Calling All TT'ers

“Its an easy favor I'm about to ask. I know most of you tend to travel in places where it is impossible for anyone with a disability to go. Still... perhaps in your travels you pass by a trail, a waterfall, an overlook, a picnic facility , etc.. where someone in a wheelchair, or with a walker could get out and enjoy?
If you will keep a mental note of these finds and pass the info along to me via email or on the TT board I have begun compiling a database of such places for what I call "hikers with wheels". I am a nurse too. I can't help myself. I had a grandpa who took me to the woods all the time as a little kiddle and he grew old and crippled. So my heart is in this.... if I can help make a difference.....”

“Rodburn Hollow Nature Loop, Morehead Kentucky. 3/4 mile wheelchair accessible trail loop with picknick and restroom facilities. Old growth forest with creek running through it. Botanical guides posted. Very beautiful.”

“It goes in the database! You're somethin' else AWHILE! I'm not believing how quick you are!”

“LOL, used to live 3/4 of a mile from there.”

“Northern California, easy day trip,north of San Fransisco.”

“Has several areas with wheelchair access, if I remember correctly. You can do a Muir Woods and Point Reyes combo, pretty easily.”

“Near Los Alamos, New Mexico”

“Lake Springs Day Area, Clark's Hill Reservoir, 20 miles NW of Augusta, Ga. on the Savannah River.

The trail is about a mile long (one-way, not a loop) along the edge of the lake and through the woods. No old growth... More like 3rd or 4th growth, <G>.

The trail itself is fairly level except for one spot where there's a small incline (up 10 ft. over a 30 ft. stretch). It's paved with asphalt, end to end. There are two or three wheelchair accessible restrooms along the way... one right next to the trail near the midpoint.

There are also a couple of covered areas for group picnics if a storm blows in.

Gates are open late April to mid October, but you can go in anytime... In fact, it's nicer the other half of the year without the cars and all the people. You just have to increase the mileage to 3 (or a little less) including the road to form a loop.”

“Glacier National Park, Montana
Trail of the cedars
.4 mile loop level wheelchair accessable boardwalked trail.”

“If you want to come to New York, they have a few places. Horseshoe Lake (adirondacks)has free primative camp sites that you can drive into. Little Tupper Lake (adirondacks) that the state recently bought can be driven up to also. If you want to drive further, there is Lake Lila. The Rangers have a gated road that I believe they open up to people with disabilities. The Neversink gorge (catskills)(which actually isn't in the town of Neversink) has some very nice trails that they allow disabled persons to take sm motorized vehicles on. While some mountains are impossible, NYS seems to go out of their way to make ramps where feasable & open up places to physically impaired people.”

“The stone door at Savage gulf State Park in Tennessee, is 0.9 mi, great overlook into the canyon.
I seem to remember that Cloudland canyon in NW Georgia , has some also.”

“Silver Lake boardwalk 0.7 mi. Brighton, Utah. Fully stocked with trout every weekend.


http://www.slcgov.com/utilities/NewsEvents/news892002.htm”

“It's about 90 miles west of Chicago has made a number of trails accessible.”

“Shenandoah NP - Limberlost trail - approx 1 mile loop through a hemlock forest saved from loggers - botanically interesting area - trail is mostly finely crushed stone - many benches to rest at for people with walkers”

“Paved bike path / trail between El Capitan SP and Refugieo SP, CA. 2 miles (I think) along the central coast on top of the bluffs.”

“Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tn. Try Watts Bar Dam, Tn.”

“Located on HWY 17 on The Outer Banks of North Carolina (barrier islands). Nearby Kill Devil Hills are the tallest sand dunes on Eastern Seaboard.

A very large monument sits atop the hill from which Orville and Wilbur set their bird aflight. The entire hill is encircled by enough front row parking for almost any occasion, and paved walkways (no stairs) take you to the top. About halfway to the top, the Atlantic Ocean is fully viewable. At the very top you geat a great view of both sides of the island.

Located near the landing area for their plane is a single-story museum which tells the Wright Brother's story.

BTW, 2003 is the 100th Anniversary of the Wright Brother's Flight. Go to the following URL for event specifics:

http://www.centennialofflight.gov/what/

Other nearby attractions include The North Carolina Aquarium and Cape Hatteras Light House, the tallest brick lighthouse in North America. A couple of years ago, they moved the lighthouse several hundred feet (in tact-a marvel of technology) to prevent it from being claimed by the Ocean.”

“alum cove loop, in NW AR. it's not all level but it's got some really killer rock features and cavelets and a huge natural bridge. stunning, about 1.5 miles long.”

“1) Snowbird barrier free trail: Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, Snowbird Utah

3/4 mile in the Wasatch Mountains, open in summer (snow free) months to all ability levels. Breathtaking views.

http://www.snowbird.com/pages/home/default.php


2) Bridal Veil Falls, Provo Canyon, Provo utah.

Easy roadside access, magnificent views, wheelchair access trails.

3) Temple Quarry Nature trail, Mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon, Sandy Utah.

Numerous trails totaling over a mile. Wheelchair accessable, great wildlife viewing, spectacular canyon.



Hope that helps...”

“Iowa:

Pikes Peak State Park, McGregor. Cement sidewalks of under 1/4 mile to great overlook of confluence of Wisconsin River with the Mississippi River. Plus another short boardwalk to a view, although you would need to take wheelchair up a step.

I would take my mom here.

Yellow River State Forest, Harpers Ferry or Marquette. On the drive through the Litte Paint Creek Campground, you take your vehicle through the stream. Immediately to your right is a 30 ft. concrete sidewalk that has been put down to give handicap access for trout fishing.”

“Hartwick Pines state park, old virgin pine grove, logging museum and CCC camp. Wildlife viewing area and PAVED, handicap accesible trails throughout. Has the largest living white pines in the nation.

Hartwick Pines”

“Zion NP has a paved trail along the Virgin R. to the start of the narrows. It's maybe 3/4 of a mile to a mile. You'll want to double check. There are a couple semi steep areas so if in a wheelchair, have someone healthy along for help.

The Park City Rail-Trail. The first mile (or more, maybe) is asphalt and goes along a miniature wetland area.”

“http://www.grandcanyonfoundation.org/scrapbook.html

Look at Greenway Trail. The article says that four miles have been completed--they are aimimg for 70!!”

“The Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It's in the neighborhood of 20 miles long - ultimately 100 miles when complete. It goes the length of the park and hits many important features. There is a youth hostel halfway and an excursion train that can shuttle a hiker back.”

“Telegraph Pass Trail Head, South Mountain Municiple Park, Phoenix, AZ--1/4 or so paved.

There is one on the AZ Strip, I'll have to find out more.”

“It's akin to the rail-to-trail construction so shared with bikes, joggers, et.al. Still see lots of water, flora and fauna. A portion of it is a part of the American Discovery Trail (see my post there). It's 61 miles long with several entry points.”

“Ooooh Hartwick Pines! That place is so nice.

West Bloomfield Woods Nature Preserve in West Bloomfield, MI

In sring you can see loads of wildflowers and a heron rookery. Baby herons are visable in June, I believe.

1/2 mile trail w/in the nature trail system. And, the rails-to-trails is also wheelchair accessible. That's 4 miles long... on way.”

“All of Kansas.”

“That sure narrows it down, <G>”

“phhhhhhhhhht... but wheelchairs might get bogged down in that all that dirt!!!

So is the prairie blooming?? Am I missing it again?”

“The Capital Area Greenway is a system of public recreation trails located along rivers, creeks, and streams, which provide for activities such as walking, jogging, hiking, fishing, picnicking, and outdoor fun. The trails connect many of Raleigh’s parks and in many cases complement the recreational activities at the parks. The Neuse River, Walnut and Crabtree Creeks and their tributaries are the framework of the Capital Area Greenway System. Many of the city’s major ecological features can be experienced in their natural state along these water courses. A major goal of the Greenway program is to establish a network of interconnected trails which, at present, is composed of nearly 50 miles of trails. Approximately 3/4 of these trails are paved and have ramped parking lot access points.”

“Schollard Wetlands Trail goes from the parking area here and ends here. It is an old railroad grade which is entirely flat, and is exactly 2 miles one-way. The trail goes through wetlands and is great for birdwatching and stargazing. The foundation of the trail is gravel and ash and therefore may be difficult in some places for wheelchair (I'm not sure how easy these divices are over this surface???), and the only parking area is on the north end.

Here is a general area map showing the location of Schollard. As you can see, it is less than a 10 min drive South of I-80 on Rt. 19 to Leesburgh, and about a 3 min drive West off I-79 on Rt. 208. Here is another state-wide view of the location.

If shopping is also on the itinerery, a now-famous (because it is HUGE) outlet mall is at the I-80/Rt.208 intersection, and the town of Volant (west of Leesburgh) has tons of history and lot of tiny craft/homemaker shops...and it is in the heart of Amish country to boot...so watch for roadside stands of tasty Amish bakegoods, AND I MEAN TASTY!!!”

“I seem to recall the trail to Anna Ruby falls outside Helen, GA as being paved the whole way. It has some nice ups and downs, but I took my son there when he was about 3 months. I was my wife's first Mother's Day.”

“Here is a general area map showing the location of Schollard. As you can see, it is less than a 10 min drive South of I-80 on Rt. 19 to Leesburgh, and about a 3 min drive West off I-79 on Rt. 208.

btw- Springfield Falls is just north of that, which is a beautiful spot. Not so wheelchair accessible, but doable with another person pushing. A house used for the underground railroad bringing slaves from the South to the North is just downstream (north) of the falls.”