Utah's Most Visited National Park Is Becoming A Lot More Accessible

Zion National Park is the most visited of Utah's "Mighty 5" national parks, with nearly 5 million visits recorded in 2025. The next most-visited Utah national park was Bryce Canyon, with nearly 2 million visits. It's no wonder Zion is a popular destination: The park has a number of fantastic places where you can stop to soak in the beauty. However, many of those places require a hike to reach, which can make them inaccessible to some wheelchair users. Now, the park is expanding access. Zion announced on Instagram that an Extreme Motus all-terrain wheelchair is available for visitors to borrow free of charge.

According to KSL, Zion is the first U.S. national park to own this type of accessibility equipment for public use. The wheelchair is made in Utah and designed to navigate challenging terrain in all kinds of weather. Funding for Zion's chair came through a donation from 2LIV4 to the Zion Forever Project, the official non-profit partner for the park.

There are a few considerations for this all-terrain wheelchair. It does require an assistant to push it, as it's not motorized. It's available for pickup at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and can be borrowed for a single day. It also requires a signed waiver from both the user and the assistant, ID and proof of insurance from either party, and a short training session on the chair's features. The chair must also be returned before the visitor center closes for the day.

Among the trails recommended by the park for the chair are the Weeping Rock Trail, which takes you to a lush oasis of hanging gardens, and the Lower Emerald Pools Trail. The park also designates several additional routes, including West Rim Trail and Middle Emerald Pools Trail. The connection between the Lower and Middle Emerald Pools trails, however, is off-limits since it's too narrow for the chair. Other no-go areas include the iconic Zion Canyon Narrows and the chains section of Angels Landing, the scenic trail with a dangerous reputation. There are also some physical limitations: users can't weigh over 250 pounds or be taller than 6 feet.

Another important note: as of this writing, the chair is available only on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reservations. That could complicate planning for visitors counting on it. People noted in the comments on the park's Instagram announcement that without a guarantee the chair will be available, visitors might end up wasting time or having their hopes dashed. Arriving early may improve your chances of getting the chair and give you more time to explore.

When it comes to general accessibility at Zion, the park website notes that none of its trails qualify as ADA-accessible. However, the park identifies three trails as more wheelchair-friendly, including the Pa'rus Trail, which follows the Virgin River for 1.6 miles one-way via a wide, mostly paved route; the Lower Emerald Pool Trail, which is also largely paved; and the Riverside Walk. All Zion Canyon shuttle buses can accommodate standard wheelchairs. You can find more information about grades, surfaces, and potential obstacles on some of the park's trails here.