BIGFORK, Mont. — Wayfarers State Park in Bigfork is getting accessibility improvements — and for visitors with disabilities, the upgrades are long overdue.
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A rock. A root. A dip in the trail. For most hikers, these are barely a second thought. For someone with a disability, they can be the reason they never make it to the trailhead.
Summit Independent Living Adaptive Recreation Specialist Brenden Dalin said the trail's current conditions create real barriers.
"There's a lot of roots and big rocks and stuff down there that makes it a challenge for somebody who uses a wheelchair to get around and recreate with their family or by themselves," Dalin said.
So organizers asked the people who know best. Twenty members of the disability community walked the trail and identified exactly what needed to change.
Montana State Parks Foundation Executive Director Megan Buecking said hearing directly from the community shaped the project.
"Being able to hear directly from people about what small things need to change was super impactful."
On Thursday, the Montana Conservation Corps and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks got to work.
"They're making sure that the trail system is about 60 inches wide — that's the recommended width for a trail for a wheelchair to pass through easily. For people who have low vision, it's really helpful to have a clear differentiation between the trail surface itself and then the grass and the rocks on the side, so they're really making a strong barrier that's the edge of the trail," Buecking said.
Dalin said the collaboration between so many organizations meant a lot to him.
"It takes a village, as they say. It's really heartwarming to see organizations like FWP and the State Parks Foundation want to make improvements like this and provide better access for everyone," he said.
In the coming weeks, the trail will be ready — for everyone.
