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Accessible Vistas in National Parks

The National Park Service wants all of our visitors to enjoy the magnificent vistas preserved in the parks.  The following is a list of vistas that are accessible to visitors with disabilities.

Alabama

Little River Canyon National Preserve
The preserve’s eleven-mile scenic drive along Highway 176 includes a boardwalk overlook from which visitors in wheelchairs or with other disabilities can see a 45-foot waterfall.  For more information, please see http://www.nps.gov/liri/planyourvisit/little-river-falls-boardwalk.htm.

Alaska

Katmai National Park and Preserve
In Brooks Camp, all bear viewing platforms, which are between .25 mile and two miles from the visitor center across a floating bridge, are accessible, but the park cautions that unintended, very close encounters with brown bears are possible and may require visitors to move quickly.  Portions of the bear viewing platforms are accessed along elevated walkways with ramps. 

 Visitors should contact one of the local air taxi companies about their transportation and that of any specialized equipment they may need.  Wheelchairs and personal services are not available for assisting visitors around the Brooks Camp area.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
In the Kennecott Area, the deck of the Blackburn School has a wheelchair accessible ramp and view of the dairy barn and the glacier. The newly remodeled door at the top of the historic mill in the Kennecott Area is wheelchair accessible.  Rangers are available by appointment to transport visitors in wheelchairs or with mobility impairments to the top story of the mill, where they can see the tram lines coming in from the Bonanza and Jumbo Mines and the top floor of the crushers.  On a sunny day, this location has a stunning view of Mount Blackburn, the Kennicott Glacier, the Chugach Mountains, and McCarthy.

Please note:  the vehicles available for transport to the top of the mill are not specially equipped.  Please call the Kennecott Visitor Center at (907)554-2417 from Memorial Day through Labor Day to make an appointment.  Advance reservations are requested.

Also, due to the rugged location of the Kennecott Area, many of the approaches to buildings, while navigable by many new wheelchairs, do not meet ADA standards.  None of the pathways are paved; historic rail lines are still in place; the interiors of some of the buildings are a network of stairs and elevated walkways.

Arizona

Grand Canyon National Park
Please see http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/upload/AccessibilityGuide06.pdf and http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/placestogo.htm. 

California

Yosemite National Park
For information as of May 2006 about the accessibility of views of Yosemite’s natural treasures, please consult the park’s Accessibility Guide at http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/upload/access.pdf.

Colorado

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Tomichi Point Overlook, Chasm View Overlook, Sunset View Overlook, and Balanced Rock Overlook are accessible.

Colorado National Monument
Historic Trail Overlook, Independence Overlook, Book Cliffs View Roadside Area, and Cold Shivers Point Overlook are accessible.

Rocky Mountain National Park
Many Parks Curve Overlook, Rainbow Curve Overlook, and Forest Canyon Overlook are accessible.  For more information, please see http://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/upload/access_brochure-2.pdf. 

District of Columbia/Maryland/West Virginia

 

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Potomac River, DC, Maryland, West Virginia
The boardwalk and overlook at Great Falls are accessible.  They provide views of the falls’ 75-foot drop into the Potomac and of Mather Gorge. 

Hawaii

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
Pullouts along Crater Rim Drive and Chain of Craters Road afford panoramic views of the park.

Indiana

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Inland Marsh Overlook – Accessible, board walk 1/10 mile that leads from U.S. 12 across two dune ridges and through the tops of a Beech-Maple Forest to overlook an inter-dunal wetlands.

Lakefront Drive & Lake View – Lakefront Drive is one of a few shoreline roads, from which you can see Lake Michigan. For two miles, Lakefront parallels Lake Michigan. Lake View Plaza is a paved plaza overlooking Lake Michigan. The Plaza includes picnic tables, shelters and rest-rooms.

Dunbar Parking Overlook – While intended as a parking lot for the beaches along Lake Michigan, Dunbar Parking lot sits on a rise, overlook the shoreline dunes, the beach and Lake Michigan. The Lake stretches over 300 miles to the north.

Maine

Acadia National Park
Visitors can park in the right-hand lane of Park Loop Road or in the upper parking lot near the restrooms and gift shop.  The ramp across from the restrooms leads to the road and to the viewing area of Thunder Hole.

Michigan

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Wheelchair accessible overlooks are found along the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.

Montana

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
At Devil Canyon Overlook, a short wheelchair accessible trail was laid to allow better access to the beautiful views Devil Canyon has to offer.   

Utah

Arches National Park
The Park Avenue and Delicate Arch Viewpoints are accessible.

Washington

Olympic National Park
The website http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm contains information about accessible views.

Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park
On the South Rim Drive, Artist Point offers a view of the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, and Uncle Tom's Overlook offers a view of the Upper Falls.  No curbs have been cut on the North Rim Loop Drive.  With assistance, visitors can enjoy views of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from the Grandview Overlook and from the parking area at Inspiration Point, where the overlook is not accessible.  A great deal of the Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces can be seen from vehicles driving on the main road and the Terrace Loop Drive.  Visitors can obtain an interpretive brochure at the Albright Visitor Center.  As visitors drive up to the Terrace Loop Drive from the bottom of the terraces, there is a pullout with a good view of Canary Springs.

 

 

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National Park Service Mediaroom                                                           Updated: July 25, 2008 - 03:15 p.m.