Across the United States, public land managers, state park agencies, and conservation non-profits are rapidly scaling up initiatives to make rugged wilderness spaces accessible to people with physical disabilities. Through specialized loaner programs, park visitors can now borrow all-terrain track chairs—heavy-duty motorized wheelchairs equipped with continuous rubber tank-like treads—at no cost. These specialized vehicles allow individuals who use wheelchairs or have mobility impairments to navigate unpaved hiking trails, sand dunes, snow, and steep forest terrain that were previously impassable using standard wheelchairs.
Outdoor accessibility has evolved significantly beyond paved walkways and short, smooth nature loops. Equipment models such as the Action Trackchair, the GRIT Freedom Chair, the Mountain Trike, and Trac-Fab devices have redefined off-grid travel. Operating on electric batteries and controlled via joysticks or adaptive hand mechanisms, these machines can cross obstacles several inches deep, handle mud and beach sand, and climb steep grades. Because purchasing a personal all-terrain track chair can cost tens of thousands of dollars, public loaner initiatives eliminate financial barriers by offering equipment free of charge. Users typically only need to arrange advance reservations, complete safety waivers, and pay standard park entrance fees where applicable.
Western Parks and the Foundations of Public Track Chair Access
The blueprint for state-managed track chair lending programs was created in Colorado at Staunton State Park. Launched in 2016, Staunton established the nation’s first park-administered track chair program. Located southwest of Denver, Staunton offers free equipment reservations, though visitors remain subject to the standard $10 daily park pass fee. The seasonal program operates Friday through Sunday from June through October, with reservations opening annually on May 1. Staunton features three designated trails for track chair usage—Davis Ponds, Mason Creek, and Staunton Ranch—ranging from two to five miles each. To assist users during transfer into and out of the equipment, the park maintains slide boards and a sling lift on site.
Following Colorado’s model, other Western state park systems have integrated all-terrain equipment into their operations. In Montana, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks provides Action Track Chairs at Lone Pine State Park in Kalispell and Lake Elmo State Park in Billings. Montana requires proof of disability, and equipment users must be accompanied by a non-disabled companion. Reservations are arranged directly with each park office by phone, with chair usage restricted to primary trail systems.
In South Dakota, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks maintains track chairs across Custer State Park, Good Earth State Park, and both Outdoor Campus facilities in Rapid City and Sioux Falls. Equipment stationed at the Outdoor Campuses is packaged with dedicated transport trailers and can be booked up to two weeks in advance for use anywhere across the state. In contrast, chairs at Custer and Good Earth state parks are intended for day use on site and must be returned prior to park closing. South Dakota requires a signed waiver, and visitors needing transfer assistance must bring their own support personnel.
In Kansas, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks operates its program through the Adaptive Sportsmen of Kansas initiative across eight state parks. Unlike reservation-driven programs, Kansas stations its chairs regionally on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitors are encouraged to call local park offices or the Pratt operations office at 620-672-5911 to confirm availability before traveling. The Kansas equipment features a joystick mounted on the right side, requiring users to have functional use of their right arm to operate the vehicle.
Midwestern Expansion and Large-Scale Fleet Investments
Midwestern states are currently driving some of the largest expansions of adaptive outdoor equipment in the country. In Indiana, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources is executing a major system-wide rollout. Supported by grant funding from the Lilly Endowment, the state is deploying approximately 45 new electric track chairs across its state park network. This massive expansion builds upon earlier donated equipment at parks like Indiana Dunes State Park, with the goal of ensuring track chair availability at every state park in Indiana.
Michigan has similarly integrated track chairs into numerous state parks and recreation areas. Managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, equipment availability varies by location between advance reservations and first-come, first-served access. Built to navigate forest soil, snow, sand, and shallow water up to eight inches deep, Michigan’s track chairs are subject to battery lifespan constraints, with several park locations capping individual sessions at two hours.
In Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources offers all-terrain track chairs across more than 13 state parks. The equipment is free to use, though visitors must possess a state park vehicle permit; discounted permits are available for individuals holding a disability hang tag or license plate. Minnesota requires no formal medical documentation beyond a waiver signed at pickup. The chairs feature a top speed of roughly 3 mph and a battery lifespan ranging between four and six hours, leading most participating parks to limit bookings to one reservation per day. Additionally, McCarthy Beach State Park separately provides an adaptive floating beach chair for water recreation.
Wisconsin offers a dual-track system combining state park equipment and a non-profit lending network. Wisconsin State Parks maintains on-site track chairs at Peninsula, Point Beach, and Buckhorn state parks, reservable online or by phone. Concurrently, the non-profit organization Access Ability Wisconsin provides free towable track chairs complete with custom trailers across a statewide network of pickup stations. To utilize Access Ability Wisconsin’s fleet, visitors must reserve equipment online one to two weeks in advance and provide a personal tow vehicle rated to haul at least 1,150 pounds.
In Missouri, Missouri State Parks administers a track chair program across six locations statewide. The equipment is free to reserve at least two days in advance for anyone with a mobility need. Users under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and park staff do not provide physical assistance with equipment transfers.
Southern and Southwestern Public Land Programs
In the South, state agencies have partnered with non-profit foundations to establish comprehensive adaptive networks. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources operates its All-Terrain Georgia program in partnership with the Aimee Copeland Foundation. Deployed across state parks, historic sites, and a state wildlife center, Georgia’s track chairs are equipped for hiking, fishing, and adaptive hunting trips. Prospective users submit requests through the central All-Terrain Georgia online portal, which involves an approval process taking approximately seven days. Users must bring a companion aged 18 or older—designated as a "Buddy"—who must complete a brief virtual safety training prior to the trip.
In Texas, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department provides free track chair access at Purtis Creek State Park, while expanding equipment offerings to additional parks over time. Requests are handled on a call-in basis and filled in the order they are received. Oklahoma’s primary public-use track chair program is managed at the municipal level by the City of Sand Springs at the Keystone Ancient Forest. Featuring two motorized track chairs reserved through an online application form, the program represents Oklahoma’s flagship public initiative for off-road natural access.
Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic Initiatives
In Connecticut, Connecticut State Parks and Forests offers free all-terrain wheelchairs across seven park locations from the first Saturday in June through the end of October. Each site maintains one tracked chair and one wheeled all-terrain chair, with reservations capped at a maximum of three hours per session. Users must present a driver’s license or photo ID, complete a same-day waiver, and wear a four-point harness during operation. Connecticut enforces weight limits of 300 pounds for tracked chairs and 350 pounds for wheel-based chairs.
Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation provides a combination of tracked chairs and pneumatic-tired all-terrain wheelchairs across multiple state parks. Funded in part through proceeds from Virginia’s adaptive accessibility license plate program, equipment reservations must be requested at least 48 hours in advance.
In Pennsylvania, localized municipal and non-profit initiatives address urban and regional parks. The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy operates a dedicated track chair program at Frick Park for adults and children aged five and older with mobility limitations. The free program operates seasonally and utilizes a waitlist once reservation dates fill. Elsewhere in Pennsylvania and neighboring New Jersey, private mobility providers such as Mobility on Wheels offer Trac-Fab tracked wheelchairs for daily rental fees.
Federal Frameworks Across National Park System Units
Unlike centralized state park programs, the National Park Service does not manage a single unified track chair program. Instead, individual national park units acquire and manage equipment independently based on regional topography and local funding. Track chair programs are active at several federal sites, including Redwoods National and State Parks in California, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in Georgia.
In addition to tracked devices, numerous coastal and lakeshore units within the National Park Service maintain specialized beach wheelchairs equipped with wide pneumatic tires designed to roll across sand. Federal sites offering beach wheelchairs include Point Reyes National Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Channel Islands National Park, Acadia National Park, Indiana Dunes National Park, Gulf Islands National Seashore, and Canaveral National Seashore. Travelers planning to visit federal lands must contact individual park units directly to confirm equipment availability, reservation rules, and trail conditions.
Essential Logistics Before Reserving Equipment
Because administrative rules, battery capacities, and physical support requirements vary substantially across federal, state, and local park systems, visitors should evaluate specific operational guidelines prior to scheduling a trip:
- Reservation Timelines: Advance booking requirements range from same-day, first-come, first-served access in states like Kansas and Michigan to multi-week approval windows in Georgia, South Dakota, or Wisconsin.
- Physical Transfer Support: While select locations like Colorado’s Staunton State Park provide mechanical lifts and slide boards, most park systems explicitly prohibit staff from physically assisting visitors during transfers, requiring users to bring personal caregivers or companions.
- Companion Mandates: Several jurisdictions, including Georgia and Montana, legally or operationally require a designated companion to accompany the track chair user on trails.
- Transport Capabilities: Towable loan programs, such as those operated in Wisconsin and South Dakota, require visitors to operate a tow vehicle certified to haul at least 1,150 pounds.
- Technical Constraints: Users must verify battery operating windows, maximum weight limits, and control layout configurations—such as fixed right-hand joysticks—to ensure the equipment matches their physical requirements.
Because park programs, equipment fleets, and trail designations undergo periodic updates, visitors are advised to verify details directly with park offices or consult crowdsourced tracking platforms, such as the national Trackchair Finder directory, before traveling.
