Author: Cecilia

Hiawatha National Forest

Hiawatha National Forest
Hiawatha National Forest is in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  The  Forest’s dramatic shorelines lie nestled up to Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan — three of the five great lakes.  “Our lakeshores, lighthouses, islands and abundant snow create a place of respite and play within a day’s drive of urban and rural areas of Michigan, Wisconsin, other nearby states…[and Canada].Here is the Forest Website.  Phone  906-428-5800
Wheelchair AccessibleNahma Marsh Trail  is a 0.3 mile linear trail with broad vistas of the marsh. “This hard surfaced fully accessible trail ends at a two-tiered viewing platform where an assortment of wetland wildlife can be seen.”
Wheelchair AccessibleColwell Lake Hiking Trail  “This 2 mile long loop trail meanders along the edge of Colwell Lake and is surfaced to be fully accessible to people with mobility impairments.”
Wheelchair AccessibleMonocle Lake Interpretive Trail  The first 1000 feet of this 2 mile trail, including an elevated boardwalk with a wildlife viewing platform, is wheelchair accessible.
Hikerwithcane?  There are a great many short day hiking trails in Hiawatha National Forest described as “easy”, but I can’t tell if they really qualify for this website.

Isle Royal National Park

Isle Royale National Park
“Isle Royale National Park is a remote island wilderness in the middle of Lake Superior. It is only accessible by ferry, seaplane, or private watercraft.”
Map   Phone 906-482-0984    Here is the Park Website.
? Windigo Nature Trail 1.2 mile  The Windigo Area Guide says the self-guided loop trail crosses  fern-filled cedar lowlands,  and hardwood forests of maple and birch.  AllTrails says it is good for “all skill levels.”  However, the Park site cautions that Isle Royale terrain is “rough and uneven.”

Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge

Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge
“This refuge is comprised of over 36,000 acres within parts of the four watershed states of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut….
The refuge includes nine divisions and nine units that represent a wide variety of unique habitats such as: northern forest valuable as nesting habitat for migrant thrushes, warblers and other birds; rivers and streams used by shad, salmon, herring and other migratory fishes; and an internationally significant complex of high-quality tidal fresh, brackish and salt marshes. Many opportunities exist for visitors to explore the diverse landscapes of the Connecticut River watershed.”
Brochure    Here is the Refuge website.  Thank you to S. M. Burk for sending a correction for the link.

Wheelchair Accessible     A one-mile long, universally accessible birding and natural trail is located at the Fort River division.
Vermont
Wheelchair Accessible Mollie Beattie Bog boardwalk. is a 200 foot self-guided interpretive trail.

New Hampshire
Wheelchair AccessibleMud Pond Trail 0.6 mile

Wilderness On Wheels – Camping

Wheelchair AccessibleWilderness on Wheels is in the mountains on U.S. 285, sixty miles southwest of Denver or 3.8 miles west of Grant, Colorado.

Campsite Wilderness on Wheels
Campsite at Wilderness On Wheels

There is camping, fishing, picnic tables and an 8 foot wide boardwalk just over a mile long. Charging stations are placed at intervals along the boardwalk for electric wheelchairs.  There are a “…number of tent sites for the traditional camp experience, 5 wheelchair level “huts” as well as two cabins, one rustic and one modern for you to enjoy. Each cabin can be rented for a minimal cleaning fee.”

Wilderness On Wheels
Wilderness On Wheels, Colorado

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is located along the northeast coast of Massachusetts. The Refuge provides feeding, resting, and nesting habitat for migratory birds. “Most commonly associated with Plum Island – a barrier beach island – the refuge is comprised of more than 4700 acres of diverse habitats including sandy beach and dune, cranberry bog, maritime forest and shrub land, and freshwater marsh. The most abundant habitat on the refuge is its 3,000+ acres of salt marsh…”.   Phone 978-465-5753  Here are Yelp Reviews and the Refuge Website.      Refuge Brochure   Map
Wheelchair AccessiblePines Trail 0.3 miles.  Call the refuge about a loaner beach wheelchair.  Accessible birding observation points listed in a US Fish and Wildlife Service website : “Salt Pannes Wildlife Observation Area, the Bill Forward Bird Blind, the North Pool Overlook, … Pines Trail, and the observation platforms overlooking the beach and ocean at parking lots 1, 5 and 7.”

Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge comprises more than 3,800 acres, 85 percent of which is freshwater wetlands stretching along twelve miles of the Concord and Sudbury Rivers. “Minute Man National Historical Park and Thoreau’s Walden Pond are located nearby.”   Phone 978-443-4661
Here is the Refuge website.   General map.     Brochure.
Wheelchair AccessibleThere is a wheelchair accessible trail around the lake, according to this Yelp review.
From AllTrails: “Concord Unit trail is a 2.7 mile loop trail located near Concord, Massachusetts that features a river and is good for all skill levels.  The trail ….. is accessible from March until November.”  Trails described in the refuge brochure sound easy, but call first to be sure.

Mass Audobon

Massachusetts Audobon has an abundance of wildlife sanctuaries with nature trails.  Many of these are accessible and accommodate visual and auditory impairments as well as mobility.  The following are a small fraction of them.  Go to this link and click on the name of the sanctuary you are interested in to learn about their accessible amenities such as trails, visitor centers, tours, etc.
Wheelchair AccessibleBroadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary has a 1/4 mile “All Persons Trail” – “self guided, fully accessible trail to offer a microcosm of the sanctuary’s habitats to accommodate everyone.”
Wheelchair AccessibleFelix Neck has a one mile “universally accessible nature trail”.

Wheelchair AccessibleHabitat Education Center & Wildlife Sanctuary has another “All Persons Trail”, this one a half mile loop.
Wheelchair AccessibleAttleboro Springs Wildlife Sanctuary has a half mile loop called the “Reflection Trail”.

Wheelchair AccessibleArcadia Wildlife Sanctuary has an 850 foot accessible Sensory Trail.

Wheelchair Accessibleeyelogo copyPleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary has a 1,700 foot round trip All Persons Trail with guides available in print and in Braille as well as interpretive stations with auditory and braille information.
Wheelchair AccessibleThe Boston Nature Center & Wildlife Sanctuary has a one mile sensory trail.

Wheelchair Accessibleeyelogo copyStony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary has a wheelchair accessible self-guided rope and post nature trail for the visually impaired.
Wheelchair AccessibleDaniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary has an 0.3 mile accessible trail that leads to a wildlife observation blind.
Wheelchair AccessibleBroad Meadow Brook Conservation Center & Wildlife Sanctuary has two accessible trails.

Wheelchair AccessibleWellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary has a 1/2 mile accessible sensory trail from the Nature Center to Goose Pond.
Wheelchair AccessibleNorth River Wildlife Sanctuary has a the 1/2 mile Woodland Trail and Fern Path.

Cape Cod

Cape Cod National Seashore Park
Cape Cod National Seashore Park consists of  “Forty miles of pristine sandy beach, marshes, ponds, and uplands support diverse species. Lighthouses, cultural landscapes, and wild cranberry bogs offer a glimpse of Cape Cod’s past and continuing ways of life. Swimming beaches and walking and biking trails beckon today’s visitors.” The Park Website.   Accessibility
Wheelchair Accessible ” Park trails at Doane Rock in Eastham and the Marconi Station Site in Wellfleet have been surfaced to accommodate wheelchairs.”  The Park has quite a few other adaptations, including beach wheelchairs.
HikerwithcaneThe Salt Pond Visitor Center is near to the  1.5 mile Nauset Marsh Trail and the Buttonbush Trail, a .25 mile multi-sensory trail that featuring a guide rope and text panels printed in large lettering and Braille”.  Both trails are described as easy but with some log steps.  Call 508- 255 – 3421 for information.
Here is “Everyone Outdoors”‘s article on “Wheelchair Accessible Cape Cod”.