Five Utah National Parks Add Free All-Terrain Wheelchairs

The National Park Service said Thursday it has placed new all-terrain wheelchairs in five of Utah's national parks, giving visitors with limited mobility a way to reach trails that standard wheelchairs can't handle. Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches each now keep at least one of the chairs on site, according to the agency's announcement.

The chairs have three large, cushioned wheels and an aluminum-style frame that weighs about 50 pounds, light enough to maneuver over sand, loose rock, steps and trail ledges, the Park Service said. They're not motorized — a second person has to push and steer — but dual disc brakes let that operator take sharp turns, stop quickly or lock the chair in place so the rider can pause and take in the view.

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Partnerships and a federal order behind the rollout

The agency credited a mix of nonprofit partners and private donors for funding the chairs, including the Zion Forever Project, Friends of Arches and Canyonlands Parks, and the Outdoor Access Project, alongside money from the individual park units themselves. The Park Service tied the effort to Secretarial Order 3426, which pushes federal land agencies to widen access for visitors of all abilities, and said the chairs are being handed out free of charge as a result.

Jordan Hoaglund, deputy regional director for the Park Service, framed the addition as part of a broader access push rather than a one-off gesture. "The National Park Service is committed to offering experiences that not only improve visitor access but create opportunities to connect deeply with the history, culture, and natural wonder of some of our incredible parks in Utah," Hoaglund said.

Limited supply means reservations matter

Each park holds only a handful of chairs, and the Park Service was direct about the constraint: availability runs first-come, first-served, and some parks may have just one chair to share among all visitors on a given day. The agency is urging anyone who wants to use one to call ahead rather than show up hoping a chair is free.

Each of the five parks handles its own scheduling, so the process isn't centralized. Travelers can check directly with:

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• Arches National Park
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Capitol Reef National Park
• Canyonlands National Park
• Zion National Park

The Park Service said visitors should confirm not just chair availability but which trails are considered eligible for the equipment, since terrain and width requirements vary by location. Accessibility services beyond the wheelchairs may also differ park to park, so a call ahead of a visit is the agency's standing recommendation. For now, the five-park rollout stands as the extent of the program, with no additional Utah parks or expanded chair counts mentioned in the announcement.