Roam on the range: Big Piney K9 Adventures’ hundreds of private acres for off-leash outings

Photo: Lexie Larson // Neighbors of Park City.

There’s no place like home, and Kamas Valley resident Crystal Kilgore is a testament. The Utah native moved around a lot in her early years but ultimately found her calling right back where she started, bringing her love for animals to the newest dog walking outfit in Summit County, working from her family’s expansive Oakley homestead. 

Kilgore’s story began in 1991, born into a local construction family who purchased land when she was three and turned to hobby farming––harvesting hay on their 80 acres located in Oakley near the Peoa border. With four brothers and sisters, she remembers days spent on the ranch, running through the fields, raising some animals, and generally living the wholesome life revered by residents in eastern Summit County. Since those early years, the family’s homestead has grown and is now shared by several family members who returned to build their own homes, live near one another, and raise their families.

After graduating from South Summit high school Crystal, a natural athlete and outdoor enthusiast, pursued goals of exercise science, receiving a degree from the National Academy of Sports Medicine with several stints in the field, including running a women’s boot camp operation and coaching CrossFit. She married her husband in 2014 and together they lived in Heber Valley for the past 14 years, buying and selling several homes between Heber and Midway. 

During her time there, and to supplement her lifestyle, she connected with the owner of The Critter Sitter, a Midway-based dog walking and boarding operation that spoke to several of Crystal’s passions––exercise and animals. “So that’s where I really started with dog adventures and learning trail etiquette and pack walks,” she said. “The owner was looking for help and I was looking for a new opportunity. So it was perfect.” 

For nine years Crystal perfected her craft with the Midway business, eventually moving back to eastern Summit County this past summer where she and her husband built a home on the land her family has accrued––now about 8,000 acres. “The cool part is it’s all connected to where my parents live,” says Crystal. “My brother and his family live just a few minutes aways and all of the land behind our homes is connected by 4 x 4 trails and tons of private land.” Crystal said the family property is named Big Pine Mountain Ranch, and in August she honored that heritage, naming her newly launched dog adventure company Big Piney K9 Adventures. 

Crystal’s business model is focused on morning walks Monday through Friday after she gets her six-year-old daughter on the school bus. She offers pick up and drop off services throughout Kamas Valley and up through Brown’s Canyon. Her hikes are ideally off-leash for dogs once they have had an assessment to ensure no one will wander off over the 3–5-mile treks around her family’s private land. “I plan on going rain or shine and will incorporate cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter when there’s snow,” she said. 

Crystal said her joy comes from seeing dogs flourish on their adventures. “I love being out with them where they can just be in their natural environment,” she said. “Running and playing, they develop this cool pack mentality. You can see them shift and love to be out there loose and free.” She added that with owner permission she can work with dogs who may not be familiar with off-leash freedom using e-collar training which can gently correct a dog from wandering off which is especially valuable for dogs who might want to chase wildlife. She also leashes dogs who are new to the pack to assess their behavior with the other dogs and to ensure safety, eventually letting them roam leash-free once trust has been established. Her only rule is that dogs must be spayed or neutered by six months of age to avoid behavioral pitfalls. “That’s definitely one of my qualifications; I’m focused on the safety and health of all of my dogs.”

Crystal lauds the access she has to such a vast expanse of private family-owned property as one of her businesses’ greatest assets. “This land gives me something you can’t find on a busy trail,” she says, “privacy, safety and the freedom for dogs to be dogs. Out here it’s just miles of wilderness. Just me and the pack.”