Navigating Moab Utah by Wheel Chair

Here are a few known highlights for Moab and visitors requiring specific accessibility.

La Dolce Vita Villas 

has the best wheel chair friendly space to be seen in Moab. The kitchen is set for wheel chair height. There is a Chinese and Mexican restaurant adjacent to this property for convenient take out. The restaurants have narrow floor spaces for dining inside with a wheel chair. In the next block, the Village Market would be close for groceries. Open all year round.

Westside Flats 

has one particular room, the Entrada, with a paved way from an otherwise gravel parking lot. Ample floor space for wheel chair use. This property closes in winter.

Then there is our list http://discovermoab.com/hotels.htm 

that has a column with a wheel chair to indicate handicap accessible. To leave a hotel and access downtown shops and restaurants, those overnight stays would be with either, Best Western Greenwell or Canyonlands Inn, the Virginian Motel, Hotel Moab Downtown, Gonzo Inn, Bowen Motel and River Canyon Lodge being quite convenient. Other hotels will require driving into downtown. Parking can be tight in downtown. The public parking lot north of west Center Street would be only a half block off of Main Street and convenient to navigating to the restaurants in the next paragraph.

Restaurants closest to the hotels above are Eddie McStiffs, Pasta Jays, The Spoke on Center, The Moab Diner, Mandarin Szechuan Restaurant, Fietsa Mexicana, Pancake Haus, Arches Tai, Bangkok Too, and Zax.

These are the official links for the local parks on accessibility:

• http://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm
• http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm

Arches: 

https://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/upload/archmap.pdf

• Park Avenue Viewpoint
• La Sal Mountains Viewpoint
• Balanced Rock
• Panorama Point
• Salt Valley Overlook
• Devils Garden Campground Site #4H is reserved for wheel chair use however, it is closed March 1 through October 31 2017 due to construction in the park.

Canyonlands Island in the Sky: 

https://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/upload/canymap.pdf

• Buck Canyon Overlook
• Green River Overlook
• Grand View Point Overlook
• Willow Flat Campground has one super wheel chair friendly campsite.

This campsite has sidewalk to the pit toilet, a picnic table end appropriate for a wheel chair user and a sand rectangle for a tent surrounded by concrete for wheeling around it. Arrive early as this spot is up for use by everyone after 5:00 PM.

Dead Horse Point State Park:

Yurt Number 1 has a ramp and is attached to the campground restroom by sidewalk. In the campground, ask for site #9. It can be reserved only by telephone. There is ramp access to the Visitor Center and Gift Shop. There is a lift which by request can be used to gain access to an interactive center upstairs and Big Horn Gallery downstairs at the Visitor Center. Reserved parking at the viewpoint and good sidewalk access to the viewpoint. Some additional paved paths can be considered near the Visitor Center.

Micellaneous:

• For a guided tour try a Jetboat tour with Tag-a-Long Expeditions. They are good about helping out to make a jetboat tour available to those using wheel chairs.
• Another leisurely opportunity to be enjoyed is located out of the Lion's Park parking lot, at the intersection of Hwy 191 with Hwy 128. There is a paved pathway paralleling the Colorado River for nearly 3 miles or a ramp is wheelchair appropriate to gain access to the Colorado River pedestrian-non-motorized bridge.

Other Topics for Americans with Disabilities

Provision for adaptive gear is the essence of a SPLORE trip, bringing the outdoors to those with disability. That outdoor magic in Moab is rafting. There is financial aid available for persons meeting the essential eligibility criteria. Many participants could use additional help. Qualified people could apply to volunteer and will receive training after passing a background check. Read www.Splore.org for more details.

Tag-A-Long Expeditions and The Moab Adventure Center have both been hosting military veterans for Cataract Canyon raft trips since 2011. Fred Solheim created Warriors on Cataract, a trip reserved for any level of disability. That could be an individual with wheel chair, service dog, multiple amputations, post-traumatic stress (PTS) or traumatic brain injury (TBI). A therapist accompanies the trip to extend the empowering results of this awesome opportunity.

In fact, Military I.D. receives up to three nights of camping with no charge at Pack Creek Campground for an individual campsite and immediate family members sharing that campsite. Be sure to phone ahead of time to make this reservation and bring I.D. along for verification at check in.

www.discovermoab.com