How To Find Wheelchair Accessible Hiking Trails Near Me (In Any City!)
You might be thinking - wheelchair accessible hiking trails? ♿ That’s not a thing. And in the past, you’d have been right!
Fortunately, more and more places are recognizing the benefits of being outside, including the ones I talk about most - defining your values and finding your purpose. Because of that, they’re making at least some hiking trails suitable for wheelchairs.
While I’m not personally a wheelchair-user (at least not yet), I do have friends who are. I also pay attention to this because typically wheelchair accessible trails are also easier on my body, which lives with Fibromyalgia.
Elements of Wheelchair Accessible Hiking Trails
When determining if a trail is wheelchair accessible or not, there are several factors to be considered. 🧑🦼
Parking Lot - Most trails have some type of parking area, but they may or may not have defined wheelchair accessible parking spaces. In some cases, trail parking is far from the trail head, very small, or so big and spread out that they’re a hike all on their own. A trail that’s truly suitable for wheelchairs will have parking that’s accessible as well.
Physical Aspects - Wheelchair accessible hiking trails will be wide enough for a wheelchair of any dimension and leave room for people to pass. They will also have a fairly flat slope and be constructed of materials which a wheelchair can easily drive over and without obstacles such as fallen trees or branches.
Rest Areas - Benches or other places to rest are also helpful when looking for wheelchair accessible hiking trails. Though you may not need the bench yourself, benches usually indicate that there’s also space for you to pull off to the side and rest if necessary. 🪑
Finding Wheelchair Accessible Hiking Trails Near Me (Wherever You Live)
Ready to get out there and explore? There are two ways I’m aware of to find wheelchair accessible hiking trails in your area. They may be found in state parks or any local trail near you.
Using Traillink to Find Wheelchair Accessible Hiking Trails
Traillink has a list of wheelchair accessible hiking trails by state. It is fairly comprehensive, but doesn’t list all the trails in your area. Depending on your mobility level, type of wheelchair, and other needs, there may be additional trails suitable for wheelchairs in your area that are not captured in their list.
Using AllTrails to Find Hiking Trails Suitable for Wheelchairs
Another option is to use AllTrails. They provided fairly comprehensive descriptions of every trail on their site (or app), including information about accessibility.
As an example, take a look at the info for the Lake Arbor Trail. If you expand the information under the “Description” section, it talks about wheelchair accessibility.
Both Traillink and AllTrails have apps for Android and iPhone platforms. This makes it easy to research wheelchair accessible hiking trails wherever you are as well as to save, review, and share your hikes with others. 🎉
Now that you know how to find wheelchair accessible trails in any city, it’s time to head out and explore!
Let me know how it goes. 💖