All-terrain wheelchair increases trail accessibility at White Clay Creek State Park

Jared Towery was a senior in high school when he suffered a spinal cord injury while training for the U.S. Marine Corps, leaving him a paraplegic.

In the three years that have followed, Towery has tried to adjust to new ways of doing the things he loves, like exploring trails around the state. A new all-terrain wheelchair unveiled at White Clay Creek State Park on Friday makes that a lot easier.

“It just opens a whole new possibility of things to do,” Towery said, as he joined park officials at Deerfield Golf Club to show off the new chair.

The battery-powered Action Trackchair has tank-like tracks instead of wheels, allowing it to easily navigate rough terrain and scale hills. The seat tilts up, allowing the user to drive it from a sitting or standing position.

“It can withstand the most demanding conditions, including mud, sand, snow and water,” Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Shawn Garvin said.

For Towery, that means he can access trails that were previously off-limits to him.

“In terms of scaling hills and trying to get back up those hills, if I was in a regular wheelchair, I wouldn't be able to do that,” he explained. “But with something like this, it's amazing, I can go anywhere I would like to go.”

Knowing that tools like the Action Trackchair exist to help him explore the world is a great feeling, he said.

“Whenever I use this thing, I always want to go on the highest setting and zoom,” Towery said.

Delaware State Parks received the Trackchair through a grant from the Ford Bronco Wild Fund. Officials chose to station it at White Clay Creek State Park because the Newark-area park has the largest trail system in the state, including many that are elevated and more rugged.

It will be kept at the park office on Thompson Station Road and can be reserved for use by calling 302-368-6900.

Eventually, as funding allows, officials hope to acquire more Trackchairs for other parks around the state. The chairs cost between $20,000 and $26,000, depending on the model.

“We strive hard to make parks accessible to all,” Delaware State Parks Director Ray Bivens said.

Other recent accessibility projects include beach wheelchairs, adaptive kayak launches, paved paths, accessible hunting stands and campsites specifically designed for people in wheelchairs.

Coming soon will be an outdoor adventure center at Lums Pond, which will teach outdoor skills like fishing, hunting, rock climbing, paddling and biking.

“Elements of accessibility will be incorporated into design, so people all abilities can utilize the space and equipment necessary to learn outdoor skills,” Garvin said.

“We want to make sure that everybody can use our parks,” he added.