A scene of people with various disabilities gathered around a blue lake, enjoying their home, community, the out-of-doors, health, recreation, housing, transportation and education with an accessible path for them to a high mountain and large yellow sun on the horizon.  New Horizons Un-Limited Inc.


Recreation: Outdoor and Wilderness

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National
State Listings:   AL / CO / FL / KY / MN / UT / WI /    (Official USPS State Abbreviations)

National

Discover the Outdoors offers a great amount of information on activities for outdoor enthusiasts. More specifically, they offer information on camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports and more. They also offer Accessible Outdoors, a web section dedicated to sharing information on organizations, companies, state agencies and other groups that specialize in offering camping, camping products and services that are accessible to people with disabilities.

Wilderness Inquiry "provides outdoor adventure for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds." They encourage everyone to experience the great outdoors through a variety of multi-day trips to various locations throughout the United States. Participants, regardless of disability, can canoe, kayak, backpack, dog sled and more. For information on upcoming trips, visit their website or call (612) 676-9400.

State Listings

Alabama

Lakeshore Foundation offers people with physical disabilities access to outdoor activities like hunting, canoeing or water skiing. For more information, visit their website or call (888) 868-2303.

Colorado

Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center offers quality outdoor learning experiences for people of all abilities. They are a non-profit organization that has custom programs for groups and opportunities for individuals, such as adventure trips, internships, and volunteer positions. Also, they offer a wilderness program, an adaptive ski program, and a professional challenge program. Visit their website to learn more.

Challenge Aspen provides recreational, cultural and competitive experiences for people with disabilities in the Snowmass Village area. Their Winter program provides adapted skiing and snowboarding lessons to individuals with physical disabilities. Their Summer program offers a variety of summer camps for children, teens and adults. For more information, call (970) 923-0578.

Colorado Division of Wildlife offers a range of activities to people with disabilities. Activities include hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing. For more information, visit their Accessibility Webpage or call (303) 297-1192.

Colorado Outfitters offers a variety of outdoor activities to people with disabilities and their families. Activities include big game hunting, pack trips, family vacations, wildlife viewing, horse rental and trail rides, fishing trips, small game and bird hunting, cabin rentals, dude ranches, snowmobiling, sight-seeing and much more. For more information, call (970) 876-0543.

Outdoor Buddies is a Denver-based, non-profit organization offering hunting and fishing opportunities to mobility disabled individuals and disadvantaged youths. They provide experienced able-bodies (Able-Buddies) to accompany the disabled (Handi-Buddies) on a one-to-one basis, providing the support that is required for safety and success. For more information, call (303) 771-8216.

Wilderness on Wheels (W.O.W.) is a non-profit corporation that provides people with disabilities access to Colorado's mountain environment via a model wilderness access facility. Activities include hiking, fishing, wildlife watching, picnics and camping. The mountain facility, located on U.S. 285 sixty miles southwest of Denver, is open between mid-April and mid-October. Reservations are required for entry. For more information, call (303) 403-1110 or e-mail wow@ecentral.com.

Florida

Florida Disabled Outdoors Association, based in Tallahassee, is a non-profit organization that promotes accessible outdoor recreation, assists in compliance of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and provides a source of information to people with disabilities as well as the general public, concerning accessible recreation. They host a number of events for people of all ages and disabilities. For more information, call (850) 668-7323.

Kentucky

handiCapable Guide Service, Inc., a non-profit, public charity corporation, is dedicated to educating and rehabilitating through recreation. Some of the activities include boating, hunting and fishing. Adaptive fishing equipment is available on each excursion. For more information, call (270) 362-0970.

Utah

SPLORE is a Utah based, non-profit organization dedicated to providing affordable and accessible outdoor recreation experiences to people of all abilities, including children and adults with disabilities and specific needs. They offer year-round activities in various program areas: white water rafting near Moab, UT, rock climbing and canoeing near Salt Lake City as well as adventures including Nordic skiing, dogsledding, and snowshoeing. For more information please call (801) 484-4128, e-mail info@splore.org, or visit them on the web to view this seasons calendar.

Wisconsin

Adaptive Sportsmen Inc., located in Greenfield, Wisconsin has a mission to "provide recreational opportunities for physically challenged people.” They host numerous hunting, fishing, boating, and other recreational events throughout the year. For more information, write to them at 8727 Coldspring Road, Greenfield, WI 53228 or e-mail aneu@adaptivesportsman.org.

Challenge the Outdoors, provides accessible recreational experiences to the physically challenged sportsperson in Northeastern Wisconsin. They sponsor several events throughout the year, including hunting and fishing excursions. For more information, call (920) 525-1123 or e-mail CTOforME@yahoo.com.

New Sign Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center is located at N7725 Highway 28, Horicon, Wisconsin 53032. Horicon Marsh is the largest fresh water cattail marsh in the U.S. and has been formally recognized as a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention of the United Nations. The marsh is home to great flocks of migrant Canadian Geese as well as 305 other kinds of birds, and many different kinds of mammals, fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, insects and plants. The Wildlife Education Program has been conducted at the marsh since the mid-1980s. This program focuses on the abundant wildlife resources of the marsh, their ecology and applied management. The program relies on the diverse wildlife to develop a wide range of educational programs aimed at introducing and sharing our native wildlife. For more information about the center Phone: 920-387-7889 or visit Friends of Horicon Marsh

Interested in hiking the trails at Horicon Marsh? There are five miles of trails at the Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area that offer hiking through woodlots, planted prairies and onto the marsh. Trails are all of easy grade, and relatively flat but are unsurfaced. Surface material is mowed grass and gravel and is not readily accessible by wheelchair or stroller. The boardwalk however is accessible by wheelchair or stroller. Visit the Hiking Map[PDF] to find these locations.

Hunger Task Force Farm offers 3 miles of accessible hiking trails from 8am to 6pm, - 7 days a week through the Hidden Oaks Savanna woodlands surrounding the farmland, a publically owned restoration of land. The Hunger Task Force Farm is located at 9000 S. 68th Street, Franklin, WI 53132. For more information, visit the website or contact the farm at (414) 238-6477.

Mequon Nature Preserve located in Mequon, Wisconsin, is the bridge between urban Milwaukee and its nearby rural areas. The preserve provides an outdoor classroom to youth groups, K-12 students, technical colleges and universities. It is also free and open to the public for passive recreational use. Over five miles of accessible trails, open sunrise to sunset, can be enjoyed year round. Enjoy the wildlife and wildflowers which have begun to reinhabit this 400 acre preserve. The fully accessible PieperPower Education Center is open  8:30am -4:30pm Monday –Friday and for special events. The Mequon Nature Preserve is located at 8200 W. County Line Road, Mequon, WI 53097. For more information, Phone: (262) 242-8055, or Fax: (262) 242-8056.

Riveredge Nature Center provides a 370-acre sanctuary with ten miles of trails around ponds and fens, through woodlands and prairies, and along the Milwaukee River.

The Urban Ecology Center is a neighborhood-based, environmental education, nonprofit organization with two community centers adjacent to Milwaukee County parks: Riverside Park, 1500 E. Park Place, Milwaukee, WI 53211 or call 414.964.8505 or send e-mail to uec@urbanecologycenter.org or Washington Park, 1859 N. 40th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53208 or call 414.344.5460 or send e-mail to: wkaridis@urbanecologycenter.org Their “outdoor laboratories,” located in two urban parks, include 15 acres of wooded land and riparian habitat on the east bank of the Milwaukee River, an imaginative, habitat-themed playground, and a lagoon. Explore their website, or better yet, stop by for a visit. Programs that are accessible are noted on the website. Althought the facility is accessible, check ahead for trail conditions or program accessibility.

New Sign Wehr Nature Center 9701 W College Ave, Franklin, Wisconsin 53132. Explore over five miles of nature trails through woodland, wetland, prairie and oak savanna on 220 acres of protected land in Whitnall Park. Step inside the Wehr Nature Center to meet our resident reptiles, see an indoor beehive and active aquaponics displays and find a range of nature themed books, gifts and toys in their shop. Just outside the nature center you’ll discover labeled gardens featuring prairie, woodland and other plant varieties; a natural play space for kids with a log cabin playhouse; and an accessible deck over Mallard Lake. Wehr Nature Center also hosts nature-themed educational programming and special events year round.

If you have questions or ideas, information and solutions that you would like to share with us, you may contact us by e-mail at: horizons@new-horizons.org or to use our NHU E-Mail Form or NHU Community Discussion Board, click on the links below.
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[Updated April 30, 2019]
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