Trail Chairs
Some Indiana state park properties offer motorized wheelchairs that can be taken on trails and around facilities. There is no charge for use by guests with a mobility disability. Donations to help maintain and purchase new chairs are welcome.
To use a Indiana State Parks motorized wheelchair:
- The user or user’s legal guardian are required to read and sign the Wheelchair User Agreement.
- The user or user’s legal guardian will provide a major credit card number or state-issued identification card as security.
- Park staff will train the users to operate the motorized chair.
- Users 16 years or younger must be accompanied by an adult while using the chair.
Please only use the chair in areas identified by the property. Trail conditions may change on a day-to-day basis and weather conditions may also affect capabilities. For more information, use the list below or call the property ahead of your arrival.
Locations
- Chain O'Lakes State Park
- Chair Type: All Terrain Wheelchair Magic Mobility V6.
- Location: Memorial Day – Labor Day at the Sand Lake Nature Center, Labor Day – Memorial Day (off-season) at park headquarters.
- Used on: The chair can be appropriately used on trails 3 and 5 and Sand Lake Beach, boat rental, and fishing piers. The chair cannot be safely used on roads and should not be taken into the campground or cabin areas.
- Registration: Advance registration by calling 260-636-2654 is preferred and recommended to ensure availability but not required.
- Requirements: Passenger weight limit is 250 pounds; cannot be used while raining, or in very muddy conditions. Only one person should sit in the chair at a time. The chair may be used during regular hours and must be returned 45 minutes before close. The hours for the Nature Center are Memorial Day – Labor Day 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.; Labor Day – Memorial Day (i.e., off-season) and park headquarters 8:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m.
- Notes: Trail 5, which circles Sand Lake, is a relatively flat loop that runs about 1.5 miles and follows the beautiful shoreline.
- Charlestown State Park
- Chair Type: Extreme X8 All-Terrain Wheelchair
- Location: Rose Island parking lot
- Used on: The chair can appropriately be used on the paved section of Trail 3 and Trail 7 (The Rose Island loop)
- Registration: Please call ahead to ensure it is available and charged, 812-256-5600
- Requirements: Passenger weight limit is 400 pounds.
- Notes: Max speed of 6mph.
- Fort Harrison State Park
- Chair Type: Extreme 4x4 Mobility Chair
- Location: Visitor Center
- Used on: The chair can only be appropriately used around the Camp Glenn Area, including the Visitor Center, Museum, etc. Because of the chair’s capabilities, use of the chair in other locations is not available.
- Registration: Advance reservation is required and can be made by calling the park office at 317-591-0904.
- Indiana Dunes State Park
- Chair Type: AFIKIM chairs designated for trails: AFISCOOTER-S and AFISCOOTER-C. Beach chairs: Extreme X8 4x4 electric wheelchair with tires. The other is an Action Track Chair with tracks. Chairs were donated by the Friends of Indiana Dunes State Park.
- Location: AFIKIM chairs are at Nature Center. Beach chairs are at lifeguard station.
- Used on: AFIKIM trail chairs have laminated maps of the trails on which they can be safely used. Beach chairs may be used on beach.
- Registration: AFIKIM trail chairs are first-come, first-served and are available to guests daily between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Beach chairs are also first-come, first-served and are available daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day between 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
- McCormick’s Creek State Park
- Chair Type: GRIT Freedom Chair, a three-wheeled mix between a manual wheelchair and mountain bike and Magic Mobility Extreme 4x4 electric wheelchair.
- Location: Nature Center.
- Used on: Due to the topography of the property and capability of the chairs, the chairs may be safely used on Trail 8, which is a paved accessible trail. A portion of the trail is closed due to tornado damage.
- Registration: Calling 812-829-4344 at least one day before desired use is recommended, to ensure availability but is not required.
- Requirements: Chair must be signed out upon pickup and signed in upon return with Nature Center staff.
- Mounds State Park
- Chair Type: Golden Patriot.
- Location: Visitor's Center.
- Used on: The chair can be appropriately use on a portion of Trail 5, to the Great Mound and back.
- Registration: Guests may call 765-649-8128 to reserve or can request it upon arrival.
- O’Bannon Woods State Park
- Chair Type: Magic Mobility Extreme 4 wheel drive chair.
- Location: Hickory Hollow Nature Center.
- Used on: The chair can be appropriately used on the Universal Trail & Farmstead at the Hickory Hollow Nature Center.
- Registration: Call 812-738-8234 for times and availability, Hickory Hollow Nature Center.
- Requirements: Passenger weight limit is 300 pounds.
- Pokagon State Park
- Chair Type: Extreme 4x4 Power Wheelchair.
- Location: Nature Center.
- Used on: The chair can be appropriately used on Trail 1 loop (behind Nature Center) and the bike path.
- Registration: Advance registration is not required but is helpful. This can be done by calling 260-833-2012. If guest is looking to use it during one of the interpretive programs, 24 hours notice is needed to ensure accommodations are made to the program as needed.
- Requirements: Passenger weight limit is 265 pounds, can be used on snow but cannot be used while it is raining or snowing.
- Salamonie Lake
- Chair Type: Trac About Inc. IRV2000.
- Location: Salamonie Interpretive Center.
- Used on: Chair can be appropriately used on Turkey Cove Nature Trail ¼ mile loop at the Salamonie Interpretive Center; Wildlife Management Trail from trailhead at Salamonie Interpretive Center left to Wildlife Pond accessible dock and picnic shelter (approximately ½ mile).
- Registration: Call ahead for times and availability, 260-468-2127.
- Requirements: Recommended for those 14 and older, recommend having cell phone with good local service in case of obstacles. Warning track jolts over bumps, must stay on stoned surface. Practice session with staff recommended before going on trail along with regular staff training.
- Notes: Because of the unique nature of the chair, a practice session with staff is highly recommended in addition to regular staff training. Long turning radius, turns best when moving forward. Doesn’t turn well in place or on carpet. Please use seat belt and call ahead when possible at 260-468-2127.
- Spring Mill State Park
- Chair Type: All Terrain Viking 4 X 4 Mobility Power Wheelchair.
- Location: Donaldson Cave parking lot.
- Used on: Trail 4 then to Trail 7.
- Registration: Park office handles reservations, 812-849-3534. Reservations must be made 24 hours in advance. Call park office during normal hours (8 a.m.-4 p.m.) to schedule.
- Requirements: Pickup and return chair at predetermined times. The chair can be reserved for other locations but the park needs 48-hour notice. Example: A person wants to fish along the shoreline. We will meet them at the nature center parking lot. They can then use portions of Trail 5 to access fishing. The additional notice is needed to reserve is due to mounting a ramp to move the chair from the service area to the other areas of the park.
- Notes: Donations will be accepted to help maintain the chair and purchase a new one in the future, but there is no charge for use. Reservation limit is 4 hours until we can determine the length of a single charge.
- Potato Creek State Park
- Chair Type: Action Track Chair AXIS Model
- Location: Nature Center
- Used on: The chair can be appropriately used on Trails 1 & 2 and Beach. The chair cannot be safely used on roads.
- Registration: 2 day in advance registration by calling Nature Center at (574) 914-4347 is preferred, and recommended to ensure availability.
- Requirements: Passenger weight limit is 250 pounds; Cannot be used while raining, or in very muddy conditions. One person should be sitting in the powered wheelchair at a time. The chair may be used during regular hours and must be returned:
- August-May: Monday-Thursday by 2:30 p.m.; Friday-Saturday by 3:30 pm
- June-July: Every day by 3:30 p.m.