Staunton State Park track chair reservations go live April 20!

We are thrilled that the efforts and generous donations by so many to this program are culminating in a ground-breaking new program for Colorado Parks & Wildlife! The first in the state, we look forward to seeing how well received this is by the disabled community, learning how we can improve and expand upon it, and helping to implement it in other state parks!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jennifer Churchill
Colorado Parks and Wildlife NE Region PIO

Staunton State Park track chair reservations go live April 20

DENVER – Staunton State Park will begin accepting reservations April 20 for Coloradoans who’d like to “hike” the trails in one of Staunton State Park’s two track chairs.

“We are so proud of our Friends group and our inspiration, Mark Madsen and family, for helping us get to this point,” said Zach Taylor, park manager for Staunton State Park - Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “Being able to offer the therapeutic benefits of the outdoors to all of our visitors is truly rewarding. We have assisted Craig Hospital in getting a number of people out to the park already and this chair will officially be the Parks to share.”

The first day available for visitor trips will be Saturday, May 20, and reservations for track chair “hikes” can be obtained by going to www.cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/staunton . Track chair users will be given a brief questionnaire to ensure their individual needs can be met for a successful “hike.” A Staunton volunteer will accompany all excursions and a suggested checklist will be provided at the time of the reservation.

The Friends of Staunton-provided track chairs will provide access to all disabled individuals wishing to partake in three of Staunton State Park’s hiking trails, from May to November, Friday through Sundays.

Currently there are three trails designated for the track chairs. They are approximately two to 5 miles long and will take 2-5 hours:

--Davis Ponds Trail (2.1 mile loop)
--Mason Creek (2.5 miles round-trip)
--Staunton Ranch Trail (5 miles round-trip)

Staunton State Park is the legacy of Frances H. Staunton. As her beneficiaries, present and future generations are entrusted with this land to enjoy, protect and treasure as she did.

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CPW is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 42 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.

cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/News-Relea...ils.aspx?NewsID=6104

You can now make your reservations for the Staunton State Park Track Chair Program at the link below! The park received 9 reservations yesterday on the first day the system was up and running, and have many more days available. The program begins May 20th on Colorado Public Lands Day , presuming the weather cooperates, and will run each weekend through the summer (Friday, Saturday, Sunday).

We will be thrilled to see the Action Track Chairs out on trail with the happy smiles of those who can enjoy the great outdoors, especially at our favorite Colorado State Park. Please join us as we celebrate the kick off of this momentous occasion!

The trails open for the Action Track Chair:


Additional information and to reserve the Action Track Chair: www.cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/sta...k-chair-program.aspx

"The Staunton State Park Track Chair Program mission is to provide accessibility for a high quality and sustainable recreational opportunity to the men, women, and children of the beautiful state of Colorado, and beyond, while preserving and protecting the natural resources within Staunton State Park.
COST:

At this time, use of the Track Chair is free of charge. A park pass is required on all vehicles entering the park. If the entrance station is not staffed, a daily park pass may be purchased at the self-service station, located at the park entrance. A day pass is $7.00 per vehicle. Annual park passes may be purchased at the entrance station during staffed hours."

WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING: www.cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/Sta...air-Information.aspx

DISCLAIMER​
All track chair reservations are tentative, and are subject to cancellation by park staff for any reason including inclement weather. Due to the inherent risks involved with operation of the track chair, pets and service animals may not accompany track chair operators on park trails while operating or otherwise using the track chair. If you require assistance with operation of the track chair, chair to chair transfer, or other medical or personal issues, you must be accompanied by a qualified caregiver, relative or friend that can provide necessary assistance.
For more information: email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 303-838-7975

Take Action Mobility, LLC - Action Trackchair CO, UT, WY

A little history on the Staunton Track Chair Program: back when Mark Madsen was undergoing rehab at Craig Hospital after the car crash that paralyzed him, one of the staff, Ted Hammond, began bringing Mark up to his beloved Staunton State Park in a track chair that Craig Hospital had. Until we had our initial Mark Madsen Accessibility Celebration Fundraiser last year, the track chairs in use at the park were borrowed from Craig Hospital which had formed a Therapeutic Recreation Program. That program was the genesis of Staunton's Track Chair Program.

Although we have our own Action Track Chairs now, Craig Hospital continues to use Staunton for their Therapeutic Recreation program. One of their interns decided to make a video about it as her final project and they shared it yesterday with this message:

We love our interns at Craig! Check out this video of a therapeutic recreation outing to Staunton State Park - Colorado Parks and Wildlife that was organized by Craig intern, Alesha Reed, for her final project. “With this video, I hope that other state parks can see and appreciate the value in having this type of equipment and consider starting a program in their own states.” Learn more about Alesha's experience here: buff.ly/2vBshkX #EmpoweringLives

Therapeutic Recreation Intern Finds Inspiration Outside of the Classroom



As of this post, there are only 18 slots available for reserving the track chair before the end of the season (weather dependent). It has been wildly successful and extremely well received this year. We look forward to continuing to expand our accessibility options at Staunton! If you would like to donate toward that effort, you can do so here. There is no cost to reserve and use the chairs whatsoever, we hope everyone simply enjoys the opportunity to get outdoors.