Accessibility in Utah’s Mighty 5 National Parks

The Park Avenue Overlook of the Courthouse Towers is particularly picturesque with an ascending paved path to the viewing area. Balanced Rock also has a paved path that is relatively level. Side paths, mostly made from a range of packed to looser rocks and sand, verge from Balanced Rock and merge on the way to Pothole Arch and Ham Rock. The first section of The Devil’s Garden Trail (to Landscape Arch, around 1.6 miles roundtrip) consists of relatively flat stretches mixed with small to medium-sized hills. Some barriers exist, like patches of sand and cross-slopes, but it’s still wide enough for most wheelchairs. It’s an out-and-back trail, so you can travel as far as it feels comfortable. Trail details are posted at each trailhead. Bringing hiking equipment or mobility devices with power assistance makes it easier to traverse the terrain where uneven or steep.

The Devil’s Garden picnic area has one paved path to a non-modified table; the toilet is accessible. Campsite #007 in the Devils Garden Campground is accessible with a paved flat surface, raised fire pit and cooking grill and an open route to one end of the standard picnic table. Additionally, there are accessible picnic tables near the Visitor Center with extended ends and hardened surfaces underneath, typically compacted chat gravel, providing a convenient spot for a meal or rest. These tables have nearby trees for shade, depending on the time of day and the sun’s angle.

The park's most accessible trail is the half-mile Rim Trail, between Sunset Point and Sunrise Point. Take a break from driving in the car and cruise on the accessible shuttle, but note that it has specific stops. One stop is the Bryce Canyon Visitor Center where visitors can get an Access Guide to make exploring the park easier. The Visitor Center includes accessible parking, restrooms with grab bars, a lowered information desk, tactile exhibits and audiovisual materials with captions, ensuring a comfortable visit for all guests. Accessible picnic tables are available near the Visitor Center, with extended ends for wheelchair access, providing a convenient spot for a meal or rest. Some visitors with strong balance and enough leg functionality may be able to take a two-hour-long horseback ride below the canyon rim. No modifications have been made, including the mounting system, but assistance can be provided.

Guests can stay overnight in the park at the Sunset Campground with two modified campsites (#223 and #224), located in Loop A, equipped with picnic tables with extended ends and raised barbeques on a firm surface made of a mix of dirt and rock. Potable water is available behind the nearby flush toilets. Additionally, the Bryce Canyon Lodge features accessible roons, one with a king bed and bath and the other with two queens and a roll-in shower.

Of the four districts within the park, Island in the Sky offers the most accessibility. The trails all have steep, rocky surfaces with uneven slopes and loose sand or gravel. But three overlooks — Grand View Point, Green River and Buck Canyon — offer paved walkways and helpful signage indicating the distance to the viewpoint. The overlook not to miss is located directly across from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center. A short, paved path leads right onto the rocks along the canyon. The transition from the path to a large boulder is barrier-free. It’s a unique feature in an unforgettable setting. 

Inside the Visitor Center, find a tactical display and lowered countertops. Outside, there’s a picnic table with an extended end under a canopy, a modified drinking water fountain and a pit toilet. Accessible parking and another pit toilet can also be found at Upheaval Dome, but the surrounding trails are not accessible.

One campsite is reserved for people with disabilities at the Island in the Sky (Willow Flat) Campground. It has been adapted with paved surfaces surrounding the tent pad, a shelter covering the picnic table with an extended end and a raised campsite grill. Paved parking and pit toilets are nearby, but no water is available in the campgrounds so prepare accordingly. 

The Needles Campground is outside the main area with two accessible campsites, both can be reserved in advance. Each site has a concrete driveway with a fire pit and an elongated picnic table. A concrete sidewalk connects the two sites with a water spigot and a vault toilet. One site has cement surrounding the tent pad; the other site offers a paved walkway to the tent pad.

In terms of hiking trails, there is a wooden boardwalk off Utah Highway 24 that accesses Fremont Culture petroglyphs. The trail begins on a firm, crushed rock surface, leading to a barrier-free boardwalk platform. Explore this rare cultural preservation more closely using the lowered binoculars and listening to the audio guide. A portion of the Fremont River Trail near the Gifford House is also accessible, offering a brief route through a meadow and orchard surrounded by tall sandstone cliffs and a volcanic boulder-strewn mesa for birdwatching and other wildlife. The orchards are a shade haven on warm days, and when in season, visitors can pick fruit for a nominal fee. The Fremont River Trail runs past the Fruita Campground, amphitheater and orchards on a firmly packed dirt surface topped with crushed rock.

The Fruita Campground has four campsites with accessible features, and nearby flush toilets, and site #26 has the most modifications including a picnic table with an extended end, raised firepit and barbeque grill. Additionally, sites #63 and #14 have an electrical outlet to charge medical devices. Accessible picnic tables are located throughout the park, including near the Visitor Center, the Gifford House and the Fruita Campground, with extended ends for wheelchair access.

Running parallel to the Virgin River for nearly two miles (one-way) is the Pa'rus Trail. This wide and paved trail is incredibly scenic with cascading red rocks on either side. Many sections are flat and intersect with some gradual slopes. The Riverside Walk Trail may also be partially or completely doable leading up to the edge of the Virgin River. The start of the trail has some sandy areas due to washouts but then a paved surface emerges and continues to run along the river aligned with trees and vegetation through the sunset-colored canyon. At one point, the trail travels under a cascading boulder protruding from the mountainside. Sections of the paved trail may get a little wet, narrow, sandy, or steep. The trail has a short border along the river’s edge and occasionally a guard rail. Overall, having power assistance of some kind is recommended on this trail due to the many hills. If you can navigate this trail, it's worth the effort.

For canyon panoramas, drive along the picturesque Mount Carmel Highway which travels through a couple of tunnels and passes the Great Arch of Zion Overlook. Space has been made for vehicles to park but there are no specific modifications. Parking spots can be hard to come by, so if you find an open spot, be sure to pull over for a picture. 

Beyond the main Zion Canyon, the Kolob Canyons section of park resides to the northwest. Easily accessed off Interstate 15 just south of Cedar City, Kolob Canyons is an often lesser trafficked area of Zion. Visitors can enjoy the five-mile Kolob Fingers Road Scenic Byway to get a feel for Kolob Canyons. The road ends at the Kolob Canyons Viewpoint, which has a picnic area, pit toilet and accessible parking spaces.

Zion National Park has picnic tables with extended ends and hardened surfaces underneath (typically compacted chat gravel). Many day-use picnic sites are scattered throughout the Visitor Center parking lot and others are at the Grotto picnic area up the Scenic Drive. The tables have nearby trees, providing shade depending on the time of day and the sun’s angle, but none of the day-use areas have constructed shade shelters. 

The park’s Watchman Campground conveniently includes photos of the adapted campsites with features like a modified level surface, picnic tables with an extended end and raised fire pit grill. A couple of sites have electric hookups. Since accessible details vary slightly, review the photos for each campsite before booking. The Zion Lodge has four accessible rooms featuring bathtub and roll-in shower setups. It also has a popular ADA cabin with one queen bed and a roll-in shower.