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Community and Internet Resources


Recreation: Parks and Forests

National

National Center on Accessibility is a program of Indiana University's Department of Recreation and Park Administration works in cooperation with the U.S. National Park Service to provide technical assistance, education and research on issues concerning accessibility to the parks, recreation and tourism industries. Check out the Resource Catalog for videos and brochures on recreational resources and products.

National Park Service: Parks and Recreation is sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Interior and offers a comprehensive site of the national parks, forests and historic sites listed from A-Z, by geographic region or by topic. Each park has a separate page including access information.

USDA Forest Service Recreation provides a graphical guide and links to the national forests and information on reservations, conservation, nature, wildlife, fish, rare plants and more.

State Listings

Alaska

ADA Facilities, Alaska State Parks, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Alaska Department of Parks and Outdoor Recreation page is alphabetized by facility type, such as trails, cabins or campgrounds. The Alaska State Parks Statewide Brochure has facilities listed by town with a notation marking facilities with accessible features.

ADA Parks Accessibility Survey 2002, conducted by the Alaska State ADA Coordinator’s Office (SADACO), offers information on the accessibility of 76 of the 118 Alaska State Parks and roadside pull outs. To contact the State ADA Coordinator's Office, e-mail ada_coordinator@labor.state.ak.us.

Arkansas

Accessibility Information: Arkansas State Parks includes an Accessibility Guide to Arkansas State Parks.

Lake Catherine State Park offers along the lake shore, 18 cabins that feature fully-equipped kitchens and wood-burning fireplaces. A new fully-accessible cabin designed in detail to serve the needs of visitors with disabilities has just opened at the park. The cabin also includes its own private and fully-accessible fishing pier and boat dock. The 1,160-square-foot cabin is a design inspired by the rustic architectural designs of five other cabins in the park that were crafted by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s during the Great Depression. An accessible parking space and path provide barrier-free access to the cabin. The two-bedroom cabin includes a bathroom which offers both a whirlpool tub and a roll-in shower. Just outside the cabin's screened porch overlooking the lake is a large flagstone patio with a picnic table and pedestal grill. A barrier-free path leads from the patio down to the cabin's private, and accessible, fishing pier and boat dock. The park is located at 1200 Catherine Park Road, Hot Springs, AR 71913. For more information, phone: (501) 844-4176 or e-mail: lakecatherine@arkansas.com

California

Access for Visitors with Disabilities offers the Accessible Features in the State Parks by California State Parks which allows you to search by accessible feature, name of the state park or by a map. To contact Access in the California State Parks, call TTY: 916-445-8952, FAX: 916-445-8966 or e-mail access@parks.ca.gov.

Accessible Recreation in Siskiyou County in California offers accessible recreation in Northern California, Siskiyou County including accessible fishing, paved trails to barrier free recreation areas, and adaptive skiing. This site is sponsored by the Siskiyou County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Accessible Trails and Parks on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the South Bay offers a growing number of trails and parks accessible to people with disabilities in the San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties. Some, but not all, of the facilities they list are specifically designed for persons using wheelchairs. Some are bike paths and regular trails that may be accessible. Be prepared to check out the trail before you begin. This site is sponsored by the non-profit organization, Trail Center, 3921 E. Bayshore Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94303, Ph.: (650) 968-7065, or email info@trailcenter.org.

Colorado

New Sign Partners for Access to the Woods (PAW) provides information about accessible outdoor recreation facilities and programs on public lands in Colorado that are available to persons of all abilities. Information on campgrounds, wildlife viewing areas, and trails that incorporate universal design is offered. If you know of a site that you think should be listed, please let them know about it.

Connecticut

Access for the Disabled Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks and Recreation offers information about parks with accessible fishing, swimming, facilities and camping. Contact the individual park listings for information on the accessible facilities and activities that can be found at each park under Find a Park.

Stratton Brook State Park in Simsbury, Connecticut is a completely wheelchair accessible park offering swimming, picnicking and interpretive programs in a beautifully wooded setting. Check out this state park.

Florida

Florida State Parks - Access For All offers information on the accessible features of Florida’s State Parks. Many of the parks offer access to camping, picnicking, cabins, fishing piers, trails, historic sites, exhibits, and swimming areas to people with disabilities. Wheelchair lifts are provided at the Boca Grande Lighthouse (Gasparilla Island State Park) and Eden Gardens State Park. Sign language interpreters can be provided with advanced notice. Many parks with video programs offer an open-captioned version as well as transcribed copies of audio programs. For more information, call Florida State Parks at (850) 488-5090.

Illinois

newsig.gif Illinois Department of Natural Resources - Disabled Outdoor Opportunities offers information on various outdoor activities available to people with disabilities.

Maine

Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands offers a helpful website to all those interested in outdoor activities. They also offer A Guide to Accessibility; a special web section dedicated to rating the accessibility of parks and historic sites.

Maryland

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) - Accessibility For All is working to ensure that the state's natural resources are accessible to all citizens and visitors. Maryland's state parks offer accessible camping areas and cabins, fishing and boating docks, visitor centers, trails and other outdoor recreation amenities to make it possible for people with disabilities to enjoy Maryland's great outdoors. This web page provides a link to an alphabetical listing of state public lands that provide accessible amenities. For your convenience, they also provide a link to accessible outdoor recreational opportunities on public lands in the state of Maryland, listed by activity.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Division of State Parks and Recreation Universal Access Program is dedicated to providing outdoor recreation opportunities in Massachusetts State Parks for visitors of all abilities. To learn all that is available to visitors with disabilities, visit their website or call (413) 545-5353 (Voice), (413) 577-2200 (TTY).

Accessible cabins are available for rent year round at the following Massachusetts State Parks:

Mohawk Trail State Forest
Route 2
Charlemont, Massachusetts
(413) 339-5504

Savoy Mountain State Forest
Central Shaft Road (Rte. 116)
Savoy, Massachusetts
(413) 663-8469

Minnesota

Minnesota's Accessibility Guidebook is brought to you by Wilderness Inquiry in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources & Minnesota National River and Recreation Area. Minnesota welcomes all visitors to its many varied outdoor recreation areas. The Minnesota Guide to the Outdoors was developed with the special needs of visitors with disabilities in mind. Through symbols and ratings, this guidebook makes exploring Minnesota's outdoor recreation areas an easy and enjoyable experience. Fifty recreation areas throughout Minnesota were surveyed for accessibility and utilization of Universal Design Principles in the following areas: campsites, fishing piers, picnic areas, playgrounds, parking, restrooms, and water sources. Each area was personally surveyed by crews of people, many who have disabilities. Therefore, this guide is written from the unique perspective necessary to create an accurate picture of the features that a person with a disability will encounter.

Open the Outdoors is offered by Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources. Minnesota is known for its tremendous outdoor recreational opportunities. Since 1972, the DNR has been updating its facilities and programs to meet state and federal accessibility standards, opening the outdoors to people with disabilities. Browse these pages to find information on access to state parks, state forest campgrounds, state trails, public fishing piers, and wildlife management areas. Learn about opportunities for hunting, fishing and exploring and enjoying nature.

Missouri

Missouri Department of Natural Resources is working to ensure that the state's parks and historical sites are accessible to people with disabilities. Facilities such as campgrounds, showerhouses, picnic areas, fishing docks and other areas have been renovated to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. For the most current information on what features are accessible, call the individual park or site or call the department toll free at (800) 334-6946 (Voice) or (800) 379-2419 (TDD).

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation offers this accessibility page for New Hampshire State Parks. Details concerning the accessibility of specific facilities and activities including boat launches, camping, parking, picnicking, restrooms, stores/gift shops, swimming, trails, and walkways can be found on this website.

New York

John Dillon Park opened July 2006 as the first Adirondack recreational area designed specifically for people with disabilities and their caregivers. The park fulfills former International Paper chairman, John T. Dillon's vision for an Adirondack wilderness available to everyone. "The park is designed for people with disabilities to bring their friends, family and caregivers for an outdoor wilderness experience , through the installation of special adaptive facilities blended into a natural environment. The park demonstrates how well-managed forests, manufacturing and forestry protection play a role in benefiting the Adirondacks. This vision has been brought to life by International Paper partnering with the State of New York through a recreation easement and Paul Smith’s College to manage the park." This new park demonstrates the compatibility of accessible recreation, conservation and education within working forests. John Dillon Park is located in the heart of New York State in the Adirondacks on Grampas Lake. John Dillon Park, 2150 Tupper Road, Long Lake, NY 12847. If you are interested in more information or would like to make a reservation: Phone: May 1 to September 30: 518-524-6226, October 1 to April 30: 518-327-6266 or send e-mail to registration@johndillonpark.org.

North Carolina

Accessible Recreation in North Carolina offers information on accessible cabins, campsites, recreation areas and trails throughout the state. This site is sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Parks and Recreation.

North Carolina State Parks Accessible Facilities is sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation. This site offers a map and search by topic for accessible trails, cabins, campsites, fishing piers, marinas, visitor centers, swimming, wheelchair accessible trails and boardwalks. For general information about state parks or to request a state park brochure, call (919) 733-PARK or e-mail parkinfo@ncmail.net.

Ohio

Recreation Facilities for People with All Abilities sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources offers information to accessible trails, fishing piers, lodges and nature centers in Ohio State Parks.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Bureau of State Parks offers 10 fully accessible cabins for people with disabilities and their families, complete with ramps, lowered counters and sinks, and other accommodations. For more information, or to learn of cabin availability, call (717) 558-2710 (Voice) or (717) 558-2711 (TTY).

Texas

Accessible State Parks of Texas offers a list of wildlife viewing sites in Texas that are wheelchair-accessible. For details, please contact the site directly. This list is offered as a public service to the constituents as the data is being compiled. They want to make this list as complete as possible. If you know of other sites that should be added to the list, please email NatureTourism@tpwd.state.tx.us. This list is fairly comprehensive including State Parks and Historic Sites, Wildlife Management Areas, Nature/Education Centers and Community Parks, Sites on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, National Wildlife Refuges, and National Park Service Sites.

Utah

Disabled Access Guide to Moab Utah includes sites that were rated using the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS). Each site has been given a general rating of its accessibility for their restrooms, visitor center, trails, docks, campsites and picnic areas.

Virginia

Accessibility in Virginia State Parks, sponsored by Virginia State Parks, strives to make each park as barrier-free as possible for the convenience of those with limited mobility. Facilities continue to be upgraded for everyone's enjoyment. Each park page on this site has information on the availability of facilities for people with disabilities. Learn more about park offerings by calling 1-800-933-PARK or email resvs@dcr.virginia.gov.

Washington

Barrier Free Access offers a list of campgrounds, trails and interpretive facilities in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington State and surrounding public lands that are constructed to barrier-free standards. This includes Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and Mt. Rainier National Park.

Washington State Accessible Outdoor Recreation Guide shows the locations for recreation sites as numbered dots on maps for each state region shown on this website. For detailed information on a particular site, you click the number found on the map to jump to the site listing in the accompanying directory. Scroll down the page and a key to symbology can be found under the map on each set of directory pages. This is a fairly comprehensive list of access information. The state of Washington has long been a leader in providing accessible outdoor recreation. The accessible sites listed in this guide are managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, and the Olympic National Park. These sites were constructed using current design practices, Access Board guidelines and Final Rules, or State building code standards and recommendations from recreationists with disabilities. Levels of accessibility vary from site to site. Questions regarding specific sites should be addressed to the appropriate agency (see below).

Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation (IAC)
(360) 902-3000
(360) 902-1996 - TDD

Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)
(360) 902-2200
(360)902-2207 - TDD

USDA Forest Service, Nature of the NW Info Center (USDA FS)
(503) 872-2750
info@naturenw.org

Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
(800) 527-3305
(360) 902-1125 - TDD

Olympic National Park (ONP)
(360) 452-0335
(360) 452-0306 - TDD

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (SP)
(360) 664-3133 - TDD

Reservations
(888) CAMPOUT
(888) 226-7688

Information Center
(360) 902-8844
(Hours: 8AM - 5PM, Monday - Friday)

Wisconsin

Havenwoods State Forest is an island of nature located in the middle of the urban Milwaukee environment. The Environmental Awareness Center is open 7:45AM to 4:30PM, Monday through Friday and Saturday during scheduled programs. The center is located at 6141 N. Hopkins Street in Milwaukee (one block west of Sherman Blvd. on Douglas Ave). Environmental education programs and stone trails are available. For a schedule of events and more information, call (414) 527-0232 (Voice) or (414) 527-0761 (TTY).

New Glarus Woods is a 411-acre state park offering camping, hiking, picnicking and snowshoeing. The park also offers direct access to The Sugar River State Trail, a 23-mile, 265-acre, State Park trail surfaced with compressed limestone screenings, for bicycling, hiking, snowmobiling and, in some areas, hunting. Rest rooms accessible to people with disabilities are available in the group camping area. There is an accessible family campsite in the Lead Circle Campground, an accessible group campsite in the group camp area, and accessible picnic tables in the parks as well. For wildlife viewing, there is an accessible wildlife blind on the Walnut Trail. Please ask the park staff for assistance with any special needs you have due to mobility or health problems. This Wisconsin State Park is located in Green County, America's Little Switzerland at W5446 County Highway NN, New Glarus, WI 53574.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources aided in the construction of several wheel chair accessible cabins at many state parks. Call the park you wish to attend for a Reservation Form. You may apply beginning in January of the year you wish to attend. Advanced reservations are strongly recommended. To obtain your Cabin Reservation Form for People with Disabilities, pick them up any Department of Natural Resources District Office, or contact the state park you wish to visit. For more information, e-mail wiparks@dnr.state.wi.us.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources also lists state parks and campground information. See the Wisconsin DNR website, listed above, for the following state forests and parks.

Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park is working diligently to ensure that the park is accessible to visitors with disabilities. Many areas of the park are wheelchair accessible including, restrooms, campgrounds and fishing sites. They also offer many accessible ranger-led activities. To learn more about park accessibility, visit the Visitors Guide to Accessible Features in Yellowstone National Park or call their TDD number, (307) 344-2017 or write to : Park Accessibility Coordinator: P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190-0168.

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