Bryce Canyon is an amazing place.  Also, it’s fun for the whole family.  There’s hiking, back-country, a waterfall, astronomy, and more.  So, you might ask yourself if Bryce Canyon National Park is handicap accessible.  It’s a natural question to ask if you or a loved one require such accommodations.  Today, we tackle that very question.  Is Bryce Canyon handicap accessible?

Well, the long and short of it is: sort of.  By that I mean that parts of the park are handicap accessible and parts are not.  Since I’ve been all over much of the park, I’ll break it down for you.  Let’s start with the areas which are handicap accessible in Bryce Canyon.

Also, let’s define what handicaps require accommodations.  Obviously wheelchairs require accommodations.  Also, the visually impaired/blind need them as well.  People with physical and mental handicaps requiring service dogs also deserve attention.  Check out this article for the service dog angle.  Most other visible or non-visible handicaps don’t require special accommodations in Bryce Canyon.

Handicap Accessible Parts of Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon provides several handicap accessible areas and viewpoints.  These areas are paved and even provide sidewalk ramps for wheelchairs.  Sadly, they can’t provide much to accommodate the blind outdoors.  However, some indoor attractions and displays offer audio recording explanations.  Bryce Canyon allows service dogs in all areas of the park, including buildings and buses.

These locations have accessibility built in.  So you should find handicap accommodations easily available to you if you need them.

Non-Handicap Accessible Areas of Bryce Canyon

Due to Bryce Canyon being an outdoor attraction, you’ll naturally find some park areas inaccessible to handicap accommodations.  They simply can’t make everything accessible in spite of their best efforts.  Sadly, if you require wheelchair accommodations, you’ll want to avoid these portions of the park.  You won’t find the accommodations you need there.  So, here are places to avoid.

For most of these areas in the park, you access them via an unpaved gravel trail.  Some areas require climbing steep slopes to access.  They’re not handicap accessible or handicap friendly at all.  So, if you require wheelchair accommodations especially, avoid these portions of Bryce Canyon National Park.

Wintertime

I also must make note of seasonal handicap accessibility limitations.  Bryce Canyon sits at 7664 feet above sea level at the low end and 9105 feet above sea level at the high end.  This means it experiences winter and snow.  Snow and ice greatly limit handicap accessibility.  In fact, I’d say that most of the outdoor attractions become unfriendly to wheelchairs during wintertime.

So, if you or a loved one require handicap accessibility to visit Bryce Canyon, I would not visit during the winter.  It’s dangerous for you.  So wait until the weather warms up to visit the park.  Then you can safely visit the accessible areas of the park listed above.

Conclusion

So, in conclusion, Bryce Canyon offers some handicap accessibility.  However, if you require accommodations, you’ll want to avoid certain portions of the park.  Also, you’ll want to avoid visiting the park during winter for safety reasons.  If you’re content viewing what the park offers, Bryce Canyon will be a great family vacation which everyone will enjoy together.