the park. We’d have to walk the park in a clockwise fashion and exit the park through a tunnel about a quarter-mile from the entrance. Then we would cross the road to the UOP to get back to our car.

That doesn’t sound like a big deal until you put it into practice. Navigating a dog on-leash and two little children across a road, with no markings, that construction vehicles frequent, and has a speed limit of 40 MPH is dangerous.

I have no problem with a one-way path around the park, although I’m not sure of its effectiveness in practice. People will be passing each other all the time. However, it’s not a big deal and may help at times.

It’s also nice to see how the park’s vegetation has grown back, with the two-month reprieve from humans and animals. It’s still one of the best places in Summit County.

Yet, crossing that road is going to be a big deal. It’s likely the park will maintain this practice at least through the summer. If so, it’s likely someone is going to get seriously hurt. To at least mitigate the issue a bit, Summit County needs to put a crosswalk between the two parking lots and put pedestrian crossing signs up.

I’m glad Run-A-Muck was able to reopen, but this part of the reopening plan isn’t particularly well thought out. Summit County needs to take a look at this and make some changes. Otherwise, right now, Run-A-Muck may be more dangerous than the coronavirus.