An all-terrain wheelchair in Rocky Mountain National Park ( st taken our first few steps onto the Bear Lake Trailhead at Rocky Mountain National Park, and we were already immersed in nature, the evergreen trees looming overhead, the lake glistening in the background. I breathed in the crisp air and, for the next few minutes, we followed the wide, flat trail surrounded by mountains. About 20 minutes into our hike, the trail became steeper, and we couldn’t continue forward without going up a few steps.
My middle son is disabled and uses a wheelchair, so usually, when a trail becomes bumpy or more rugged, we turn back. This time, my husband secured his footing, stepped forward, and pulled my son, who was seated in a Cascade Tandem Hiking Cart, or off-road adaptive cart, up the steps. Adrenaline rushed through me as the hiker carried my son deeper into the woods, the rest of my family picking up the pace behind them.
We soon came across another set of steps and navigated them more easily. Another half-mile later, we stopped to explore a brook glimmering in the sun, and I looked out at the mountain peaks, feeling a new sense of accomplishment and hope. A few weeks before our trip, my husband and I considered purchasing a Cascade Cart to bring with us on vacation.
When we contacted their customer service department, I was excited to learn that a local charity, Avery’s Light, had recently donated two Cascade Carts to Estes Park Mountain Shop, located about ten minutes from Rocky Mountain National Park, and that we could borrow one at no cost. I reached out to the mountain shop, confirmed the hiker was available, and reserved our park entry time on Recreation.gov. On the morning of our first day at the park, Rio Roman, an employee at the Estes Park Mountain Shop, spent almost an hour showing us how to assemble, use and disassemble the hiker.
He also mapped out the best trails to take it on, including the popular Bear Lake Trail, making our trip more enjoyable and memorable than ever. In addition to the two hikers, the mountain shop also has six GRIT Freedom all-terrain wheelchairs, two backpacks from We Carry Kevan, and one XL bike/stroller combo from WIKE, which comes with a complimentary electric bike rental to pull the trailer, available for rent. The availability of track chairs, backpacks, hikers, and other equipment that helps people with disabilities enjoy national parks is a growing trend.
As of this fall, all five Utah national parks offer all-terrain wheelchairs. And across the U.S., nearly 30 National Park Service sites now offer mobility devices to visitors through park-operated lending programs or partnerships with other organizations. For example, Indiana Dunes National Park has an adaptive program with free assistive equipment, including two Freedom Trax, a motorized off-road attachment for manual wheelchairs, a Zoom chair, and a Hippocampe Blue Blazer off-road wheelchair.
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