SNYDERVILLE, Utah — A woman and her dog suffered serious injuries after a moose attack on a popular Summit County trail earlier this month, prompting renewed warnings about wildlife encounters during the fall season.
While moose sightings are common in the Park City area, especially this time of year, community members said the incident serves as an important reminder to stay aware while recreating outdoors.
Rob's Trail, a popular hiking destination near Park City, sees heavy use as residents and visitors enjoy the changing seasons and the area's colorful fall foliage. But wildlife activity is also increasing as animals enter their fall mating season.
"We're in the fall rut," said Robert Parrish, executive director of the Snyderville Basin Recreation District. "It's mating season for animals, and moose in particular are one of the ones that are prevalent along our trails on the mountain."
Moose encounters are not uncommon in the Wasatch Back. Reported injuries involving trail users have occurred in Summit and Wasatch counties in 2017, 2020, 2024, and most recently this September.
Paige Poehler and her husband were visiting family in the area when they decided to hike Rob's Trail. During their trip down the mountain, they heard screams coming from farther up the trail.
"My husband and I were just talking, enjoying the scenery, and then we heard someone cry out," Poehler said. "At first we were confused. We thought maybe someone was goofing around on the trail."
As they continued, they discovered a woman who had just been attacked by a mother moose.
"We came across a woman who did not look OK, and she said, 'I've just been trampled by a mother moose,'" Poehler said. "We looked behind us and there was the moose and her calf."
According to the injured woman's husband, she had been hiking with her two dogs on a trail they had visited several times before. He said the moose charged her, leaving her with a punctured lung, broken ribs and other injuries. One of the dogs also suffered a broken leg. Although her injuries were covered by insurance, they have a GoFundMe set up to help with the dog’s veterinary bills.
Despite the severity of her injuries, Poehler said the woman remained determined to get off the trail.
"She was very determined and very strong because she had a lot of pretty bad injuries," Poehler said. "She made it almost all the way down before the EMTs came up to us."
Wildlife officials encourage anyone who encounters a moose to remain calm, give the animal plenty of space and avoid running away. Moose can become especially aggressive when protecting calves or during mating season.
To better understand local wildlife behavior, the Snyderville Basin Recreation District recently entered into an interlocal agreement with Utah State University to research moose activity and human-wildlife conflicts in the area.
"What they’re planning on doing is putting some trail cameras out in the area, five of which are on our trails," Parrish said. "Rob's Trail is one of them, to really track moose movement."
Parrish said the research could help identify where and when moose are most active, giving trail users better information before they head outdoors.
"Any information that we can get from this study that will help inform our hikers as to where the moose may or may not be," Parrish said. "It's one thing to go out and look for moose and take photos, but it's another to all of a sudden come into a situation where an incident may occur. We want to keep people safe."
For Poehler and other hikers who witnessed the attack's aftermath, the experience was a powerful reminder that even familiar trails can present unexpected risks.
Still, they said they plan to keep enjoying Utah's mountains, with a greater awareness of the wildlife that calls them home.