2023-12-08 06:55:43
Colorado’s mountains and parks welcome visitors of all abilities. From skiing and hiking to horseback riding and biking, there are many adaptive ways to experience the Rockies, and many organizations that make it easy to do so. 1 Skiing in Colorado’s High Country As the country’s No. 1 ski destination, Colorado offers endless skiing opportunities, from Aspen and Beaver Creek to Breckenridge and Eldora. Winter Park’s National Sports Center for the Disabled guides you down hills of fresh powder by teaching adaptive alpine skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and more. Or head to Vail and glide down the slopes on a mono-ski with a trained professional via Vail Adaptive Learning Programs. Tear through snow on a ski bike, a more balanced bike seat on skis that only requires work from your arms and core, with Crested Butte’s Adaptive Sports Center to experience Colorado’s winter sports with accessibility. 2 Rock Climbing in Telluride If there’s a perfect place for rock climbing, it’s the craggy peaks and cliff faces of the San Juan Mountains. The Telluride Adaptive Sports Program allows people with disabilities of any skill level to strap into assistive and safety equipment and follow natural routes, all led by guides. From the crag, you’ll see winding rivers, pine-tree groves and snowcapped peaks underneath our signature bluebird skies. 3 Biking in Durango With a breadth of bike-trail networks, Durango practically beckons to explorers on wheels. There’s a trail for every mountain biker and skill level, especially with the help of Durango’s Adaptive Sports Association (ASA). Rent an ASA cycle or accessibility-adapted trike — a much more stable way to cruise — and follow a guide along the beginner’s course of the Animas River Trail, where you’ll hear the rushing river and glimpse the distant rolling hills. 4 Horseback Riding in Steamboat Bountiful in hot-spring pools, charming brick architecture and grand ridges, Steamboat Springs is a sightseeing haven for nature enthusiasts. Why not see it all on a laid-back horse ride? Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports hosts therapeutic horseback lessons with breathtaking high-country views for any rider. Peacefully trot around wildlife habitats — while keeping a safe, ample distance from animals — through stretching meadows of yellow wildflowers the way cowfolk did (and still do!) in the area’s idyllic mountainside ranch fields. 5 All-Terrain Wheelchairs From June through October, folks of every physical means can tour the mesas and behold the sweeping horizon of Staunton State Park, an hour from Denver. Colorado Parks & Wildlife’s Track-Chair Program allows travelers using wheelchairs to trade wheels for rolling tracks along 13 miles of trails. The durable GRIT Freedom Chair at Rocky Mountain National Park is also designed to conquer the park’s terrain and give visitors in wheelchairs expansive mountainous displays. Want to leave your mark on the curving hills of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve? Their balloon-tire wheelchairs travel easily over the sand and prevent sinking as long as you’ve got a strong friend with you — the chairs take some effort to push. Be sure to reserve in advance! SHARE OUR PARKS & TRAILS Everyone experiences and enjoys the outdoors in different ways. Be mindful: Wheelchair users, adaptive cyclists and equestrians always have the right of way. In all other instances, always yield to the uphill hiker and biker — they need the momentum. More adaptive adventures around the state: Colorado.com/Adaptive
©Colorado. View All Articles.