Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities
Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Yosemite: Waterfalls and Vistas Without Stairs
Yosemite National Park is a paradise of towering waterfalls, vast meadows, and sheer granite cliffs. While venturing into the backcountry may prove challenging for some, Yosemite still offers breathtaking scenery without stairs from the comfort of your wheelchair.
Glide along the level boardwalk trail to Lower Yosemite Falls for front row views of the tallest waterfall in North America. At 2,425 feet, Yosemite Falls is a thundering, misty marvel. Continue along paved paths to see views of Half Dome and El Capitan while listening to the soothing roar of the falls.
Enjoy a relaxing picnic surrounded by the scenery of Yosemite Valley without navigating stairs or steep inclines. Many of the grassy meadows and riverside beaches scattered throughout the valley provide the perfect wheelchair-friendly spots to spread out a blanket and take in the views.
At Glacier Point, marvel at an eye-level panorama of Half Dome, Vernal and Nevada Falls, and the endless expanse of the High Sierra. This famous overlook is easily accessed by shuttle bus, followed by a short, paved, relatively flat path to the viewpoint. Journey to see one of the most stunning vistas in the country without leaving the comfort of your wheelchair.
While the Mist Trail may be out of reach, that doesn't mean missing views of the massive Vernal Fall. Instead, take the shuttle bus to the appropriately named Vernal Fall Footbridge stop. From there, a short, paved route leads to the footbridge spanning the Merced River with picture-perfect views of 317-foot Vernal Fall just downstream.
Yosemite Valley is home to numerous pullouts and parking areas - all with paved, step-free access to scenic rivers, meadows filled with wildflowers in spring, and breathtaking valley views. Stop to take photos, go for a roll along the smooth paths, and revel in Yosemite’s natural beauty.
What else is in this post?
- Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Yosemite: Waterfalls and Vistas Without Stairs
- Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Grand Canyon: Ride the Shuttle for Scenic Overlooks
- Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Yellowstone: Drive the Loop Road and Spot Wildlife
- Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Glacier: Cruise Going-to-the-Sun Road in a Retro Bus
- Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Zion: Take the Shuttle Straight to Canyon Scenes
- Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Acadia: Ocean Views and Smooth Carriage Roads
- Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Everglades: See the Swamp on a Wheelchair-Accessible Airboat
- Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Great Smoky Mountains: Paved Trails to Cascades and Cabins
Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Grand Canyon: Ride the Shuttle for Scenic Overlooks
While hiking into the Grand Canyon offers unparalleled adventures, the National Park Service has gone to great lengths to make the grandeur of the canyon accessible to all visitors. Hop aboard one of the free park shuttle buses to enjoy breathtaking canyon views from scenic overlooks, all without navigating a single stair.
The park shuttle route travels along the South Rim, making stops at some of the most spectacular Grand Canyon overlooks. Many of the viewing areas along this route are entirely wheelchair accessible, featuring paved paths, ramps, and plenty of room to roll up to the edge and peer into the one mile deep chasm.
Hermits Rest makes an excellent first shuttle stop, allowing you to ease into canyon viewing. From this western point on the South Rim, the canyon spreads out in all its layered, multicolored glory. The overlook here provides plenty of space to take in the panoramic views from the comfort of your wheelchair. Helpful interpretive signs highlight and name the buttes, temples, and mesas rising from the canyon floor.
Continuing east, be sure to hop off at the Abyss overlook, named for its dizzying views into the vertical drops of the western canyon. Arrive early in the morning or late afternoon for the bestchance at solitude. Capture stunning selfies and canyon photos without having to navigate through crowds.
Further along, Sunset Point provides arguably one of the most breathtaking Grand Canyon vistas attainable without hiking. From this viewpoint, the canyon formations glow in brilliant oranges and reds as the sun dips below the rim. Watch as shadows slowly creep across cliff walls, highlighting the intricate and varied rock layers. It's no wonder this is one of the park's most popular sunset spots.
No Grand Canyon experience is complete without visiting Grand View Point - the shuttle stop farthest east along the route. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed this the "one great sight every American should see," and rightfully so. From here, the canyon stretches as far as the eye can see, revealing its full breadth and depth. Picnic tables, ramps, and paved viewing areas make taking in this iconic scene easy and enjoyable.
Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Yellowstone: Drive the Loop Road and Spot Wildlife
No need to lace up hiking boots to experience the wonders of Yellowstone National Park. The 142-mile Grand Loop Road winds through the heart of this legendary landscape, delivering road-trippers to geysers, hot springs, and abundant wildlife without a single stair or steep trail. Grab your camera and binoculars, fill up the gas tank, and get ready for a scenic drive to remember.
A trip around the Grand Loop Road promises views of the park’s most celebrated features from the comfort of your vehicle. Marvel at the Technicolor Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest hot spring in the country. This vibrant blue pool edged with orange and yellow rings looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. Continue just down the road to Old Faithful, the most famous (and predictably timely) geyser in the world. Check the predicted eruption times and arrive early to snag a front row parking spot with perfect views. Watch in awe as thousands of gallons blast over 100 feet into the air right on schedule.
Keep your eyes peeled along the Loop Road for bison, elk, bears, wolves, and other wildlife calling Yellowstone home. Lamar Valley in the park’s northeast corner offers exceptional wildlife watching. Tromping through wildflower filled meadows, massive herds of bison roam this range. Pull over at safe distances and watch through binoculars as the bulls scrape their horns on brush and wallow in dust baths. Rise early to spot wolves stalking the valley in search of an easy morning meal. And of course, stay alert for meandering bears along the roadside throughout the park.
The wildlife viewing doesn’t stop at land species. Set aside time to marvel at the rainbow trout in Yellowstone’s abundant lakes and rivers. Pull over at Fishing Bridge on the north end of Yellowstone Lake, the largest lake in the park spanning over 132 square miles. First constructed in 1902, this iconic bridge provides the perfect pedestrian-friendly perch for watching cutthroat trout and lively water birds below.
Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Glacier: Cruise Going-to-the-Sun Road in a Retro Bus
A journey along Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road promises dazzling alpine scenery from the comfort of your wheelchair accessible vehicle. This engineering marvel of a roadway winds 50 miles through the heart of Glacier, delivering road-trippers to pristine mountain lakes, whimpering waterfalls, and fields of vibrant wildflowers. But rather than taking just any old car or van, opt for a truly memorable ride aboard a vintage 1930s bus.
These iconic red “Jammer” buses have been cruising Going-to-the-Sun Road since the 1930s, when they debuted as the first transportation into Glacier’s rugged interior. Seventeen of these classic buses have been restored to their original glory and still ferry park visitors along the steep mountain road today. A wheelchair lift and secure interior wheelchair locking stations make the Going-to-the-Sun Tour on these historic buses easily accessible.
Glide back in time aboard the Jammer, surrounded by real wood framing, leather upholstery, and large roll-down canvas curtains. neonational Park Service drivers narrate the scenery en route, highlighting Glacier’s diverse ecosystems, fascinating history, and wildlife. But most of the journey is spent simply gaping through the massive windows at the sheer mountains, cascading waterfalls, and aquamarine lakes passing by just outside.
The road ascends over 6,000 feet, affording stunning aerial-like views of Glacier’s craggy peaks and U-shaped valleys carved by ancient glaciers. At the Continental Divide, take in a 360-degree panorama of rugged, snow-frosted mountains. Peer down at the Road’s famous “Loop” section, marveling at the engineering feats it took to build this narrow cliff-hugging stretch in the 1930s. Watch for mountain goats grazing on rocky ledges and big horn sheep navigating steep slopes. With no hiking required, this tour provides the best of Glacier right from your comfortable wheelchair.
At the end of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, arrive at picture-perfect Logan Pass. Accessible boardwalk trails lead through wildflower filled meadows to viewing platforms with outstanding vistas. Scan the mountainsides for mountain goats and scan the skies for soaring birds. On clear days, Glacier’s craggy peaks seem to stretch on forever. With an experienced driver handling the Road’s twists and turns, you can simply sit back and soak in all the splendor.
Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Zion: Take the Shuttle Straight to Canyon Scenes
Navigating the steep, narrow trails leading into the heart of Zion Canyon may seem impossible for some wheelchair users. Thankfully, the park provides an incredible network of free shuttle buses that deliver you straight to the iconic canyon vistas and bubbling rivers, all from the comfort and accessibility of your wheelchair.
Hop aboard any of the propane-powered shuttle buses continuously running the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive route. Large wheelchair lifts quickly get you settled inside, where front-facing wheelchair securements provide safe transportation while admiring the scenery just out the window. The buses stop at nine shuttle-only canyon access points, each revealing a new angle of Zion’s soaring cliffs and lush oases.
At the Court of the Patriarchs stop, ramps and paved paths lead directly to scenic viewpoints of the imposing Great White Throne, Mount Moroni, and Abraham Peak. Gaze up at these towering sandstone monoliths named by Mormon settlers for their imposing, god-like presence. Don’t miss the short, accessible path out to the Emerald Pools next. Cascading springs tumble over cliff walls, nourishing hanging gardens of mosses and wildflowers. It’s a tranquil escape into a desert oasis.
Further up canyon lies some of the most dramatic scenery in Zion. The stop at Big Bend treats travelers to views of the Virgin River’s stunning hairpin turn, where the waterway nearly doubles back on itself as it winds through the red and white sandstone. Pullouts and paved overlooks along this stretch make taking it all in easy. Decode the natural art gallery of rock formations, picking out lions, angels, sphinxes and other whimsical shapes in the canyon walls.
No Zion experience is complete without marveling at the iconic Zion Narrows. Stop at the Temple of Sinawava and take the paved, level path out to the canyon’s end. Watch intrepid hikers returning from their Zion Narrows adventure, cold and wet from literally walking through the Virgin River gorge. You’ll capture perfect photos and selfies with the steep gorge framing the background without braving the water yourself.
Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Acadia: Ocean Views and Smooth Carriage Roads
Acadia National Park hugs the rocky coast of Maine, delivering ocean vistas and cool coastal forests on over 45 miles of scenic carriage roads designed for leisurely drives. This wheelchair friendly network winds up gradual inclines, avoiding steep hills or steps for easy exploring.
John D. Rockefeller Jr. gifted these crushed rock roads to Acadia in the early 1900s. He insisted on building them to accommodate horse-drawn carriages, resulting in roads wide enough for cars yet gentle enough for wheelchairs. They feature well-graded gravel surfaces for smooth rolling and beautiful stone-faced bridges and culverts.
Glide along Ocean Drive, stopping at scenic turnouts with views spanning from forested islands to the open Atlantic. Watch crashing waves send sea spray skyward along Thunder Hole and Otter Cliffs. At sunset, Acadia’s pink granite shoreline glows.
Inland, Jordan Pond provides a perfect peaceful spot for a lakeside picnic. Rent a wheelchair accessible electric boat and cruise across the still waters, casting lines for wild brook trout. Paved paths encircle the pond, delivering serene views of the Bubbles Mountains reflected on Jordan Pond’s mirror-like surface without any rough or steep terrain.
Nearby, venture onto the open summit of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the eastern seaboard. From here, panoramic views stretch from wooded islands dotting Frenchman Bay to the soaring crests of Mount Desert Island. Sunrise from this granite summit promises a magical start to your day.
At Sieur de Monts Spring, step back to Acadia’s roots at a recreation of an 1800s botanical garden. Paved paths wind through grassy meadows and ponds, passing native plants identified by handy signs. Nearby, take a ride on the gentle, lift-assisted Wild Gardens Canopy Walk to experience the scenery from the treetops.
Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Everglades: See the Swamp on a Wheelchair-Accessible Airboat
Laced with mazes of mangroves and studded with sawgrass prairies, venturing deep into Florida’s famed Everglades often requires some serious hiking or canoeing chops. Thankfully, several area airboat tour operators offer easy, thrilling adventures into this subtropical wilderness designed specifically for wheelchair users and travelers with disabilities.
Glide at eye level over the marshy River of Grass on wheelchair-friendly airboats, specially designed with ramped entryways and secure wheelchair locking stations. Hold on as powerful propellers propel you at exhilarating speeds across the shallow waters of the Everglades. Along the way, expert captains act as guides, detailing the ecology and history of this unique landscape. With the wind in your hair, you’ll get up close with alligators, snakes, wading birds, and other wildlife calling this watery world home.
Many tour operators, like Coopertown Airboats, leave directly from the edge of Miami. After a short van ride from the parking lot, wheelchair users are easily rolled right onto the waiting airboats. Low sides and wide open seating mean unobstructed wildlife viewing as you zip through mangrove tunnels and across sawgrass prairies.
Slowing through the river bends, keep your eyes peeled for large alligators lurking in the tea-colored waters. With keen eyesight and lighting fast reflexes, experienced captains safely navigate close enough for prime viewing and photography opportunities. Don’t miss the chance to hand feed these massive reptiles marshmallow treats using extra long tongs.
Further into the Everglades interior, specially designed walking trails at Shark Valley let you roll through ranks of royal palms and hardwood hammocks. Paved pathways deliver intimate encounters with inquisitive marsh rabbits, sunbathing alligators, and twittering songbirds. Vantage points over the sawgrass offer incredible horizon-wide vistas. And a wheelchair accessible tram shuttles visitors deeper into the Everglades for more wildlife viewing.
Beyond the famous River of Grass, boardwalks on Big Cypress Preserve’s Kirby Storter Boardwalk deliver close-up views of a primal cypress swamp. Gaze up at mammoth-sized cypresses festooned in curtains of Spanish moss and resurrection fern. Pause at interpretive exhibits featuring native orchids and carnivorous plants. And of course, keep watch for alligators, turtles, and abundant birdlife.
Access Nature: The Top U.S. National Parks for Wheelchair Users and Travelers with Disabilities - Great Smoky Mountains: Paved Trails to Cascades and Cabins
The Great Smoky Mountains boast some of the most spectacular scenery in the eastern United States. This biodiverse park protects over 1,500 different species of flowering plants, making it a veritable botanist's paradise. Thankfully, seeing these diverse species up close doesn't require expert hiking skills or stamina. The Smokies offer several wheelchair-accessible paths that deliver you straight into the lush Appalachian forests and alongside cascading creeks and waterfalls.
One of the most delightful wheelchair-friendly paths is the Oconaluftee River Trail. This 1.5 mile paved trail follows alongside the rushing Oconaluftee River, shaded by fragrant pines and hardwoods. The river’s name translates to “river beside the place where they race” in Cherokee, referring to the area’s rich Native American history. The tranquil trail rolls through open meadows with views of distant peaks before entering quiet woods. Along the way, interpretive signs detail Cherokee legends and identify colorful native wildflowers. Benches provide scenic rest stops. At trail’s end, delight in front-row views of the cascading waters of Sunkota and Tsali Creeks.
Near the Tennessee border, the views from the Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail showcase an idyllic Smoky Mountain scene. This easy 0.75 mile loop passes through open meadows and alongside babbling streams. Historic log cabins and barns dot the landscape, looking much as they did centuries ago. Purple rhododendron blooms and towers of orangeTurk’s cap lilies line the path in summer. Plentiful benches allow time to sit and soak in the park’s misty beauty. Don’t miss the short spur path to White Oak Sinks. At this unique natural amphitheater, collapse sinks have created a bowl lined with eroded limestone walls. Lush ferns sprout from rocky nooks and crevices.