Published November 7, 2026 03:43AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In 2017, National Park Service (NPS) climbing ranger Quinn Brett, 36, fell while ascending El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The 120-foot drop left her paralyzed from the waist down. In a moment, she went from climbing soaring rock faces\u00a0to moving in a wheelchair.<\/p>\n
Like many Americans with mobility disabilities, Brett faced challenges when she returned to outdoor places like parklands, trail systems, and even national parks. Some of America\u2019s wildest places were no longer accessible to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo become disabled, and realize that I can\u2019t even get across the street because there isn\u2019t a curb, for instance, was quite a change in perspective,\u201d she told Outside<\/em>.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why Brett founded the accessibility consulting firm Dovetail Trail Consulting<\/a> to make outdoor spaces more accessible and usable for everyone. With her help, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) launched a new interactive accessibility map<\/a> on October 13, connecting visitors with trails, bathrooms, and campsites that are accessible to people with mobility disabilities.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople with disabilities don\u2019t want to just go to the one-mile paved trail in the busiest parts of our national parks,\u201d Brett said.<\/p>\n As part of the BLM map, visitors can snap photos of public lands and submit them, along with detailed descriptions of the infrastructure. Other users can then better understand accessibility before they hit the trail.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to do a construction project,\u201d Brett said. \u201cJust take pictures.\u201d<\/p>\n Nearly one in ten Americans have mobility issues, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>. For these people, Brett says enjoying the outdoors is\u00a0not just about finding the right device, but also finding trails that are made for wheels.<\/p>\n \u201cFor a long time we only had one pair of shoes to pick, but now with mobility device technology, we have a whole bunch of types of shoes that we get to choose from, and we want to go use our shoes in a variety of places,\u201d Brett said.<\/p>\n Kevin Oliver, chief of the BLM Division for Recreation and Business Services, participated in the three-year map project. He told Outside<\/em> that the goal is to help people plan their trip and avoid surprises from site conditions.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to continue to work to deliver more information and better information to the recreation public, so that all types of interests can be served,\u201d Oliver told Outside<\/em>. \u201cThe BLM recognizes the work is never really done. You know, we\u2019re always perfecting it.\u201d<\/p>\n The map includes 50 existing accessible recreation opportunities. One such example is McCoy Flats in Utah<\/a>, a map entry that shows the parking lot\u2019s packed gravel, extended picnic tables, and the entrances to vault toilets.<\/p>\n The tool also identifies 74 additional sites where the BLM has proposed improvements. Some, like Colorado\u2019s Blue Valley Ranch Trail<\/a>, are fully funded and in progress. Others, such as New Mexico\u2019s Glade Run Adaptive Trail<\/a>, are still hunting for funding.<\/p>\n BLM\u2019s new map is one piece of a broader push to expand trail access across federal agencies.<\/p>\n Gathering the information is only the beginning. Julia Ray, chief operating officer of the adaptability nonprofit Move United, told\u00a0Outside<\/em> that keeping information up to date matters just as much.<\/p>\n \u201cTrails are kind of living things,\u201d Ray said. \u201cThey change with weather and seasons, so it has to be an ongoing process to keep that information current, and where and how that information is shared is still inconsistent.\u201d<\/p>\n Move United partnered with Mount Rainier and Grand Canyon National Parks to assess more than 17 miles of trails for accessibility. The organization also created a free trail-access course to help local land managers understand federal accessibility standards.<\/p>\n Improving access at popular trails is a great way to let more people share in the national park experience, Ray said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the public go to a trail more than others, that\u2019s probably where anybody else would want to go as well,\u201d she said. \u201cEverybody deserves the right to access the outdoors, and we are just really excited that there\u2019s some energy around this right now.\u201d<\/p>\n For trail users like Brett, having accessibility details means she can spend less time guessing and more time choosing where to go, what equipment to bring, and how much challenge she wants to take on. Her desire to be in the mountains hasn\u2019t gone away, and as she says, it never will.<\/p>\n \u201cI still want to be playing and going to the top of mountains and doing wild and crazy things,\u201d Brett says. \u201cBut I also need the information to decide what experience I want.\u201d<\/p>\n She added\u00a0that including people with disabilities in trail assessment and information gathering can help land managers identify barriers. Some mobility devices can navigate rocks, roots, and steps; a narrow bridge or gate might stop someone instead.<\/p>\n \u201cFive miles of the trail might work totally fine, and then there\u2019s a bridge to cross some water, and they just threw down a 12-inch bridge, and after that, there\u2019s five more miles of trail that work just fine,\u201d Brett said. \u201cBut if you\u2019ve never hung out with somebody with a disability, then you might not know what is truly a barrier.\u201d<\/p>\nWhat the BLM\u2019s Accessibility Map Offers<\/h2>\n
Access Starts Before the Trailhead<\/h2>\n
![\"Volunteers](\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/250811_TRAILS_Rainier_TBrown_043-scaled.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\"\/)
Moving Beyond the One-Mile Paved Trail<\/h2>\n