Accessible Local Hikes
Summer is the perfect time to go outside and enjoy nature in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. It’s the reason we tolerate all the wet and gray the other 9 months of the year! However, for many families of children with a disability, just going outside and finding a hike to go on that’s accessible for them isn’t easy. Outdoor adventures often involve packing a walker, stroller, wheelchair, or other mobility device and finding a trail that the device can go on. For many wheelchair users, obstacles such as a root sticking too high out of the ground or loosely packed gravel can make a trail completely inaccessible.
While we still have a long ways to go as a community to make the outdoors more accessible for all, we are fortunate in the Seattle-area to have a number of trails and walkways that are accessible for all of our friends.
Snoqualmie Falls: The upper observation platform provides the best view of the falls and is wheelchair accessible.
Gold Creek Pond Trail: a 1 mile, accessible paved loop hike around a picturesque mountain pond near Snoqualmie Pass
Middle Fork Snoqualmie River: a little more challenging with packed dirt/gravel and boardwalk trails. Gorgeous views of the Snoqualmie River all year long
Alki Beach Walkway: paved urban running trail with gorgeous views of the water and the city
National Parks have also taken steps to make their parks for accessible for all. The Trail of Shadows at Mount Rainier is an accessible 0.7 mile packed dirt and boardwalk trail. Many of the main view points by the visitor center are also accessible.
For more great accessible hike ideas in the PNW, check out these resources:
Barrier-Free Trails page on the WTA website: https://www.wta.org/go-outside/seasonal-hikes/summer-destinations/ada-accessible-hikes.
@findingmountains on Instagram, which is an account run by a local family committed to helping their daughter with cerebral palsy find accessible trails
Rolling Washington: a website run by the family of a young wheelchair user with detailed reviews on accessibility of trails around Western Washington: https://rollingwashington.org/