Colorado Adventures Accessible for All In the U.S.A.

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve,

 credit: Dan & Zora Avila

Over the years, Colorado has proven itself as an inclusive destination that celebrates its diverse origins and embraces travellers from all walks of life, offering enriching experiences for all. Below is a sampling of experiences that showcase the state’s adaptive adventures for visitors of all abilities:

Wheelchair-friendly National Parks and Monuments: Visitors can experience many of Colorado’s National Parks and Monuments via Wheelchair, with wheelchair-accessible touring information provided. There are special sand wheelchairs for exploring the famous dunes, camping and picnic areas in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, and there are nearly a half dozen wheelchair-accessible trails in Rocky Mountain National Park. Colorado National Monument and Mesa Verde National Park both offer accessible campsites, picnic areas and trails, and audio and/or visual tours.

Wilderness On Wheels: The mission of Wilderness on Wheels (WOW), is to stimulate the development of access for disabled visitors and residents to natural outdoor environments. WOW accomplished this through the construction of a 1-mile, 8-foot wide boardwalk starting at 9,100 feet, which leads to the top of a 12,300-foot mountain, near Grant (60 miles west of Denver). It is free to hike the boardwalk at WOW, with fishing and camping at the site, as well as overnight cabins to encourage adventure holiday experiences for all.

Colorado National Monument sunset,
credit Colorado Tourism Office.

National Sports Center for the Disabled: Located in Winter Park, The National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) has provided adaptive sports lessons in Colorado for decades and this year celebrates its 50th anniversary. Skiing, rafting, horseback riding and rock climbing are just some of the adaptive lesson opportunities offered to individuals and groups, with programs also run out of the Broncos Stadium in Denver.

ABOUT COLORADO TOURISM OFFICE
Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) is the official travel and tourism office for the state of Colorado. CTO’s mission is to generate traveller spending by promoting Colorado as a four-season, four-corner, world-class travel destination and to develop compelling, sustainable travel experiences. In 2018, Colorado travellers spent $22.3 billion, a 6.7% annual increase. International travellers topped one million visitors for the first time, with a total of 1,049,000. The number of jobs supported by the tourism industry was also at a record high of 174,400.

Colorado is a year-round destination offering unparalleled adventure and recreational activities, an abundant arts scene, Western heritage, distinctive cuisine and 28 renowned ski resort areas. The state's diverse landscape boasts natural hot springs, the headwaters of four major rivers, numerous peaceful lakes and reservoirs, 12 national parks and monuments and 58 mountain peaks that top 14,000 feet, known as ‘Fourteeners’. www.colorado.com