4WheelBob on the way to White Mountain’s summit.
You could just ask 4WheelBob where he goes, but Bob gave up on “accessible” trails years ago. Web sites of the various park districts are all over the map on telling folks which way to point their chairs: Midpeninsula Open Space District’s page is wonderful, Santa Clara County’s is invisible (if it’s in there, I couldn’t find it), East Bay Regional’s is in the middle, for instance.
The California Coastal Commission has a free book outlining all the trails near the water — you can download the book or order it by e-mailing calcoast@scc.ca.gov or calling (510) 286-1015. Link here.
Trail Center, based in Palo Alto, has an excellent page describing accessible trails from San Francisco down the Peninsula to Santa Cruz.
Bay Nature has resources for multiple outdoor activities for the disabled (sailing!) and a page devoted solely to hikes. (Note to self: Subscribe to Bay Nature immediately, if not sooner).
BA Hiker has a page of all-access and easy hikes (thanks, Jane!)
And, last but not least (by a long shot), Ann Sieck profiles a bunch of North Bay and Marin trails at wheelchairtrails.net (she’s also wrote one of those Bay Nature articles.) Here’s a list of her hikes indexed by city.
I like Bob’s outlook on accessibility (which he will no doubt expand upon): It’s not reasonable to expect all trails to be made accessible to the disabled, nor even most of them, but there certainly could be more accommodation than there is now. Main thing: you don’t have to be a fourteener-climbing borderline madman to get a taste of the wilds from your chair.
Ann Sieck’s a real pioneer when it comes to rating what the ADA might consider “inaccessible” trails. She’s great and has put a lot of time and research into her ratings.
My belief that the litigation shy medical community does more to discourage rehab and rebirth of a hiker’s soul is borne out in the lack of disabled, wheelchair – bound folks to even attempt to get out. And as you state, Tom, I’m a believer in doing the most difficult trail you can handle, whether that be a roll down the block or a 15 mile loop at morgan Territory. But let’s not tweak the trails to be all things to all people. For newbies to exploring in a chair, I think the Iron Horse Trail of the EBRPD is the best. You can do any distance you wish, and it’s paved, flat and runs past several Starbucks in case that’s what you need to be talked into getting out.
Ann and I have talked about getting together, rating trails together to further define a ratings system, but that has yet to happen. Maybe this’ll be the year!