Ultra Accessible Yosemite (Yay accessible national parks!)

No other National Park comes close to what Yosemite offers as an accessible national park, and we have both Teddy Roosevelt and Justin Dart to thank. Amazing nature and accessibility combined. It took a lot of advocating to make Yosemite a reality, and it’s stunning.

And the park offers so much in the way of accessibility. It has several miles of accessible trails, viewing areas and new ADA projects are always starting. You can reconnect with nature in an amazing way here at Yosemite, and they even offer extreme accessible activities on-site.

Enticed? Here are four awesome videos showing why you should put Yosemite on your bucket list if you have a SCI.

Our first video comes from one of the most coolest disabled travelers you’ll ever meet – Ashley Lynn Olson, a fabulous 30 year old from California (she’s been a paraplegic since she was 14). And her rockin’ site, WheelchairTraveling.com, contains a cornucopia of videos stylin’ and profilin’ her travels. One of her favorite places near home is Yosemite, and she has a few videos showing off this very special place.

In her tour, she gives a 9 minute “walking” tour of some of the accessible trails on Yosemite’s Valley Floor, where there over 12 miles of accessible trails. She gives a shout out to the one non-accessible trail, which is rather funny. I think my favorite part about this video is the 1st person aspect. It really feels like you’re with her as she tours Yosemite. And she also shows the infamous giant Sequoia tree at Yosemite – the Grizzly – an 1,800 year old tree. Take her Yosemite Valley Floor tour

And a really cool more recent video she made shows her and three other paraplegics going zip-lining through the gorgeous Red Firs and ancient Sequoias that are everywhere over this massive 1,190 sq. ft park. They were able to go thanks to Zip Yosemite. Watch them zip away like flying squirrels

Powerchair-users can especially rock out hard at Yosemite, and “hoof it” so-to-speak on some of the trails. They may not be paved, but they’re smooth enough to ride on, as this video proves. In his video, a quad has his camera strapped to the bottom of his chair as he climbs Yosemite’s infamous Pothole dome, a smooth granite dome. Watch him dominate Pothole dome

Do you like awesomely funny hippies with long beards who can’t stop laughing? Then you’ll love this video of “Hungrybear” as he gives a tour of one of the sweetest trails at Yosemite – the one that gets the closest to the Lower Yosemite waterfall. You get so close you can feel the spray of the waterfall. Now that’s pretty awesome. Watch Hungrybear give a tour of the trail

Ready to head to Yosemite? Keep in mind as it is with any state or national park that you need to reserve way, way ahead; especially when it comes to snagging an accessible site. Yosemite reservations can sometimes book out 1 year ahead, so definitely keep this in mind when planning on visiting this or any other amazing accessible national parks.

Read the Yosemite Accessibility Guide

Have you been to Yosemite? What are your must-see’s? Have you been to other accessible national parks?

Watch the videos about accessible national parks!

– Ashley Lynn’s goes exploring on Yosemite’s Valley Floor’s trails

– Four paraplegics go zip-lining at Yosemite

– Guy in a powerchair climbing Yosemite’s Pothole dome

– Awesome guy shows the incredibly accessible Lower Yosemite Falls trail