5 Great Wheelchair-Accessible Trails in and Around Madison
Numerous recreational trails wind throughout the Madison area's picturesque woodlands and prairies, and alongside its glittering lakes and burbling streams. What makes these paths even better? Many of them are wheelchair accessible, inviting everyone to experience the beauty and serenity of nature, while not straying too far from the capital city.
To help you plan your next excursion, check out these five great spots. All are home to a variety of wheelchair accessible trails offering different outdoor adventures, perfect for you and your favorite people to experience together.
The Jenni & Kyle Preserve – Madison
This pretty park surrounding Nine Springs Creek was designed specifically with wheelchair users in mind. As such, it features hiking trails, fishing via eight wheelchair accessible stations, wheelchair swings and accessible picnic facilities.
Head out on one of the paved or natural-surface trails, which wind through picturesque shallow wetlands, then try to snag some panfish or trout in one of the park’s two spring-fed ponds. Don’t forget to check out the brightly colored mosaic in the shelter, which is great for photo-ops to remember your lovely day together.
Lake Kegonsa State Park – Stoughton
Sapphire-colored Lake Kegonsa was sculpted by a glacier thousands of years ago, and the state park snuggled against its northeastern shore is a wonderful place to experience the natural world with your loved ones. The park's wheelchair accessible Prairie Trail, which has a crushed limestone surface, unspools 1.3 miles through a prairie that bursts with colorful flowers every summer. It's also a great birding spot, especially during the spring and fall migration periods. Keep an eye out for species such as horned larks, kingbirds and bobolinks. Another great option here is the half-mile Lakeshore Trail, a paved path that hugs the lakeshore from the sandy beach to the park's boat landing.
Lower Yahara River Trail – Madison
The highlight of the 2.5-mile Lower Yahara River Trail is the wide, wheelchair accessible boardwalk stretching over dazzling Lake Waubesa. At one mile in length, it’s North America’s longest inland boardwalk bridge created solely for nonmotorized traffic.
As you cross the bridge, drink in beautiful lake views from both the trail and observation areas, and keep your eyes peeled for wildlife like herons, turtles and bald eagles. There is also an accessible fishing pier for anglers looking to cast. The Lower Yahara River Trail connects Madison's Capital City Trail with McFarland's McDaniel Park, so you and your crew can keep the outdoor adventures going for many miles.
MacKenzie Center – Poynette
Tucked into 285 wooded acres in Columbia County, just 25 miles north of Madison, the MacKenzie Center is home to scenic interpretive trails and multiple exhibits that showcase fascinating parts of Wisconsin’s past and present.
A wheelchair accessible trail meanders through the Center's popular wildlife exhibit, where you and your group will find live animals native to Wisconsin who were all either injured, orphaned or raised in captivity. These animals, who now call the MacKenzie Center home, include bison, lynx, red fox, gray wolves and raptors. Don't miss the .6-mile Conifer Trail, which features an asphalt surface with a minor to moderate slope and leads visitors through a forest of mixed hardwood and conifers.
Pheasant Branch Conservancy – Middleton
Pheasant Branch Conservancy, a spot beloved by locals for being a natural oasis right in the city, sits just west of Lake Mendota in Middleton. This 549-acre space includes a variety of landscapes, such as an upland oak savanna, open-water marsh, sedge meadow and shrub thicket and mixed woodlands. A wealth of trails unspool throughout the property, most of which are ADA-accessible and many of which run alongside scenic Pheasant Branch Creek, the conservancy's highlight.
Wisconsin is also home to the nonprofit Access Ability WI, whose slogan is “Outdoors Access 4 All!” The group offers visitors outdoor, all-terrain wheelchairs; single and event trailers; and other adaptive equipment free of charge. All you need is a reservation and deposit. Access Ability WI has locations across the state, including five in the Madison metro area. This helps ensure everyone in Wisconsin has the opportunity to get outside and fall in love with Wisconsin’s stunning nature trails!
Explore more accessible adventures throughout Wisconsin that are perfect for making memories with your favorite people.
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Author: Melanie Radzicki McManus
Publish Date: 06/28/23
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