Arkansas Accessible Hiking at Lake Poinsett State Park

 

Egypt and Kellisa hike their 14th state together at Arkansas’ Lake Poinsett State Park, exploring easy trails, winter lake views, and accessibility considerations.

In January 2014, Egypt and Kellisa added Arkansas to their growing hiking map, marking the 14th state they had explored together. Their destination was Lake Poinsett State Park, a quiet northeastern Arkansas park tucked along the western shore of Lake Poinsett near Harrisburg. For a winter hike, it offered the kind of simple beauty that makes a state-park stop memorable: bare trees, open views, lake air, and the satisfaction of another state checked off on a shared adventure.

Village Creek State Park: Pushing Through the Rain on the Military Road (Trail of Tears)

 

March 2013

Our visit to Village Creek State Park in Arkansas was supposed to be a relatively simple hike along a historic section of the Trail of Tears. Instead, a forecast calling for only a 20 percent chance of rain turned into a steady, soaking afternoon. Fortunately, Kellisa was prepared. Her special-needs jog stroller, the Freedom Push Chair, had a newly purchased rain canopy that kept her reasonably dry as we ventured onto the trail.
The park sits on Crowley’s Ridge and offers a variety of trails, picnic areas, campgrounds, cabins, and other outdoor opportunities. For visitors with mobility challenges, accessibility can vary considerably from one trail to another. The short Arboretum Trail is the easiest trail in the park and includes benches and picnic tables, while other routes range from relatively easy to moderately rugged.

Arizona - Accessible Trail Guides

Area / Park	Clickable Blog Post
Canyon de Chelly National Monument	Making the White House Trail Accessible in Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Grand Canyon National Park	Grand Canyon - A Winter Visit that Changed Everything
	Accessible Guide to Hiking and Backpacking the North Rim in Grand Canyon National Park
	Accessible Hiking Guide to the Shoshone Trail - Grand Canyon National Park
Montezuma Castle National Monument	Montezuma Castle National Monument
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park	An Afternoon Among the Icons of the American West - Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
Petrified Forest National Park	An Accessible Visit to Petrified Forest National Park - Spring Break 2010
	Wheelchair Accessible Trails at Petrified Forest National Park
Saguaro National Park	An Accessible Visit to Saguaro National Park
Sedona, Arizona	Sedona, Arizona: Red Rocks, Cold Days, and Accessible Adventures
Sunset Crater National Monument	Lava Flow Trail: An Accessible Winter Adventure Through Sunset Crater National Monument
Wupatki National Monument	Wupatki Pueblo Trail: Going Beyond the Accessible Trail

 

Not All Accessible Trails Found Above are ADA Complaint

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Accessible Hiking Guide to the Shoshone Trail

 

This chapter recounts a family’s evolving relationship with Grand Canyon National Park through three visits and the author’s experiences “pushiking” trails with Kellisa, who uses a mobility chair. The author explains that choosing the Grand Canyon for the book was easy because it held unfinished ambitions from earlier trips. On the family’s first visit in March 2006, when Kellisa was seven, they expected typical Arizona heat but instead arrived to frigid temperatures, snow, and ice along the South Rim. Although winter conditions limited them to paved sidewalk trails, the canyon’s gray and blue tones still left a powerful impression. The author departed eager to return and explore natural-surface trails with Kellisa.

An Accessible Afternoon Among the Icons of the American West

During our June 2007 Southwest adventure, one destination had been high on our wish list for years—Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. Few places are as recognizable as this incredible landscape of towering sandstone buttes rising from the desert floor. By the time we reached the visitor center, the brilliant blue sky and deep red sandstone created one of the most unforgettable scenes we had ever witnessed.
From the moment we arrived, we found plenty to enjoy with Kellisa's manual travel wheelchair. The paved overlooks around the visitor center allowed us to experience many of Monument Valley's famous vistas without difficulty, making it easy to stop, take photographs, and simply admire one spectacular view after another.

An Accessible Visit to Petrified Forest National Park – Spring Break 2010

Kellisa’s first visit to Petrified Forest National Park during spring break 2010 was unlike anything we had ever experienced. Although it was officially spring, northern Arizona still felt more like late winter. The air was cool and crisp, making it comfortable to spend the day exploring under brilliant blue skies without the summer crowds or heat.
This trip was especially meaningful because it was one of the first trips where we relied on Kellisa's new Special Tomato special needs jog stroller. The rugged three-wheel stroller proved to be an excellent companion as we explored every accessible trail and overlook in the park. Smooth paved paths allowed Kellisa to comfortably experience the incredible scenery.

Grand Canyon National Park: A Winter Visit That Changed Everything

 

March 2006

After exploring the ancient pueblos of Wupatki National Monument, our journey toward Grand Canyon National Park nearly came to an unexpected end—not because of the weather, but because of a tiny stroller tire.
Kellisa's oversized jogging stroller had become an essential part of our adventures, allowing us to explore far beyond what a standard wheelchair or stroller could handle. Before leaving Wupatki, however, one of its tires went flat. In the middle of rural northern Arizona, our options were almost nonexistent. We pulled into a small gas station, hoping for anything that might help.

Montezuma Castle National Monument

 

Our 17th anniversary adventure through Arizona brought us to Montezuma Castle National Monument on a cool, crisp March afternoon. The comfortable weather made for a relaxing visit as Chris, Lisa, and Kellisa explored one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in the Southwest.

Sedona, Arizona: Red Rocks, Cold Days, and Accessible Family Adventure

 

Our 17th wedding anniversary took us to one of the most beautiful landscapes in the American Southwest—Sedona, Arizona. We expected sunshine and warm desert temperatures, but instead found crisp air and surprisingly cold conditions. Even bundled up in jackets, the cool weather couldn't diminish the incredible scenery surrounding us. Every direction revealed towering crimson cliffs, sculpted buttes, and massive sandstone formations glowing against brilliant blue skies.

Lava Flow Trail: An Accessible Winter Adventure Through Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

 

There are some adventures you remember not because the weather was perfect, but because you refused to let the weather keep you from experiencing something extraordinary. Our visit to the Lava Flow Trail at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in March 2006 was exactly that kind of day.
At nearly 7,000 feet above sea level, winter still had a firm grip on northern Arizona. Bitter cold winds swept across the volcanic landscape while patches of snow blanketed the lava fields and the surrounding ponderosa pine forest. The nearby San Francisco Peaks rose in the distance, their snow-covered summits creating a stunning backdrop against the dark volcanic cinders that surrounded us.

Wupatki Pueblo Trail: Going Beyond the Accessible Trail

 

Wupatki National Monument, Arizona March 2006

A cold March afternoon greeted us as we arrived at Wupatki National Monument, where the ancient red stone walls of Wupatki Pueblo rose from the high desert beneath a sky filled with passing snow showers. The weather only added to the atmosphere. The dramatic clouds, crisp air, and empty landscape made it feel as though we had stepped back nearly a thousand years to when this remarkable pueblo was home to hundreds of people.

Making the White House Trail Accessible in Canyon de Chelly National Monument

 

Some adventures become milestones. Our June 2007 visit to Canyon de Chelly National Monument was one of those days.
The White House Trail was unlike anything we had attempted before. Dropping roughly 600 feet from the canyon rim to the canyon floor, the trail is narrow, steep, rocky, and lined with dramatic sandstone cliffs. At the time, many people believed taking a child with significant mobility limitations down the trail was impossible.
More than one person told us, "You can't do that."
We decided to find out for ourselves.

An Accessible Visit to Saguaro National Park

 

In March 2016, our family reached Saguaro National Park during one of the biggest adventures of our lives—a cross-country move from St. Johns, Florida, to Roseville, California. After days of driving across the South, the Sonoran Desert was unlike anything we had seen. Towering saguaro cacti stood like silent guardians across the hillsides, stretching their arms toward a cloudless Arizona sky. Every mile brought a new landscape, making this stop feel less like a break from the drive and more like an unforgettable destination.

Accessible Guide to Hiking and Backpacking the North Rim in Grand Canyon National Park

In June 2010, our family discovered that the Grand Canyon's quieter North Rim offered not only breathtaking scenery but also an unforgettable wilderness adventure that could include Kellisa every step of the way. While most visitors experience the canyon from busy overlooks, we combined spectacular accessible viewpoints with a memorable night camping in the backcountry, creating one of the most unique experiences of our travels.

Wheelchair Accessible Trails at Petrified Forest National Park

Petrified Forest National Park marked a memorable milestone for Chris, Kellisa, and Egypt. During their cross-country move from Jacksonville, Florida, to Roseville, California in January 2016, Arizona became the 40th state that the three explored together. The stop was part of a whirlwind journey west, proving that even while relocating across the country, there is always time to add another adventure to Kellisa's growing list of accessible hikes.
The photos capture a landscape unlike almost anywhere else in America. They show Kellisa smiling beside enormous, fossilized tree trunks that have been transformed into colorful stone over more than 200 million years. Other images highlight sweeping views across the Painted Desert, where layers of red, purple, gray, and orange stretch to the horizon. We also photographed the surreal Blue Mesa badlands, whose soft blue and lavender hills resemble another planet, along with overlooks where the wheelchair could be positioned safely to enjoy the scenery. Together, the pictures emphasize that the park is about much more than petrified logs—it is a place of vast open vistas, remarkable geology, and shared family memories. 

Alaska - Accessible Trail Guides

Area / Park	Clickable Blog Post
Chugach National Park	Accessible Hiking Guide to the Trail of Blue Ice
Denali National Park	Roadside Bike Trail in Winter with a Rugged Mobility Chair

Not All Accessible Trails Found Above are ADA Complaint

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Roadside Bike Trail in Winter with a Rugged Mobility Chair

In late November 2016, our family arrived in Alaska after an unforgettable red-eye flight from Hawaii, trading tropical beaches and 80°F sunshine for the frozen wilderness of Denali National Park and a bone-chilling -21°F—a temperature swing of roughly 100 degrees in less than half a day. Alaska wasn't just another destination. It was the 50th and final U.S. state that Chris, Kellisa, and Egypt had visited together, completing a promise years in the making. 

Accessible Hiking Guide to the Trail of Blue Ice

 

This is a chapter summary from our hiking adventure in Alaska on the Trail of Blue Ice in Chugach National Forest, as part of our hiking a trail with Kellisa in all 50 states for Rugged Access for All. We start the chapter by recalling an earlier milestone: arriving in Alaska on November 23, 2016, in extreme cold, after a red-eye flight from Honolulu. Hawaii was our 49^th state visited and hiked in, and Alaska completed our 50-state goal, achieved six months before Kellisa’s 18th birthday and when Egypt was only seven. Despite limited daylight, icy roads, exhaustion, and temperatures around -21°F (exactly 100 degrees colder than Honolulu), we completed a short winter outing at Denali National Park, marking the emotional completion of a years-long promise.

Alabama - Accessible Trail Guides

Area / Park	Clickable Blog Post
Audubon Bird Sanctuary	Guide to the Accessible Trails at Audubon Bird Sanctuary
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge	Wheelchair Accessible Trails at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
Cheaha Mountain State Park	A Wheelchair Accessible Visit to Cheaha Mountain
Conecuh National Forest	Accessible Hiking Guide to the Open Pond Trail
Little River Canyon National Monument	An Accessible Visit to Little River Canyon National Monument
Russell Cave National Monument	An Accessible Visit to Russell Cave National Monument

Not All Accessible Trails Found Above are ADA Complaint

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Accessible Hiking Guide to the Open Pond Trail

Having lived in Florida for 16 years, I had explored many Alabama trails but often found central and northern routes too rocky for pushing Kellisa’s mobility chair, while Gulf Coast trails were frequently too sandy. Hoping to find a more suitable option between those regions, we chose the two-mile Open Pond loop as a promising trail.