The new accessibility features will be available at five state parks. (Photo courtesy of Delaware DNREC)
People with disabilities now have greater access to Delaware’s state parks, thanks to an expanded program offering all-terrain wheelchairs at five park locations.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) announced that Action Trackchairs, motorized off-road wheelchairs, are now available at Cape Henlopen, Lums Pond, Killens Pond, Trap Pond, and White Clay Creek state parks.
The initiative marks the first time all-terrain wheelchairs have been made available for public use in Delaware, enabling visitors with mobility impairments to explore trails, wooded areas, and attend events in park settings that were previously inaccessible.
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“It was a lot of fun going on the trails, and I felt very independent,” said Dawn Worthley, a 60-year-old mother of two who has cerebral palsy. “I was never able to see the trails before. I went in October, and it was very pretty with the different colors, and I could hear the crunching of the leaves.”
Worthley has become an advocate for the program, encouraging others to take advantage of the opportunity.
A lot of people that we talked to said it was very cool,” she said, adding that she also used the Trackchair to attend the park’s outdoor concert series.
The program began in June 2024 at White Clay Creek and has since expanded with the help of funding from the Bronco Wild Fund Access Grants, the National Association of State Park Directors, and DNREC itself.
Each Action Trackchair costs around $20,000 and comes equipped with motorized treads for navigating rough terrain, headlights, a horn, and adjustable seating to handle slopes.
DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson praised the program’s impact in a video promoting accessibility.
“One of the opportunities Delaware State Parks took last year was to get a Trackchair to allow people with accessibility challenges to get out on our trails, to get out in our fields and to get out to concerts,” HE SAID. “Now in the summer of 2025 we will have the Trackchairs at four more of our parks and may be able to expand it after that.”
White Clay Creek State Park serves as a model for the initiative, where seniors from the Mary Campbell Center for adults with disabilities make regular visits to explore the Carpenter Recreation Area Trail.
This year, the park plans to open the Opossum Hill trail for use with the Trackchair.
Park staff have also embraced the program.
“The White Clay Creek staff have become connected to how lucky we are to just take a walk and how meaningful it is for our visitors,” said Laura Lee, park superintendent. “Everyone is onboard to get more people involved.”
The Trackchair program is part of a broader accessibility effort outlined in the Delaware State Parks Strategic Plan, which includes over 70 upcoming improvements.
Other initiatives include mobility mats on beach crossings, braille signage, sensory programming at the Brandywine Zoo, multilingual park signs, and new wheelchair-accessible cabins at Lums Pond.
Trackchairs are available by reservation at no cost for up to three hours.
Users are required to view a brief instructional video, and each chair includes companion controls so caregivers or family members can assist as needed.
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
Jarek can be reached by email at jarek@dimgrey-peafowl-504880.hostingersite.com or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz and on LinkedIn.
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