"After a summer of traffic cones and shifting lanes, High Valley Transit says it is nearing the end of the first year of construction on the Bobsled Express," TownLift reported on Oct. 8. According to the same update, over the winter crews will work only on local bus stops as weather allows. Otherwise, traffic control comes down and trails reopen.
The timing works out well. The highway work is stopping just after Run-A-Muk reopened with resurfaced trails, and while Willow Creek Park's pond is closed for bank work. So from now until the crews come back in spring 2027, the trails around Old Ranch Road should be in better shape than they've been at any point since April.
What the Detours Were Routing Around
From April through November 2026, the McLeod Creek Trail had restrictions on the east side of SR-224. They covered two stretches: Silver Springs Drive to Cutter Lane, and Silver Springs/Bear Hollow up to Canyons Resort Drive. High Valley Transit's construction page sent people west of the highway to the Millennium Trail instead. The detours ran either through Bear Hollow Drive and Cooper Lane or through the Cutter Lane and Newpark Boulevard underpass. All summer, that meant a longer route for anyone heading north toward Kimball Junction or south toward Canyons Village on foot or by bike.
Some of what the crews built is already finished and will stay. HVT's Oct. 2 construction update lists improved intersections and signals at Old Ranch, Silver Springs Drive and Olympic Boulevard. In the same stretch between Olympic Boulevard and Canyons Resort Drive, crews put in major drainage, rebuilt a retaining wall and added a new detention pond. The same update says work has started on the Bobsled and Cutter Lane BRT stations, plus upgrades to the local bus stop at Olympic Boulevard.
Neither HVT nor TownLift has given a calendar date for each trail segment to reopen. The public statement just says traffic control will be removed and trails will reopen for the winter. Since bus-stop work can continue when the weather allows, a short closure near a stop is still possible. HVT points trail users to its live construction map for current conditions.
A Status Check, Place by Place
Here's how the main spots near Old Ranch Road look as the winter pause begins in October 2026:
| Place | Status heading into winter | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| McLeod Creek Trail along SR-224 | Reopening as construction traffic control is removed | No specific reopening date; crews may still be working at bus stops |
| Run-A-Muk | Reopened Sept. 24 after resurfacing | Weekday closures began Sept. 2 to repair weather damage |
| Willow Creek Park pond | Closed for the season since Sept. 28 | Closure allows continued bank work to improve access |
| Willow Creek Dog Park | Open | Fenced, 24,000 square feet of grass and soft surfaces |
| Swaner perimeter paths | Maintained year-round | Groomed for Nordic skiing in winter |
The Fall Repairs Away From the Highway
Run-A-Muk is the 43-acre off-leash open space below Utah Olympic Park. Unlike a fenced dog run, it's kept in its natural state. TownLift's Sept. 23 report said severe weather over the past year had damaged the trails. Crews started repairs on Sept. 2 to fix that damage and make the trails hold up better over time, and the area reopened on Thursday, Sept. 24. So the trails dogs are using now are newly resurfaced heading into the first freeze-thaw cycles of the season.
The rules didn't change with the new surface. Basin Recreation's Run-A-Muk page spells them out:
- Dogs must "respond to voice commands and stay within sight."
- Each handler carries a leash no longer than six feet and may have no more than four dogs off leash.
- Dogs are leashed within 150 feet of public trailheads.
- Biking and e-bikes are not allowed, and users stay on trail and pack out trash and dog waste.
At Willow Creek Park, the fall work is at the pond. Basin Recreation closed the pond for the season on Monday, Sept. 28, so bank work to improve access could continue. That closure matters more once it gets cold. When conditions allow, Basin turns the pond into a natural ice rink. Crews clear the snow and mop the surface to make it skateable. Elsewhere in the park, pets stay leashed except in designated off-leash areas, and they aren't allowed in the playground. The fenced dog park has an agility course and three shade shelters with benches.
When Snow Arrives, Pathways Come Before Grooming
With the detours ending, the trails along 224 can work as winter routes again. Basin Recreation follows a set order after storms. Snow removal goes to all commuter pathways and trailheads first, and grooming comes after. Basin says plainly that because of this order, there's no fixed grooming schedule. Its interactive winter map shows live grooming and classic-track updates.
In past seasons, Basin's winter trail listing named McLeod Creek, Willow Creek Loop, Miss Billy's and the Millennium Trail from Newpark to Bear Hollow as groomed multi-use routes. On those, foot traffic and leashed dogs share the trail with fat-tire bikes and Nordic skiers. That list was published in 2025, so it shows how grooming has worked before. It isn't an announced plan for 2026–27. The same page lists the Green Heart 5k at Willow Creek Park as Nordic only, so dogs, hiking, biking and snowshoeing aren't allowed on it.
Swaner is a reliable winter option too. According to Swaner's trail access page, the paved and gravel paths around the preserve, including the Highway 224 boardwalk and the McLeod Creek connection, are maintained year-round and groomed for Nordic skiing in winter. The preserve's northern section has more than 10 miles of trails open to hiking and biking, with pets on leash. Most of the southern wetland parcel isn't open without a guide, and visitors get there through guided tours or the Wetland Discovery Trail. The EcoCenter is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Calendar Before the Ground Freezes
The next two weeks are busy ones for the open spaces closest to Old Ranch Road:
- Oct. 23–25, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Spooktacular Weekend at Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter, 1258 Center Drive. It's free and includes geocache trick-or-treating, a spooky nature craft and hands-on activities.
- Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Celebrate the Spirits at Willow Creek Park, a free costume and trick-or-treat event. Parking may be tight, and overflow parking is at Matt Knoop Park.
- Oct. 30, 9 a.m. to noon: a volunteer cleanup at the lower Run-A-Muk parking lot, the last of the fall cleanups TownLift listed to get the area ready for winter.
- Nov. 4, 9 a.m. to noon: a Planting & Restoration Day at Willow Creek Park. Registration is required. Volunteers plant native plants grown in Basin Recreation's greenhouse to add biodiversity and pollinator habitat. The group meets at the main pavilion near the playground and walks about half a mile to the site. All ages are welcome.
Spring 2027 Is Already Scheduled
HVT says work picks up again in spring 2027, starting with widening southbound SR-224 from Bear Hollow Drive to White Pine Canyon Road and northbound SR-224 from McPolin Barn to Kearns Boulevard. The southbound stretch starts at Bear Hollow, the same intersection at the center of this year's McLeod Creek detours, and runs south from there.
The stations come next. Crews will build BRT stations with canopies, real-time information boards, lighting and landscaping. Bobsled and Cutter Lane are the two stations already started in the Olympic Boulevard to Canyons Resort Drive segment, the stretch where the Old Ranch signal work just wrapped up.
Thinking about how the Bobsled Express, the new stations and the 2027 construction season could affect a home near Old Ranch Road, whether you're planning to stay or getting ready to list? The team at Ski Resort Property Group follows the 224 corridor closely and can walk you through what it means for your street. Schedule a Consultation.
