traveler8586

We will be flying into Phoenix soon, renting a car, and driving through Arizona and Utah. We have 8 nights to get from Phoenix to Las Vegas and have one person in a power wheelchair so we are looking for all accessible sights and trails on this route. Trails don't have to be paved but must be somewhat compact. Also looking for the best photography viewpoints. I realize it's not a lot of time to see all of these parks but we probably will not need as much time in each park due to limited accessibility.

Day 1: Drive from Phoenix to Sedona / See highlights of Sedona...what are the best accessible trails and viewpoints?
Night 1: Sedona
Day 2: Grand Canyon South Rim. Not sure if we'll have time or if it'd be worth it for us to go to North Rim?
Night 2: Grand Canyon
Day 3: more time at Grand Canyon if needed, maybe a helicopter ride? Or visit North Rim? Hoping to see Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon..not sure about accessibility though? Or maybe visit the Glen Canyon Recreational Area and Lake Powell...is this area worth a stop?
Night 3: Page (considered switching to Monument Valley if not enough to do around Page?)
Day 4: Monument Valley...any accessible trails here? Valley of Gods State Park...is this worth a stop? Arches National Park depending on what time we get there.
Night 4: Moab
Day 5: Arches and Canyonlands
Night 5: Moab
Day 6: Canyonlands. Dead Horse if we have time and worth it? Capitol Reef
Night 6: Torrey
Day 7: Capitol Reef if we need more time. Scenic Route 12...any can't miss highlights? Bryce Canyon
Night 7: Springdale
Day 8: Zion
Night 8: Springdale
Day 9: midnight flight out of Vegas so we have all day to go from Springdale to Vegas. Thinking of stopping at Valley of Fire State Park...any accessible trails here?

emalloy

Here is a map with distance and time chart that was posted by another Fodorite a while ago. I've found it helpful in planning.

http://ohiohickstraveltips.weebly.co...-utah-map.html

At the South rim of Grand Canyon, the rim trail is paved for the most part although there are some spots that you need to climb up or down a bit and some that are quite narrow. There is a shuttle that stops at the good lookouts from Bright Angel Lodge to Hermit's rest. If you have a handicap tag, you can probably go on the same route and stop at the same spots. There is mostly pretty good access at the stops.

The trails down into the canyon are mostly not paved. Bright Angel Trail is pretty smooth, but might be a bit steep for the chair. I have a couple of pictures of us on it at www.flickr.com/photos/emalloy2009 scroll down and look for us and most of the other sites you're thinking of.

Arches and Canyonlands both have plenty to see from the car or with access from the parking areas to an area where you can view, but some of the sites really can't be done in a chair. There is plenty to see in the Moab area even if you don't do trails at all.

Monument Valley with a chair would be a drive through or a tour with a Navajo guide. It's not paved and quite sandy where you might get out of the car with the guide. Valley of the Gods is like a smaller Monument Valley, you can drive through it yourself on unpaved roads, so don't go if it has rained.

Upper Antelope Canyon also is basically walking through sand into the slot, I don't think it would be easy to do with a chair, and you drive to it in their vehicle which might not take it in any case.

Horseshoe bend views are after a 15 minute hike through soft sand. Not recommended for a chair. The half day smooth water raft ride trip we took from Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry, goes right around it. If you could manage the transfer to the transport car and from it to the boat, that might be a neat way to see it.

The North Rim of Grand Canyon seemed less chair friendly than the south rim and I found it a little less spectacular.

Bryce can be visited with stops at the view points which have access.

Valley of Fire is worth a stop. There are limited facilities there, no food, so bring lunch.

bachslunch

Have been to both rims of the Grand Canyon, and will echo emalloy's thought that the North Rim is less spectacular than the South Rim, and if memory serves would be less wheelchair friendly. If you need time elsewhere, I'd skip this.

One day in Zion should be plenty if you're in a wheelchair. The only part that strikes me as potentially accessible is the Riverside Walk.

imgwiz

We are freshly back from the Natl parks in Utah. canyon lands is great and there are lots of viewpoints easily that are all paved from the Island in the Sky visitor's entrance. We did stop at Dead Horse Park while returning from Canyonlands and it didn't really add much since we didn't have time to hike, just to look -- very similar to Canyonlands. Route 12 is spectacular and the town of boulder is very cute and has some good restaurants, although we ate in Torrey at a delicious funky spot which also has a motel. We loved our too-brief stop at Capitol Reef, but didn't see enough to see if there was anything paved, however, it is a pretty ride through the part of the park, with some old homesteads and orchard as well as gorgeous rock formations. I felt like there were several paved /hard pack trails in Zion so you should be set there.

Sara

On the day you drive scenic Route 12 from Torrey to Bryce Canyon, I highly recommend that you drive part of the Historic Burr Trail Scenic Backway, which starts in Boulder. It's definitely one of the most scenic roads I've ever been on, and we've driven on it twice. It's paved for a good long way, although it becomes a gravel road at the boundary of Capitol Reef, but that's farther than where we stopped. You'll drive through Long Canyon, and eventually come to a spot where the view opens up and the road descends steeply - that's where we stopped and turned around both times that we made this drive. It really is spectacular, and I thought was one of the highlights of our trips to Utah.

On Highway 12, after you've driven over the Hogback section, make sure you stop at the Head of the Rocks Overlook for an incredible view.

Here's a Route Guide to Highway 12 with all of the highlights and points of interest that you can download and take with you: https://scenicbyway12.com/wp-content...oute_guide.pdf

WhereAreWe

Each national park has a page on accessibility, that's a good place to start your planning. You're going to want to know more than just which trails are accessible.

I wouldn't go to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon on this trip. No guarantees it will even be open. Visitor services shut down for the season on October 15th and the road is subject to closure depending on the weather.

Grand Canyon:
https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvis...essibility.htm

Arches:
https://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvis...essibility.htm

Canyonlands:
https://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvis...essibility.htm

Capitol Reef:
https://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvis...essibility.htm

Bryce:
https://www.nps.gov/brca/planyourvis...essibility.htm

Zion:
https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvis...essibility.htm