On November 4th, 2022, the Department of Natural Resources in the state of Georgia, U.S., introduced a fleet of all-terrain power wheelchairs that can be rented at 11 state parks and outdoor destinations. The chairs are equipped with tank-like tracks that can traverse rocks, roots, streams, and sand, as well as roll uphill and through tall grass. "I'll finally be able to go on these trails for the first time in my life," 32-year-old travel blogger, Cory Lee, who lives just 20 minutes from one of the parks equipped with the new wheelchairs, told The Washington Post. Georgia is one of the latest U.S. states providing such wheelchairs to outdoors-goers with mobility concerns. In 2017, Colorado Parks and Wildlife began providing free track-chair equipment to guests with a $10 entrance fee. Michigan's Department of Natural Resources has already placed off-road track chairs in almost a dozen parks, and in 2019, the state's Sleepy Bear Dunes National Lakeshore became the first national park to offer a track chair. South Dakota Parks & Wildlife Foundation recently unleashed its second all-terrain chair, with plans to purchase 30 more. On November 16, 2022, Minnesota wraps up its month-long pilot testing out all-terrain chairs in five parks. While the 500-pound chairs require some certifications to use, as Minnesota state parks program consultant Jamie McBride stated, "We want to create an unforgettable outdoor experience for everyone, not just for people who can walk."
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