Fall Foliage: Accessible National Parks for Everyone
See the nation in all its glorious colors thanks to Friendly Like Me.
Leaf peeping season is in full swing, meaning fall’s most adoring fans will be making their way to New England, high-altitude spots out west, and some of America’s most beautiful national parks to experience the kaleidoscope of colors. It’s an experience that Friendly Like Me, an app and website that shares which businesses and destinations are accessible for those with size or mobility needs, wants to ensure everyone can enjoy.
“Travel is not just a journey from one place to another; it’s a pathway to inclusivity, renewed health, improved cognition, and enriched lives,” Elysia Everett, the founder and CEO of Friendly Like Me, shared. “When we make travel accessible to all, including people with disabilities and plus-size travelers, we open doors to a world of possibilities.”
To help everyone revel in the fall season, experts at Friendly Like Me shared data on the most accessible national parks that also display fantastic fall foliage across the nation. This way, we can all become professional leaf peepers.
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Explore Rocky Mountain National Park’s 265,807 acres of beautiful landscapes. While the park is home to miles of trails, it’s also a place where, Friendly Like Me noted, people can find all-terrain wheelchairs at no additional cost, accessible trails and campsites (Moraine Park, Glacier Basin, and Timber Creek), free shuttles, and brochures available in several formats, including braille, large print, and PDF for assistive technology.
The park also offers the Disabled Traveler’s Companion, a website listing all the park’s accessible facilities, at tdtcompanion.com.
Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina and Tennessee
The Great Smoky Mountains is a destination beloved for its fall foliage and varied landscapes that stretch over two states. Here, Friendly Like Me said, travelers can find some high-tech accessibility tools like the High-Efficiency Trail Assessment Process, a pushcart that is used to collect information like the grade, slope, and width of each trail, which is used to publish up-to-date and accurate trail information, so every traveler can pick the one that fits their needs.
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Shenandoah National Park really is a place where everyone can find their personal piece of Mother Nature’s paradise. Here, Friendly Like Me found assisted listening devices available for loan, park brochures available in several formats, accessible outdoor dining and campgrounds with accessible showers and restrooms, accessible ranger-led programs, and more. Guests can also explore Limberlost Trail, a fully accessible hiking path through the forest.
Glacier National Park, Montana
Come explore the season at Glacier National Park, which boasts more than its fair share of accessible amenities. The expansive national park is home to an in-depth visitors center that provides assisted listening devices, along with audio-described videos. Further out, the park can provide an ASL interpreter for ranger-led events upon request.
The park also has ADA-accessible shuttles, and like others on the list, Glacier National Park also offers a Disabled Traveler’s Companion website at tdtcompanion.com.
Sequoia & Kings Canyon, California
Make your way to California to enjoy the majesty of the massive trees at Sequoia & Kings Canyon. Here, guests can use the free shuttles in both the Giant Forest and Lodgepole areas, or borrow the park’s manual wheelchair at the Giant Forest Museum, Lodgepole Visitor Center, or Kings Canyon Visitor Center. The park also offers accessible trails and viewpoints, allowing everyone to enjoy fall leaf peeping this season.