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Just what areas of Walnut Creek trail are off-leash?


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So the more I'm looking into this the more it seems that there isn't an official designation by COA regarding just what of Walnut Creek Park is officially off-leash. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right place.

Additionally... I'm seeing a few dog-focused websites that treat Walnut Creek Park as a park that's all for off-leash dogs. One doesn't even mention mountain biking as an activity that the park is for...

I can see why many who use Walnut Creek Park for their dogs may think that mtb is the problem.

 

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Edited by RidingAgain
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48 minutes ago, June Bug said:

Main Walnut Creek is the divider line.  Everything on the swimming pool side of WC is off leash.  Everything on the other side is on leash.  

 

Good to know. I was under the impression the whole park was off lease. I don't think we ever broke that rule anyway. Quit taking our sweet old lab there years ago due to many aggressive dogs being off leash. 

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8 minutes ago, 4fun said:

Quit taking our sweet old lab there years ago due to many aggressive dogs being off leash. 

There have been many complaints on  Gracywoods Nextdoor about loose aggressive dogs at WC, to the point where many neighbors don't try to walk with their dogs on leash in the park anymore.

The city/parks has never installed effective signage about leash status.  

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1 hour ago, June Bug said:

There have been many complaints on  Gracywoods Nextdoor about loose aggressive dogs at WC, to the point where many neighbors don't try to walk with their dogs on leash in the park anymore.

The city/parks has never installed effective signage about leash status.  

I stopped taking my dogs to parks probably in 2007-2008.  Some stupid local website that aggregates stuff, posted an idea to take your dogs to off-leash parks, they listed a whole lot of parks that are not off-leash including St. Edwards Park.  I wrote them but they did not retract the post nor reply to me.  I had one dog charge my dog and sadly that was the last time we went for a walk at the park.

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3 hours ago, AntonioGG said:

Some stupid local website that aggregates stuff, posted an idea to take your dogs to off-leash parks, they listed a whole lot of parks that are not off-leash including St. Edwards Park.

This happens every year with some take you dog to a park day or something. REI posts Walnut Creek as an appropriate venue every year, and every year I respond with a long reminder about not leash free, lots of park users including mtn bikes, etc.  

 

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8 hours ago, RidingAgain said:

Okay, someone just posted this... It shows that the park on one side of the river is off-leash, but on the other side isn't.

But the speaking on the websites I went to that were for dog activities in Austin didn't make that clear.

 

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I actually just noticed this map on the podium on Power line recently. 

 

But like any law, it's only effect with proper enforcement.

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6 hours ago, June Bug said:

The city/parks has never installed effective signage about leash status.  

There are now at least 2 on-leash signs. One at the main creek xing and one at the dam. There needs to be one at Root Drop though. 

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10 hours ago, Big_papa_nuts said:

I actually just noticed this map on the podium on Power line recently. 

There is also one at the Main Creek Crossing on the "far" side. However, for the average trail user with dog(s) and the complexity of the trail system, it's incomprehensible.  

I noticed a new "on leash" sign near where the trail comes in from the neighborhood by Shady Springs by the power lines. I'll keep an eye on it to see if it's vandalized.  Back in the day the little "on leash" icons on the carsonite posts were vandalized within 24 hours in that area. 

 

Edited by June Bug
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9 hours ago, Barry said:

There are now at least 2 on-leash signs. One at the main creek xing and one at the dam. There needs to be one at Root Drop though. 

someone spray painted leash dogs on the concrete trail as well

With the concrete path both sides are much more accessible. The whole park should be leash free now.

Edited by crazyt
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9 hours ago, crazyt said:

With the concrete path both sides are much more accessible. The whole park should be leash free now.

I'm 180 from you.  Create a dog park on the north side of the park with a water features, utilizing the empty area between the ball fields and Old Cedar Lane, east of the BMX/Wells Branch Creek and ban dogs from the rest of the park.  Another area for a large dog park is the area south of the swimming pool, bounded by the old two-track park road and the current entrance to the trail system off the parking lot.  This would take care of the unending problem with dog poop all over the park. 

I actually do encounter people walking extremely well behaved dogs who stay close and respond to voice commands.  I'm totally fine with that. 

There is explosive population growth going on in the general vicinity of WC, along Braker, in the Domain, and along North Lamar.  The park is being loved to death and it's only going to get worse with increasing user conflicts that I truly hope do not result in mountain bikers being shut out of WC.  

Edited by June Bug
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About two weeks ago I was working at my garage and needed to get something in my apartment, so I just jumped on my bike to quickly ride over to it (my garage is maybe 100 yds away from my apt). I live on the second floor, so I rode my bike down the passageway of the ground floor to the second set of steps that are next to my apt... Only to have a big dog rush me as I got to the steps. My apt faces a large somewhat private open lawn area where folks are allowed to walk their dogs — on leash. There is a fenced, a no-leash area, but it's at the other end of the complex. Thing is, the owner of this dog, who lives in my building, has decided that rules don't apply to him... So he takes his dog to the area that my apt looks out onto and allows it off-leash — and to do its crap without picking it up (no green baggie for him). And this guy is a strapping, healthy young man... Meaning... Well able to take his dog out for a proper run, in the designated area.

When his dog rushed me he quickly said, "Oh, he doesn't like bikes...", with a kind of it's not his problem disposition as he said it. I guess in his mind I was the problem. And this fella still does the same thing.

Having grown up with big dogs, they don't frighten me. And I know how to conduct myself when one rushes me, so I wasn't disturbed by it. But there are older folk who live there that might have reacted differently and the situation ended badly. And the same goes for dog encounters on trails. People need to be responsible handling themselves and their dogs... With proper regard for other trail users.







 

Edited by RidingAgain
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3 hours ago, Bamwa said:

Can we return to normal where if your dog is friendly no leash and mean yes leash. It's really that simple, just haul out your turds.

It's not really that simple.  9/10 people get it wrong.  That's the problem.  People think their dog is fine when it is not.

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9 hours ago, June Bug said:

There is also one at the Main Creek Crossing on the "far" side. However, for the average trail user with dog(s) and the complexity of the trail system, it's incomprehensible.  

I noticed a new "on leash" sign near where the trail comes in from the neighborhood by Shady Springs by the power lines. I'll keep an eye on it to see if it's vandalized.  Back in the day the little "on leash" icons on the carsonite posts were vandalized within 24 hours in that area. 

 

I actually just rode through there this morning and looked for those signed and didn't see them. I was mostly reminded by the women playing fetch with here dog IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BRIDGE.

 

I actually really appreciate that Walnut is off leash because it's one of the few places I can take our dog for a run/ride. We haven't been recently because the park has been overcrowded, which is where I think most of the recent problems have been stemming, but I don't think I've ever had a problem there otherwise.

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1 minute ago, Big_papa_nuts said:

but I don't think I've ever had a problem there otherwise.

It's heavily dependent on time of day/day of week.   BCV (before corona virus) the park was mostly empty during weekdays, with a few early morning hikers. Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings saw minimal use as well. 

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The dog thing is only a problem to strava racers. Normal people don't mind slowing down, or even saying hi, or "go ahead, hikers have the right of way" I have had zero incidents here in over a decade. We are all out here to enjoy the natures, brah.

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1 hour ago, Bamwa said:

The dog thing is only a problem to strava racers. Normal people don't mind slowing down, or even saying hi, or "go ahead, hikers have the right of way" I have had zero incidents here in over a decade. We are all out here to enjoy the natures, brah.

As a Strava racer, I think that your rational ignores the instance of cyclists being bit by off leash dogs.  I personally know two cyclists bit.  I've also seen two dogs off leash fight and the @knifezila separated the dogs while the owners were at a loss.  

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1 hour ago, Bamwa said:

The dog thing is only a problem to strava racers. Normal people don't mind slowing down, or even saying hi, or "go ahead, hikers have the right of way" I have had zero incidents here in over a decade. We are all out here to enjoy the natures, brah.

If you paid attention you would have noticed my saying that I've had problems while walking my dogs.  I've also had a dog charge me while riding very slow and saying hi to their owner at Bull Creek, and a dog charge me at St. Edwards park while I was stopped while saying hi to the owner and letting them by, brah.

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I had a dog charge me and chase me, it was off leash. It bit my ankle slightly. As I was racing away the owner kept yelling at ME to stop so the dog would stop chasing me.

Not gonna happen, I am not giving the dog a second chance. Even if that means you have to walk 2 miles to get your dog. Not my problem, leash them.

I believe that the leash laws indicate that you must be in control of your dog if they are off-leash. I have run into people with 4-5 dogs at Walnut, all off leash. They can only be in control of 1, at most. I also see people with small children and a dog off leash. This is a really bad situation because if there is an impromptu dog fight arising, are you going to leave hold of your toddler to separate  the dogs? No, not smart.

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