Is bryce canyon wheelchair accessible?
Extreme Motus teamed up with Tim Hughes of KSL News Radio, as well as Mark Wade and Bob Grove from Road Trippin with Bob and Mark to make Bryce Canyon National Park wheelchair accessible.
Sam had been to Bryce Canyon once before. He was 5 years old and his father Roger carried him on his back. At the end of that hike, he told his wife Christine, “This is probably the last time we will be able to visit Bryce Canyon.”
33 years later Sam is too heavy to be carried in a backpack but the Extreme Motus X3 off-road wheelchair was making it possible for their family to visit National Parks again.
Wall Street and Queens Garden Loop
We started our adventure by descending Wall Street in Bryce Canyon National Park. This section of the trail has many switchbacks and when you’re pushing Sam in the Extreme Motus X3 it’s difficult not to run when going downhill. The chair sort of pulls you along.
Bob and Mark who were there to take pictures and video of Sam and I in the off-road wheelchair were left in the dust and Sam and I ran and laughed our way down the switchbacks. It was such a fun trail.
There was one spot at the bottom of Wall Street where the trail becomes very narrow, makes a sharp turn, and turns into stairs that the X3 struggled to navigate. The chair had to be lifted and turned so we could continue the adventure.
As we entered the narrowest part of the Wall Street there was a man playing a pan flute. The music he created gave a mystical feeling to the adventure.
A helping hand
At one spot the trail became too narrow. We had to back up and find an alternate route. What we found was a steep drop into a dry creek bed and back up some steep rocky terrain.
As we surveyed the problem several other hikers offered to help get Sam and the wheelchair safely through.
This happens often on our adventures. Curious strangers willing to help, and wanting to be a part of helping others enjoy the outdoors.
Having fun = hard work
It is so easy to sit on the couch and let life pass you by. Planning these adventures takes work. Planning an adventure with a group as large as this one takes A LOT of work! Emails, phone calls, packing, driving. Get it all done and you will have some amazing memories.
Bob Grove and Mark Wade did an amazing job helping to coordinate this adventure. You can read their article on the Road Trippin With Bob and Mark Website.
Tim Hughes interviewed Sam and Ryan and you can listen to that story here.
Ruby’s Inn at Bryce Canyon hosted our large group. Gave us comfortable rooms to sleep in, and made us feel like VIPs when we had dinner at Ebenezer’s Barn & Grill.
Thank you so much to everyone who helped make this trip happen and those who helped us make Bryce Canyon National Park wheelchair accessible.