Trackchairs to Provide Accessibility to Trails at Five Delaware State Parks

A Trackchair provides access to paved and packed dirt trails at Killens Pond State Park. Four other parks will also offer the all-terrain wheelchair program for people with disabilities, DNREC has announced, and further expansion of the program is a possibility. /Delaware DNREC photo

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has expanded the Action Trackchair®, an all-terrain wheelchair program, to five Delaware State parks. These are the first off-road wheelchairs available for public use in the state of Delaware and allow people with disabilities to enjoy cultural and natural resources in state parks.

The off-road wheelchair, which can traverse paved or packed dirt trails, debuted at White Clay Creek State Park in June 2024. The wheelchair is equipped with motorized treads for climbing, headlights and a horn, and the seat can tilt forward or backward when going up or down hills. In addition to White Clay Creek, they are now available for designated trails at Cape Henlopen State Park, Lums Pond State Park, Killens Pond State Park and Trap Pond State Park.

“It was a lot of fun going on the trails, and I felt very independent,” said Dawn Worthley, a 60-year-old mother of two who has cerebral palsy. “I was never able to see the trails before. I went in October, and it was very pretty with the different colors, and I could hear the crunching of the leaves.”

Worthley, who also used the all-terrain wheelchair to attend the concert series at White Clay Creek, has become an advocate to encourage others to use it by showing it off to fellow concertgoers and encouraging local caregivers in the community to take advantage of the opportunity for their clients. “A lot of people that we talked to said it was very cool,” she said.

The program was initially funded by Bronco Wild Fund Access Grants and the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) and received support from DNREC this year to purchase four more Trackchairs. Each wheelchair costs approximately $20,000.

At White Clay, visitors use the motorized chair on the Carpenter Recreation Area Trail to traverse trails through the woods and access picnic areas and the pavilion. For one park visitor, it provided her with the first time to hike with her grandchildren. Every week, three seniors from the Mary Campbell Center for adults with disabilities visit the park to try out the new opportunity. This year, participants will be able to use it at the Opossum Hill trail, with an eye toward offering other hiking opportunities.

“So, one of the realities is that not everybody is able to enjoy our parks the same as everybody else,” said DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson said in a video about increasing accessibility through the Trackchair program. “One of the opportunities Delaware State Parks took last year was to get a Trackchair to allow people with accessibility challenges to get out on our trails, to get out in our fields and to get out to concerts …. Now in the summer of 2025 we will have the Trackchairs at four more of our parks and may be able to expand it after that.”

The program also has provided valuable insight to the park staff, who have become proponents for the program.

“The White Clay Creek staff have become connected to how lucky we are to just take a walk and how meaningful it is for our visitors,” said Laura Lee, park superintendent. “Everyone is onboard to get more people involved.”

The expanded program is part of an overall commitment at Delaware State Parks to increase accessibility, with projects planned to add or improve more than 70 accessible amenities in the Division of Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan. Recent additions include mobility mats at beach crossings, interpretive signs with braille and tactile components, sensory programming at the Brandywine Zoo, expanded translated signage and the upcoming cabins at Lums Pond that are wheelchair accessible.

The Trackchairs can be reserved at no cost in three-hour increments at each park and can be used after viewing a short instructional video. The chair also provides companion controls so that a parent or assistant can operate the device.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo and the Indian River Marina.  For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media contact: Beth Kuhles-Heiney, elizabeth.kuhlesheiney@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

###