New All-Terrain Wheelchairs available at local State Parks

Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites  are proud to partner with the Aimee Copeland Foundation to provide free, high mobility wheelchairs at 10 state parks, historic sites and a wildlife center. Those with mobility impairments will be able to reconnect with nature, explore trails, go fishing and attend adaptive hunts. The all-terrain wheelchairs encourage visitors to experience a sense of freedom that can be difficult to have in an everyday wheelchair. Locations can be found on GaStateParks.org. Users must get certified and have a buddy with them at all times. (Want to volunteer to be a buddy? Contact the Aimee Copeland Foundation to sign up.)

All-terrain track chairs will be available at:

• Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center, Mansfield
• Cloudland Canyon State Park, Trenton
• Don Carter State Park, Lake Lanier
• Red Top Mountain State Park, Lake Allatoona
• Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site, Cartersville
• Fort Yargo State Park, Winder
• Hard Labor Creek State Park, Rutledge
• Panola Mountain State Park, Stockbridge
• Picketts Mill Battlefield Historic Site, Dallas
• Smithgall Woods State Park, Helen
• Sweetwater Creek State Park, Lithia Springs

All-terrain track chairs are designed with safety in mind, giving Georgians who otherwise might not be able to navigate more difficult types of terrain the ability to hit the trails and navigate through mud, water, sand and snow. Qualifying park visitors can experience a sense of freedom that can be difficult to have in an everyday wheelchair. Track chairs can be used for hiking, hunting, fishing and other outdoor education and recreational activities.

“Our mission is to provide outdoor opportunities for every Georgia citizen and visitor,” said Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites Director Jeff Cown. “I am proud to partner with the Aimee Copeland Foundation to offer access to visitors with mobility or physical disabilities.”
The chairs are provided free to visitors who qualify, including those with Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, spinal cord injuries and lower limb amputations. Advance reservations are required and users must have a buddy with them at all times. Find more information on www.allterraingeorgia.org and GaStateParks.org.