Accessibility in Yellowstone A guide for visitors who use wheelchairs includes some information on audio and visual accessibility Yellowstone National Park Free All photographs by NPS photographers. Printed on recycled paper with vegetable ink. May 2010 Yellowstone national Park Northeast NorthDanger Entrance & Gardiner, MT Entrance Stay on Trails Mammoth 1Hot Springs Hot Water • Thin Crust Protect Yellowstone’s Treasures Yellowstone protects unique geological formations, including 8 Tower Fall Tower-Rooseveltthe Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. You have an unparal- leled opportunity to view this fragile area in a natural setting. It is illegal to collect any natural or cultural objects or to remove, deface, or destroy any plant, animal, or mineral in Norris Yellowstone NationalCanyon Park.Village & 2 7 Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River West Entrance & West Yellowstone, MT Enjoy the Park Safely • At about 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) in elevation, even short Madison 3 walks on the canyonFishing rims can Bridge be strenuous. Take your time and wear good shoes6 or boots. Weather can be changeable; Lake Village carryBridge rain Bay gear. You may also want toEast carry water and a snack. Entrance Old Faithful Yellowstone 4 • Watch your footing Lake and please stay on the trails. Climbing into the canyon off established trails is both dangerous and prohibitedWest Thumb by law. • Trails5 may be icy and slippery any time of Northyear. Some trails may beGrant closed Village during the winter season. • Do not throw anything into the canyon. Rocks and other hard objects might injure someone below you. Please don’t litter; it is expensive and dangerous to remove debris from the canyon. South Entrance SYMboLS USeD oN The MAjoR AReA MAPS IN THelphIS GUID epreserve Yellowstone for the future. Visitor center or Designated accessible Food Campground information station parking Medical clinic Restrooms Lodging Picnic area Service station General store, mini Post office store, gift shop 2 Welcome Yellowstone National Park is the world’s first The rest of the guide presents more detailed national park, established in 1872. We hope information about wheelchair-accessibility in you will enjoy visiting the geysers and other each major visitor area. These areas are listed hydrothermal features, viewing the world-class by name and number as shown on the map on scenery, and watching wildlife. page 2 and table of contents below. This guide primarily is for visitors using wheel- Improvements Underway chairs or who have other mobility needs. The Many facilities are more than a century old and universal symbol for wheelchair-accessibility, accessibility is not always ideal. However, we are shown above, indicates a facility or walkway that improving accessibility as quickly as possible. complies with federal guidelines. Information in this guide is accurate as of April Pages 4–5 have general information about 2010. For updates, consult the park’s official wheelchair-accessibility in the park, and some website (listed below) or a ranger at a visitor information about audio and visual aids for center. visitors who need this type of assistance. Contents General Information . .......... 4–5 Wheelchairs • Restrooms • Medical clinics • Service animals • Service stations • Post offices • ATMs • Lodging • Camping • Showers • Programs • Fishing Major Visitor Areas of the Park 1 Mammoth Hot Springs . ................ 6 2 Norris Geyser Basin . ................... 8 3 Madison & West Yellowstone, MT. 10 Above: The old Faithful area has several miles of boardwalks and paved paths. 4 Old Faithful. 12 below: Waiting for Grand Geyser to erupt. 5 Grant Village, West Thumb Geyser Basin . ............ 14 6 Fishing Bridge, Lake Village, Bridge Bay . ........................... 16 7 Canyon Village, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone . ..... 18 8 Tower-Roosevelt . ..................... 20 Park Policies . .................. 22 Wheelchairs & Service Animals; Segway® Personal Transporter & Similar Vehicles Updates at www.nps.gov/yell General Information These two pages provide an overview of wheelchair accessibility in Yellowstone National Park. Details are provided on the following pages for each major area in the park. The Access Pass allows free entrance to federal fee areas and can be shown for some discounts on services. The pass is free for citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. who present documentation (such as from a licensed physician, the Veteran’s Administration, or a vocational rehabilitation agency) of a permanent medical disability. The Golden Access Passport is still valid, but you can trade it in for the new Access Pass. Obtain the Access Pass at Yellowstone’s entrance stations or http://store.usgs.gov/pass. Information Service Animals Yellowstone has nine visitor centers and infor- Qualified service animals assisting people with mation stations. Canyon & Old Faithful visitor disabilities are allowed throughout the park education centers and the Albright (Mammoth) and in all park facilities. However, they must be and Grant visitor centers are wheelchair- leashed. You must have a permit to bring a accessible. Norris and Madison information service animal into the backcountry due to stations may require assistance; Fishing Bridge wildlife and safety issues. See page 22. is partially wheelchair-accessible. Restrooms Medical Clinics Wheelchair-accessible restrooms with sinks and Mammoth, Old Faithful, and Lake clinics are flush toilets are located at all major areas except wheelchair-accessible. Only Mammoth is open West Thumb. Accessible vault toilets are found year round. at West Thumb, Norris, some scenic overlooks, most picnic areas, and all campgrounds. Designated Accessible Parking Service Stations Accessible parking is designated in all major Service stations are staffed seasonally during areas and at some overlooks, wayside exhibits, daylight hours and have call buttons. and picnic areas. ATM Wheelchair Rental Wheelchair-accessible ATM machines are Manual wheelchairs can be rented at medical available in the park’s major areas. clinics for a $300 deposit and $10 per day. Wheelchairs are available for loan at each Dining lodging facility except Roosevelt Lodge, and at the Old Faithful, Canyon, and Albright Wheelchair-accessible dining options include (Mammoth) visitor centers while in those areas. snacks, fast food, and dining rooms. Motorized personal vehicles Lodging Motorized wheelchairs and scooters that are Wheelchair-accessible lodging is available in all designed solely for use by a person with a mobil- areas of the park. ity impairment are allowed; follow the regula- tions on page 22 & 23. Post offices The Segway® Personal Transporter and similar Mammoth, Old Faithful, Grant, and Canyon stand-up personal vehicles used by persons with post offices are wheelchair-accessible. Only disabilities are allowed although terrain may Mammoth is open year round. limit their usefulness. Details on page 23. 4 General Information Stores & Gift Shops Walkways & Self-Guiding Trails The Old Faithful and Canyon areas have Most walkways and self-guiding trails have at wheelchair-accessible general stores, gift shops least one wheelchair-accessible walkway. (in lodging), and bookstores (in visitor centers). Store accessibility in other areas varies. e xhibits There are many wheelchair-accessible roadside Picnic Areas interpretive exhibits throughout the park. They Wheelchair accessibility at picnic areas varies include Obsidian Cliff (Grand Loop Road be- and is improving. Ask for a free handout, Yell tween Mammoth and Norris) and Orange 455, at visitor centers; it has the most current Spring Mound (Mammoth area). information. The Soda Butte Creek picnic area Visitor center exhibits are wheelchair-accessible has accessible parking and an accessible table; as noted in the area descriptions. see the Tower-Roosevelt description. Ranger Programs Fishing Accessible ranger programs are noted in the An accessible fishing site exists on the Madison program schedule, which is available in the park River; see the Madison area description. Consult newspaper, at visitor centers, or on the website. the Yellowstone Fishing Regulations for general fishing information. A UDIo ASSISTANCe b oating Films shown at the Canyon and Old Bridge Bay Marina and Grant Village have Faithful visitor education centers wheelchair-accessible boating facilities. See the include assistive listening devices and caption- following pages; consult the park newspaper or ing. Films shown in other visitor center theaters website for regulations and permit requirements. meet some accessibility needs. Campgrounds Sign language interpreters are available for Most campgrounds have at least one wheelchair- ranger programs with three weeks advance accessible site; details on the following pages. notice. Call 307-344-2251. The exceptions are Fishing Bridge RV Park, All public telephones in the park have Pebble Creek, Slough Creek, and Tower Fall. volume control. Inquire locally for b ackcountry Camping locations. The Ice Lake backcountry campsite is reserved for those with disabilities, parents with children Public TTY Service will be available in all under 6 years of age, and adults over 62 years of major areas by October 2010. age. Wheelchair users may require assistance. The trailhead is between Norris and Canyon; the V AISUAL SSISTANCe wheelchair-accessible trail is about one-half mile long. Contact the park’s main backcountry The park newspaper, Yellowstone Today, office, 307-344-2160, for more details. is