UTAH

Utah has a number of trails with minimal obstacles.  Some are very easy and others are wheelchair accessible.  Here are just a few of them.
Many of the links given were found through Internet search.  Some places I have been able to visit and a few have been recommended to me by other people who have been there. With your help, we can share our knowledge with disabled people everywhere and also increase awareness of the need for more accessibility. Please e-mail me with your suggestions using the form in the sidebar.

Federal
State
Local
Private
Miscellaneous

Federal

• Arches National Park 
  Arches National Park “…has over 2,000 natural stone arches, in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks.
  Here is the Park website.   Phone 435-719-2299  Map   Trails  Visitor Guide  Accessibility
  “An audio tour of the park’s scenic road is available for purchase or rental at the bookstore. …. Large-print and braille publications are available at the visitor center.”
  These three trails are considered “barrier-free”:  (“Barrier-free trails may contain minor obstacles, steeper grades and temporary washouts.”)
  Devil’s Garden Trail to Landscape Arch 1.6 miles round-trip
  Windows Trail – the first 100 yards only.
  Double Arch Trail  – This is a hard surface with a slope.

  

• Ashley National Forest
  ” The Ashley National Forest, with headquarters in Vernal, Utah, comprises 1.3 million acres located in the northeastern portion of Utah and southwestern portion of Wyoming. National Forest System lands are located in three major areas: the northern and southern slopes of the Uinta Mountains, the Wyoming Basin, and the Tavaputs Plateau.”  The Forest is mostly in northeastern Utah, with just a bit including the Flaming Gorge in Wyoming.
  Here is the Forest website.   Phone   435-789-1181   Visitor Guide
  Yellowpine Interpretive trail  0.5 miles  The trail is at the Yellowpine Campground.

  Flaming Gorge National  Recreation Area  “The Flaming Gorge NRA is located in the northeast corner of Utah and the southwest corner of Wyoming.”
  Ryan, from flaminggorgecountry.com writes that “There are wheel chair accessible nature trails located at Moose Pond, West Green’s Lake, and Red Canyon overlook/Red Canyon Visitor center.   Sheep Creek Geological loop, Sheep Creek Bay overlook, Red Canyon overlook, Dowd mountain overlook, Flaming Gorge Dam Visitor Center, and the Dam Vista Overlook are all easy access by vehicle with easy access viewpoints.”
  Red Canyon Visitor Center  435-889-3713

  ?  The Chamber of  Commerce Guide lists six “easy” trails on page 29.   Be sure to call either the Visitor Center or the Chamber of Commerce since no details are given.   From the website: “Try the short interpretive Nature Trails at Sheep Creek, Moose Ponds, West Greens Lake and Aspen for an easy enlightening walk through a variety of habitats along this scenic drive.”   Easy for them might not be easy for you.  Check with them.

• Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
  “…Bear River MBR contains nearly 80,000 acres of marsh, open water, uplands, and alkali mudflats.”  “Birds come to the Refuge by the millions to eat and rest during migration, and many other species stay to breed, nest and raise their young across the Refuge wetlands.”
  Here is the Refuge website.   Phone  435-723-5887   Hunting & Fishing brochure with map  facebook page
  Marsh Meander trail  1.5 mile unpaved trail  through the wetland habitat just outside the center.
  Wetland Walk is partially paved, and may be at least partly accessible but the website does not say so.  AllTrails calls it a 0.6 mile loop.

• Bryce Canyon National Park
  Situated along a high plateau at the top of Utah’s Grand Staircase, Bryce Canyon’s high elevation includes the largest concentration of hoodoos (irregular columns of rock) on Earth, numerous life communities, and dark skies.
  Here is the Park website.   Phone 435-834-5322    Map and Guide
  Accessibility  Printable Access Guide
  Mossy  Cave 0.8 mile Streamside walk to mossy grotto

  Rim Trail 11 miles total.  Connects Bryce Point to Fairyland Point

  Sunset to Sunrise Points  .5 mile each way. Paved portion of the Rim Trail

  Queen’s Garden 1.8 mile the “least difficult trail that descends into the Bryce Amphitheater.  Elevation loss/gain is 357′.
  Bristlecone Loop 1.0 mile.   Partly paved trail with elevation gain/loss of 200′  Wheelchair-accessible with assistance.  Not entirely ADA compatible.

  

  

  

• Capitol Reef National Park –
  “Located in south-central Utah in the heart of red rock country, Capitol Reef National Park is a hidden treasure filled with cliffs, canyons, domes, and bridges in the Waterpocket Fold, a geologic monocline (a wrinkle on the earth) extending almost 100 miles.”
  For easy walking, we loved the canyon floors at Capitol Reef. These sand and gravel surfaces would bog down a wheelchair, but we did meet one intrepid wheelchair user who was enjoying the spectacular beauty from the paved roads. You can arrange for a driver to take you into the beautiful Cathedral Valley. My photographers and writers club, Rocky Mountain Outdoor Writers and Photographers, used Hondoo Rivers and Trails in Torrey. This park is not as crowded as many of the better known national parks in the west.
  Here is the Park website.  Phone 435-425-3791   Map   Accessibility   Brochure
  The petroglyphs along Utah Highway 24 are accessible by boardwalk.

  Capitol Gorge 1 mile

  Goose Necks 0.1 mile

  Grand Wash 2.2 miles

  Sunset Point 0.4 mile

  

  

• Dinosaur National Monument
  Dinosaur National Monument has one wheelchair accessible trail and numerous easy trails. The monument lies on the border between Colorado and Utah at the confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers. just to the north of the town of Vernal, Utah. There are over 800 paleontological sites in the Jurassic Morrison formation. There are fossils of many dinosaurs including Allosaurus, Deinonychus, and Abydosaurus.  Dinosaur National Monument protects 105 miles of the Green and Yampa rivers and more than 210,000 acres of the rivers’ canyons.
  Phone 435-781-7700  Map  Accessibility   Links to trail details     Monument website
  Plug Hat Trail  0.25 mile loop paved  “…trail on top of a butte affords excellent views of the surrounding landscape and provides an introduction to the pinyon pine-juniper community.”
  Cold Desert Trail  0.5 mile loop  “This short, level walk provides insight into the diversity of the desert shrub community found around Dinosaur National Monument.”
  Box Canyon Trail 0.5 mile in and out.  “A level walk into a shady box canyon.”
  Gates of Lodore Trail  0.75 mile one way.  There are a “few steps” at the beginning of the trail and then it is a level walk above the Green River ending at a view of the entrance to Lodore Canyon.
  Hog Canyon Trail  1.5 mile one way.  “A relatively level walk into a box canyon.”

• Dixie National Forest
  The almost 2,000,000 acres of Dixie National Forest stretch for about 170 miles across southern Utah.  The forest includes Red Canyon and Hell’s Backbone Bridge.  There are many opportunities for “hiking, fishing, and viewing outstanding scenery.”
  Here is the Forest website.   Phone 801-466-6411  Maps
  Red Canyon Powell Ranger District  Visitor Center Phone 435-676-2676  Trails Map and Descriptions  The map omits the easy Hoodoo Trail.  Red Canyon is a lovely place near Bryce National Park, but without the crowds.
  Hoodoo Trail #3011  0.3 mile “Walk under the hoodoos, through sagebrush, pinyon, and juniper trees.”
  Pink Ledges Interpretive Trail  0.4 miles  This trail is a bit more difficult than the Hoodoo, so you may just want to go for part of it and then turn around if you don’t like the slope.

  

  

• Sawtooth National Forest  / Sawtooth National Recreation Area
  This 2.1 million acre forest is situated in south central Idaho and extends into northern Utah.  It includes the 217,000 acre Sawtooth Wilderness.  These lands include high granite peaks, narrow glacial valleys, deep forested valleys and high alpine lakes.  It abounds with wildlife and flowers.   Map of SNRA
  Fairfield Ranger District 208-764-3202, Ketchum Ranger District 208-622-5371
  Minidoka ranger district 208-677-4878, Sawtooth NRA 208-727-5000 or 208-744-3000  Here is the website for the National Forest and the website for the National Recreation Area.

  Murdock Trail Map and information   A little over the first mile is wheelchair accessible.  From the guide, “The Murdock Creek canyon features wildflowers, wildlife, and dramatic rock outcroppings, and there are several nice picnic spot along the trail.”  The trail is dirt with small rocks. Thanks to trail guidebooks author Maryann Gaug for letting me know about this trail. 

  

  

• Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
  “The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest is one of the 12 National Forests in the Intermountain Region as well as one of the urban National Forests in the Forest Service System.  It covers an area that includes northern and north-central Utah, and southwestern Wyoming.”
  Here is the Forest website.  Supervisor phone 801-999-2103  Contacts in the various ranger districts.

  There is a video on the website describing 5 Family Friendly Trails which they say are good for strollers and people of all ages.  At  one point the voice-over claims they are “universally accessible”, but that is not clear from the photographs or the descriptions on the website.
  ? Limber Pine Nature Trail 1.4 miles

  ? Cascades springs interpretive trail 0.9 mile paved and boardwalk path

  Devils Kitchen Trail to a geologic site 0.1 mile “Accessible”

  ?  Current Creek Nature Trail 1.25 miles  self-guided interpretive trail.  Call 435-654-0470 for more information on this trail.

  “Summer Lake Nature Trail  3/4 mile around a lake

   

• Zion National Park
  Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the Zion has a unique geography and a variety of life zones.  The Virgin River flows through the 15 mile long Zion Canyon’s towering red and tan walls.
  Here is the Park website.  Phone 435-772-3256 Accessibility  Map and Brochure  Hiking Map and Guide

  

  Pa’rus Trail 3.5 miles  “Paved trail follows the Virgin River from the South Campground to Canyon Junction.”
  Riverside Walk 2.2 miles.  “Minor drop-offs. Paved trail follows the Virgin River along the bottom of a narrow canyon. Trailside exhibits.”
  Lower Emerald Pool Trail 1 mile paved with some minor drop-offs.
  Grotto Trail 1.2  mile connects the Zion Lodge to the Grotto and is near the road most of the way.

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State

• Antelope Island State Park
  The park offers “spectacular views of lake and island scenery.”  There are sandy beaches and you can “…take a dip in the lake’s salty waters or step back in time with a visit to the Historic Fielding Garr Ranch. Antelope Island is home to free-ranging bison, mule deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorn (antelope), and many other desert animals. Millions of birds congregate along the shores surrounding the island…”
   Here is the Park website.   Trails Map  Brochure   Utah Travel Secrets trail guide
  Headquarters phone 801-649-5742,  Visitor Center Phone 801-725-9263
  Lakeside Trail  2.8 miles one way. “An easy hike”   that  “follows a nicely maintained gravel  path” with elevation gain of only 69′.
  Mountain View Trail is 11.38 miles one way and can be accessed via four parking areas.  It follows the east shore of the island.  “Wetlands and wildlife are abundant on the trail.”

• Dead Horse Point State Park
  “From the prominence of Dead Horse Point, 2,000 feet above a gooseneck in the Colorado River, an ever-changing landscape unfurls. Immense vertical cliffs meet with canyons carved by ice, water, and wind creating a visual masterpiece.”
  Here is the Park website.  Visitor Center phone 435-259-2614  Map  Trail Map
  Brochure  Hiking
  Overlook Trail  200′ one way.  “…a short paved pathway leads to breathtaking views of the Colorado River and adjacent canyon country some 2,000 feet below.”
  Visitor Center Trail  1/8 mile round trip. “The paved path just outside the Visitor Center offers great views of the basin to the east, the La Sal Mountains and Chimney Rock.”  There are eight trail-side exhibits.
  The East Rim Trail System  1.5-2 miles  “Aside from a short hill a quarter mile from the visitor center, this trail is predominately flat. ”
  The Colorado River Overlook  1 mile.

• Fremont Indian State Park
  Discover artifacts, petroglyphs, and pictographs left behind by the Fremont Indians. This museum preserves treasures from the largest known Fremont Indian village  site. “Hike on paths that lead you up close to Rock art panels left by the Fremont people. “
  Here is the Park website.   Phone 4335-527-4631  Brochure
  Parade of Rock Art  0.4 miles paved interpretive trail

• Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail
  “Weaving its way from Park City to Echo Reservoir, this 28-mile, non-motorized trail provides a close-up view of area wildlife and wildflowers.”
  Here is the Trail website.   Phone 435-649-6839  Map
  This rail trail is 28 miles following interstate 80 from Park City to Echo Reservoir.  It is mostly gravel, but there are 3 miles north from Park City and a 0.5 section in Wanship that are asphalt and suitable for wheelchairs.   TrailLink’s description

• Kodachrome Basin State Park
  “67 monolithic stone spires, called sedimentary pipes, accentuate multihued sandstone layers that reveal 180 million years of geologic time.  The color and beauty found here prompted a National Geographic Society expedition to name the area Kodachrome…”
  Here is the Park website.   Phone 435-679-8562  Brochure & Trails Map
  Grand Parade Trail 1.5 miles is easy, but check first to be sure it is suitable for you.
  Nature Trail  0.5 miles hard surface interpretive trail.

• Robert N. Hasenyager Great Salt Lake Nature Reserve
  The Reserve is located along the southeast shore of the Great Salt Lake, adjacent to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources’ Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area (WMA).  The new (2019) George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Wildlife Education Center at Farmington Bay  is on the  Reserve. The Center and trails provide “…. a gateway to the remarkable Great Salt Lake wetlands. ”
  Here is the Eccles Center website.    Phone 801-451-5536.
  Farmington Creek Trail 1.5 miles ADA compliant. The “trail loops through the wetlands of Farmington Bay with several side trails. The trail features a 1700-foot-long boardwalk with a bridge over Farmington Creek, a long bridge across a large pond, and a winding boardwalk through a delightful marsh filled with birds of many kinds.”

• Snow Canyon State Park
  “Explore the trails and dunes of beautiful Snow Canyon ….. Camp in the peaceful campground surrounded by ancient lava flows and red Navajo sandstone.”
  Here is the Park website.    Brochure & Trail Map   Overview Map  Phone  435-628-2255
  Whiptail Trail  6 miles. “Level with some slopes. Accessible to people with disabilities. Tucked along the canyon bottom, this paved trail is suitable for walking, jogging, and biking.”
  Jenny’s Canyon 0.5 mile, Johnson Canyon 2 miles, Pioneer Names 0.5 mile, West Canyon Road 8 miles, and Sand Dunes 0.5 mile are trails rated as easy with some slopes and/or steps.  Check with the Visitor Center to see if some of them would work for you.

• Swaner EcoCenter
  “The Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter is a 1,200 acre nature Preserve ….with interactive exhibits about the surrounding environment. … Visit the EcoCenter to learn more about our wetland ecosystem and the 10 miles of trails to explore!”
  Here is the Center website.   Utah State University 435-649-1767  Preserve and Trails
  Leslie, who answered my inquiry (and provided the photos) writes, “The EcoCenter and the pier going out onto the preserve are wheelchair accessible. However, in the winter the pier is covered with snow for snowshoeing.  I would say summer and fall would be the best times for elderly and people with wheelchairs to visit.”  

  

  

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Local

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Private

• Ogden Nature Center
  This 152-acre nature preserve and education center is open to the public year-round offering a wide variety of activities.  “The center has limited paved paths. The rest of the center is leveled dirt trails.”   Call to learn if any of these trails will accommodate your wheelchair.
  Here is the Center’s website.  Phone 801-621-7595  Map  Virtual Tour
  There are 1.5 miles of “easy walking trails and paths. Most are dirt trails, and a few are paved…”

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Miscellaneous

• 10 Stroller Friendly Trails in Utah   by “Utah’s Adventure Family” is part of their very helpful website for families.  You should also check out their page on Nature Trails.

• 12 Wheelchair Accessible Trails in Utah is a page on wanderookie.com, an excellent source of information on “Utah hikes and outdoor recreation for rookie adventurers”.

• The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy lists wheelchair accessible trails in Utah.

• Wheelchairtraveling.com  is an outstanding resource.

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