adapted van

My husband and I are planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park. We live in New Hampshire, so we plan to fly out west and rent an accessible van to explore the area. Can you tell me where I can find an accessible rental van in Yellowstone National Park? Also any suggestions for accessible hotels in the park would be greatly appreciated. I use a manual wheelchair and I absolutely love the outdoors.

Rent an Adapted Van

Well if you love the outdoors, then Yellowstone National Park is certainly the place for you. The scenery is beautiful and the park boasts a lot of accessible trails, picnic areas, sights and lodging options.

Unfortunately you won’t find an accessible rental van in Yellowstone National Park. Instead, you can rent one in one of the gateway cities. I suggest flying into Salt Lake City, Utah. It’s about a five-hour drive from the airport to the the West Entrance of Yellowstone National Park, where you can begin your visit. And you can rent an accessible van from United Access (www.unitedaccess.com) in Wood Cross, which is about 15 minutes from the Salt Lake City Airport.

Explore the Area

Yellowstone is a very large park, and although the Old Faithful area, which is close to West Yellowstone, is a good place to begin your visit, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. I would plan for at least another four days in the park, with visits to the Mammoth Hot Springs, Canyon, Lake Yellowstone and West Thumb areas of the park. Here are some sample itinerary suggestions – emerginghorizons.com/barrier-free-travel-glacier-yellowstone-and-grand-teton-national-parks-for-wheelchair-users-and-slow-walkers/#itin-3.

And if you’d like to dodge the crowds, then here are a few more suggestions – emerginghorizons.com/dodge-the-crowds-in-yellowstone-at-these-wheelchair-accessible-sites/.

Spend the Night

Finally, let’s talk about accessible lodging in Yellowstone National Park. All of the major park hotels offer accessible rooms; however Canyon Lodge (www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/lodgings/cabin/canyon-lodge-cabins/) is one of my favorites. It’s the largest property in the park, with over 500 rooms, and it’s located near the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. And even though it’s a large property, there is a wheelchair-accessible shuttle that runs between all the lodge buildings to the dining facilities, retail outlets and the visitor center in nearby Canyon Village. So, you can just park the car when you arrive.

Canyon Lodge offers a variety of accessible rooms. Room 1136 is furnished with two 26-inch high queen-sized beds with an access aisle between them, and has a bathroom that’s equipped with a tub/shower combination with grab bars and a hand-held showerhead. Add in a toilet with grab bars and a roll-under sink, and you have a very nice accessible room. If, on the other hand, you’d prefer an accessible room with a roll-in shower, room 4305 will work nicely for you.

Canyon Lodge also has an accessible cabin (cabin 32) which is furnished with with a 24-inch high twin bed (with a trundle), and a 26-inch high open-framed queen-sized bed. The bathroom is equipped with a roll-in shower with grab bars, a hand-held showerhead and a fold-down shower bench. The toilet is outfitted with grab bars, and there’s a roll-under sink in the guest bedroom. It’s a nice premium accessible lodging choice.

Truly, Canyon Lodge has a room to suit just about every taste and budget. There’s also barrier-free access to all the public areas at this property. It’s a great place to base yourself for a wheelchair-accessible Yellowstone adventure.