Located in Southwestern Utah, Zion National Park was the Beehive State’s first national park. Although a good percentage of the park is designated as wilderness, there are many developed areas which can be visited with a minimal effort. At the top of the list is Zion Canyon, a 15-mile drive bordered by spectacular sandstone cliffs. Over on the west side of the park, Kolob Canyons offers a more bucolic view of the Colorado Plateau; while the eastern Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway connects Zion with Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon. No matter where you look, there’s no shortage of breathtaking scenery in this national park.
Insider Tips
Don’t miss the free Ride with a Ranger Tours that are offered twice daily on the park shuttle buses. These two-hour narrated tours include several stops along the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. Advance reservations are required, and they can be made up to three days in advance. And the good news is, all park shuttle buses are lift-equipped, so everyone can enjoy these tours.
If you want to dodge the crowds, then explore the five-mile long Kolob Canyons Scenic Byway, located in the northwestern corner of the park. This scenic route climbs 1,000 feet in elevation and offers great views of the red Navajo sandstone canyon walls along the way. There are a number of paved pullouts on the route, and although none of them are striped, they are strategically placed so you can get good windshield views.
For a very accessible place to rest your head, consider staying in cabin 529 at Zion Lodge. This historic cabin dates back to the 1920s, and it includes a queen-sized bed and a bathroom with a roll-in shower. As an added bonus, this lodge is one of the most scenic national park properties around, as it’s surrounded by Zion Canyon.
In most cases a national park visit requires a vehicle, which can add extra time and expense to a fly-drive itinerary. Factor accessibility into the equation and it becomes even more complicated, as adapted rental vans are sometimes not readily available at gateway airports.
So what’s a traveler to do? Well if Glacier National Park (www.emerginghorizons.com/glacier-national-park) is on your bucket list, it’s now possible to enjoy a seamless accessible national park visit without a car, van, or even an airplane. Thanks to accessible rail connections, as well as a local network of accessible transportation providers, wheelchair-users and slow walkers can now get to, get around and get out and enjoy Glacier National Park without a car.
All Aboard
The first step to visiting Glacier National Park without a car is finding accessible transportation. To that end, wheelchair-accessible rail service is available to Glacier National Park on Amtrak’s Empire Builder train that runs from Chicago to Spokane. The train stops in West Glacier and East Glacier, and also connects to Portland and Seattle from Spokane. The Empire Builder train features an on-board lift, but station lifts are also available at both Glacier park stations.
The east-bound train departs Seattle in the late afternoon and rolls into West Glacier the next morning. The west bound journey is considerably longer — it takes almost 30 hours to reach East Glacier from Chicago. And although the West Glacier station is open year-round, the East Glacier station is closed during the winter months.
Accessible shuttle service is available at both stations to select park lodges. On the west side, Xanterra operates an accessible shuttle to and from Lake McDonald Lodge and the Village Inn at Apgar (both of which have accessible rooms). For more information or to make shuttle reservations, call (855) 733-4522. The East Glacier Train Depot is conveniently located across the street from Glacier Park Lodge; however accessible transfers are available to lodge guests with 24-hours notice. This lodge also has wheelchair-accessible rooms. For more information, contact Pursuit at (844) 868-7474.
Getting Around Glacier
Getting around Glacier National Park without a car is fairly easy too, thanks to a number of accessible shuttles and tours. The National Park Service operates the free Going-to-the-Sun Road shuttle on both the east and west sides of the park. The wheelchair-accessible shuttles depart from Apgar Visitor Center and St. Mary Visitor Center during the summer months. Both routes stop at the major viewpoints along the way, and visitors can transfer at Logan Pass, to see both sides of the park.
It’s just a short walk to the shuttle stop at Apgar Visitor Center from the Village Inn at Apgar; and the East Side Shuttle connects Glacier Park Lodge guests with the Going-to-the-Sun Road shuttle at the St. Mary Visitor Center. Wheelchair-accessible vehicles are available with 24 hours notice on the East Side Shuttle (844-868-7474).
Take a Tour
Although the historic Red Buses of Glacier National Park are not wheelchair-accessible, Xanterra Parks also has two wheelchair-accessible vehicles in their fleet. These lift-equipped vehicles have two-wheelchair spaces with tie-downs, and can accommodate a total of 14 passengers.
The accessible tours generally follow the same itinerary as the standard tours; however they tend to spend more time at the accessible stops, such as the Trail of the Cedars and Logan Pass. The western tours depart from the Apgar Visitor Center and Lake McDonald Lodge, and the eastern tours depart from the St, Mary Visitor Center. For more information, visit www.glaciernationalparklodges.com. Remember to book early though, as these popular tours sells out quickly.
Additionally, Glacier Sun Tours also offers tours of the west and east sides of Glacier National Park in air-conditioned vehicles during the summer months. The tours depart from Apgar Visitor Center and St. Mary Visitor Center. Tour guides are lifetime residents of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, and they offer visitors a good overview of the natural history of the park, and also integrate their own tribal history and culture into the interpretation. Advance reservations are required, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles are available upon request. For more information on Glacier Sun Tours offerings, visit www.suntours.co/.
Barrier-Free Travel Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks for Wheelchair-Users and Slow Walkers