Zion National Park launches free all-terrain wheelchair program for visitors

The new Extreme Motus chair at Zion National Park. Photo: National Park Service

ZION NATIONAL PARK, Utah — Zion National Park has launched a new program aimed at making more of its trails accessible to visitors with disabilities, mobility challenges, or injuries.

The park now has an Extreme Motus all-terrain wheelchair available for visitors to borrow at no cost through a new lending program supported by the Zion Forever Project.

The chair is available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center.

According to KSL, Zion is the first national park in the country to own accessibility equipment that is available for public use. Other national parks have accessibility equipment, but it is typically owned by nonprofit organizations, KSL reported.

The Extreme Motus is designed to help visitors with mobility challenges navigate terrain that can be difficult to traverse in a traditional wheelchair. The chair is not powered by the user and requires an assistant to push it, according to the National Park Service.

The chair can be checked out for a single day and must be returned to the Zion Canyon Visitor Center before it closes.

Because the Extreme Motus is too long to fit on the Zion Canyon shuttle, the park provides an accessibility pass that allows users to drive and park on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive during shuttle season, according to the NPS.

Where visitors can take the chair

The National Park Service recommends several trails for visitors using the Extreme Motus, including the Pa’rus Trail, Riverside Walk, Weeping Rock Trail, and Lower Emerald Pools Trail.

The chair can also be used on designated portions of several other trails, including the West Rim, Grotto, Coalpits Wash, Chinle, Taylor Creek, Observation Point via East Mesa, and East Rim trails.

Some trails remain inaccessible with the chair because of their terrain, width or other physical limitations. Those include Angels Landing, the Zion Narrows, Canyon Overlook, Upper Emerald Pools, and several trail connections, according to the NPS.

The park notes that even on trails where the Extreme Motus can be used, visitors may need additional assistance on steeper or more rugged sections.

Zion’s existing accessibility resources include wheelchair-accessible shuttle buses, visitor centers, restrooms, and other facilities. However, the park notes that its natural terrain means none of its trails are considered ADA accessible by law.

The new program gives visitors with mobility challenges another option for experiencing those trails.

For Extreme Motus co-founder Ryan Grassley, increasing access to national parks has been a long-term goal. Grassley told KSL that he has used the chair to take his friend Sam Durst, who has cerebral palsy, to national parks throughout Utah and beyond. The pair have visited all but one of Utah’s national parks together and have used the chair on trails throughout, KSL reported.

For now, Zion has one Extreme Motus available to visitors.

Those interested in using the chair can visit the Zion Canyon Visitor Center information desk to check its availability and begin the checkout process. Reservations are not currently accepted.

More information about the chair, trail access and requirements is available through the National Park Service’s Zion National Park website.