By Rachel Puryear

Media images of people camping and traveling typically feature people who look young and athletic – and rarely portray people with disabilities participating in the fun.

However, people who enjoy outdoor activities and adventures represent the full range of human diversity. We come in all ages, body sizes, walks of life, and among us are people with a wide range of abilities.

Accordingly, here are some resources for camping and enjoying the outdoors for people with disabilities.

Get Your Free Lifetime Pass

United States citizens who have permanent disabilities are entitled to a free, lifetime pass to U.S. National Parks. If you meet those qualifications and don’t yet have your pass, you can apply for one here.

Furthermore, senior citizens can obtain a discounted pass, and active military members can also receive free annual passes.

For everyone else, the annual pass is $80.00 per year. You can apply for any type of pass here.

The National Park Service Accessibility Resources

By clicking here, you can view the NPS’s accessibility guide. You can select any National Park, and view the specific accessibility information for that park.

Click here for a list of the best-reputed national parks for accessibility.

Service dogs can accompany their humans anywhere that their humans can go. However, this rule does apply only to service dogs, and not to emotional support animals. See here for more information about service animals.

If you ever feel the need to file a disability-related complaint, you can get more information on that here.

California State Parks

Persons with permanent disabilities can also apply for a lifetime pass, for $3.50, which entitles them to a 50% discount for vehicle day use, family camping, and boat use fees at California State Park operated units. Click here for more information about this.

Accessible Campgrounds

Click here for a great guide to seven accessible campsites across the county with descriptions. Each also has accessible outdoor areas nearby it to explore.

Of course, each person’s needs and preferences are different. If you have questions about specific accommodations at a particular site, it’s always a good idea to call ahead of time to address any concerns.

---

Thank you, dear readers, for reading, following, and sharing. Here’s to more outdoor fun for all, and finding and sharing more accessible places.

If there is something you would like to see addressed on this blog, please reach out to me here to ask. If you want to see more content like this and you don’t already subscribe, click here to get the Free Range Life and Work newsletter 2x a month.

Uncategorized