If someone is handicapped, can they still experience the Grand Canyon? Can they still enjoy a Grand Canyon helicopter tour? That is the question many handicapped travelers are wondering due to the long trails and intense hikes.
The Grand Canyon National Park has plenty of accessible trails, lodging and sites for those that walk slow or those on wheels. Here’s a quick guide for getting around the Grand Canyon when you’re handicapped.
The Handicapped Travelers Guide
The guide is called “Barrier-Free Travel: The Grand Canyon for Wheelers and Slow walkers” written by Candy Harrington. Candy has written other books like “101 Accessible Vacations” and “There is Room at the Inn” to help those who need accessible travel.
Candy wrote this book to help those who are looking for the most accessible trails, the best places to choose for lodging on either rim of the canyon, as well as what sites are the most accessible. Its target audiences include, scooter-users, wheelchair users, travel agents, slow walkers and libraries. The book includes:
- The best ways to travel to the Grand Canyon by train, ship, bus and plane
- How to protect your wheelchair
- Which lodging options offer accessible rooms
- Security at the airport
- How to travel with oxygen
- A list of 45 excursions with ramped vehicles
- 16 van rental companies that are handicapped accessible
- Airline regulations on portable oxygen concentrators
- Accessible Recreation options
- How to book your accessible trip online
- How to find a travel agent
- How to go on a Cruise
The book is a very informative guide to help with the logistics of handicapped travel.
What are the Best Trails?
Candy explains that the Grand Canyon Railway and the Bright Angel Trail are great options for those needing accessible areas.
The Bright Angel Trail is one of the oldest and has been renovated in order to accommodate handicapped travelers. The renovations included adding seating, a paved parking lot for cars, restrooms, shaded areas and the burial of many phone and power lines.
The Grand Canyon Railway is a train that takes off from Williams, Arizona and arrives in the Village. It takes about two and a half hours, and then travelers will have three hours to enjoy the park before the train departs again. People love taking the train to avoid driving and to learn about story of the park during their train ride.
Candy’s book really highlights the best ways to get around and it’s a great guide for moms with strollers, as well. She includes information about accessible restrooms, walkways, which bus tours to take and where the elevators are located at the park.
For handicapped travelers, this book is a great guide to getting around the Grand Canyon National Park.