As an avid hiker and athlete, I’ve always looked at the
Adirondack Park for an outdoor recreational adventure. The park has a range of
options, from paddling stage 3 and 4 whitewater rapids to hiking the 46 high
peaks (4,000+ feet each) to ice climbing frozen waterfalls in the wintertime,
to challenge even experienced mountaineers.
Yet, not everyone who visits the park has the same definition
of a recreational challenge. In a wheelchair or on crutches, making the 4-mile
hike in to Lake Colden can be a rewarding adventure itself. In recent years,
the Adirondack park management has expanded access to handicap and disabled
visitors. In making the Adirondack Park more handicap accessible, park
officials seek to allow equal access for everyone visiting the park while
simultaneously expanding the base of Adirondack tourism.
The movement toward offering hiking options to
handicapped/disabled individuals is relatively new and already expanding. Websites
like Visit Adirondacks and Go Adirondacks detail the various hikes/outdoor
activities that people of all ability levels can undertake (“Hiking in the
Adirondacks”, 2015). The flexibility of these trails to accommodate people
other than experienced hikers has lead an increase in the number of day hikers
that travel to experience less challenging regions of the park.
An article from this month’s Adirondack Almanack magazine
details many efforts being made by the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA)
and the Inclusive Recreation Resource Center at SUNY Cortland (IRRC) to
increase Adirondack trail user-friendliness. These organizations are working to
expand trail access on 3 of the main tourist trails in the park (“An Inclusive
Adirondacks Accessibility Webinar”, 2015). The main objective of this
undertaking: “to improve [the park]s ability to provide an inclusive and
enjoyable experience for visitors with disabilities” (“An Inclusive Adirondacks
Accessibility Webinar”, 2015).
Many people, such as myself, venture to the Adirondacks for
extreme physical challenges. The tourist industry has catered to this type of
Adirondack mountaineer since the mid 1800s. Now, it’s important to witness how
the tourist industry is expanding to include those with handicaps/disabilities
to allow them the same wilderness experience as any avid hiker.
www.campgroundsigns.com
Sources
“An Inclusive
Adirondacks Accessibility Webinar.” Adirondack
Almanack. The Adirondack Almanack. 7 April 2015. Web. 7 April 2015.< http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/04/an-inclusive-adirondacks-accessibility-webinar.html>
“Hiking in the
Adirondacks.” Visit the Adirondacks USA. Adirondack
Regional Tourism Council. 2015. Web. 7 April 2015. <http://visitadirondacks.com/recreation/hiking>
Thank you for sharing these perspectives on accessibility in the Adirondacks. I often take for granted my ability to go for a run on the trails near my house, and it is important to remember that we should be making an effort for all who want to explore the Adirondack wilderness' natural beauty have the opportunity to do so. I researched this topic a little and found the NPS's accessibility guide for Yosemite (see below for link). The report is 26 highly detailed pages explaining how everyone can make the most out of the park. I hope that this report by the NPS, along with other similar efforts made by parks, will inspire all parks in the United States to improve their accessibility, so that all guests can equally enjoy the park.
ReplyDeleteLink to the NPS Yosemite Accessibility Guide: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/upload/access.pdf
I am glad you brought up this topic! I actually had not thought much about the accessibility of the park for people with handicaps or disabilities. Sadly, many of us do take our ability to go hiking for granted. While some people may not ever be able to partake in certain activities, we should still do what we can to make the wilderness accessible to them. It is just as important for them to experience the outdoors as anyone else, and I am sure that advances in technology allow people to go places they would not have been able to go before. I am hopeful that we can continue to broaden the accessibility of places like the Adirondack Park.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, it was interesting to read!
ReplyDelete