Are Tennessee State Parks Wheelchair Accessible? (10 Parks with All-Terrain Chairs)

Tennessee is leading the country on park accessibility

I love taking Sam to new places to see what kind of trouble we can get into. We bring our own Extreme Motus all-terrain wheelchair on the plane — but it turns out Tennessee State Parks are some of the best in the country for accessibility, and they provide chairs for visitors who don’t bring their own. By stocking all-terrain wheelchairs and adult changing tables, Tennessee is well ahead of most other state park systems on inclusion.

When you exclude a person with a disability, you exclude that person’s whole family. Tennessee gets it.

Tennessee State Parks at a glance

There are 56 state parks in Tennessee. Sam and I were able to visit two on our trip:

David Crockett Birthplace State Park

We were lucky enough to visit Davy Crockett’s birthplace during Crockett Days, a three-day celebration of the frontiersman’s birthday (he was born August 17, 1786). It’s a great reminder of what an incredible life Crockett lived — he was essentially America’s first celebrity. Reenactors in period clothing carrying long muskets walked the grounds answering questions about his life. A really fun experience, and the park’s facilities and trails handled the Motus comfortably.

Seven Islands State Birding Park

At Seven Islands State Birding Park we met Don Tate, ADA Director for Tennessee State Parks, and let him put the Extreme Motus through its paces. He rode in it. He pushed Sam in it. We did a short hike that mixed road and trail, and Sam even rolled into the river to cool off.

@extrememotus Sam playing in a river. #wheelchair #cerebralpalsy #offroadwheelchair #allterrainwheelchair ♬ original sound – Extreme Motus

How to book an all-terrain wheelchair at a Tennessee State Park

Tennessee currently provides Magic Mobility all-terrain wheelchairs at 10 of its state parks. If you’re planning a trip, check the official list of which parks have them and reserve in advance:

tnstateparks.com/accessibility/all-terrain-wheelchairs

What accessibility equipment does Tennessee provide?

Magic Mobility powered all-terrain chair

The Magic Mobility all-terrain wheelchair is manufactured in Australia. It’s a powered chair with four large knobby tires, a top speed around 6.2 mph, and a price tag around $25,000. High-torque motors let it climb a wide variety of terrain. It steers with the front wheels like a car, or shifts into skid-steer mode where the front wheels lock and it turns like a tank.

Extreme Motus all-terrain wheelchair

The Extreme Motus all-terrain wheelchair is a manual chair built for outdoor adventures. Three large low-pressure balloon tires roll over grass, gravel, sand, mud, snow, and even water. It’s lightweight (49 lbs), folds compact for transport, and is fun to run with on trails. Sam and I have done our best to break it for years and we haven’t managed yet.

The Motus’s low cost ($4,500) and low maintenance make it a strong fit for public-rental fleets. Tennessee has purchased two Motus chairs for testing — we’d love to see them roll out to more parks. (One test we heard about: the Motus was launched off a 35-foot cliff. It survived. We really want to see that video.)

Sam and I had a great time visiting Tennessee State Parks. We hope to come back and see more of what we missed.

Frequently asked questions

Are Tennessee State Parks wheelchair accessible?
Yes — Tennessee is one of the leading state park systems in the country for accessibility. They provide all-terrain wheelchairs at 10 of their 56 parks through the Access for All program, plus adult changing tables and other equipment at many locations.

Which Tennessee State Parks have all-terrain wheelchairs available?
Ten parks currently. The list and reservation links are at tnstateparks.com/accessibility/all-terrain-wheelchairs. Always book in advance — supply is limited.

What chair does Tennessee provide?
Most of the program uses Magic Mobility powered all-terrain chairs from Australia. They’re testing Extreme Motus manual chairs at additional parks.

Is there a cost to use the chair?
Most Tennessee State Park all-terrain chair rentals are free with park admission. Confirm at the specific park when you reserve.

Do I need a reservation?
Yes. Each park has limited chair availability — reserve through the park’s contact information on the Access for All page.

What other accessibility features should I expect at Tennessee State Parks?
Adult changing tables, accessible restrooms, ADA-compliant trails at many parks, and an active ADA Director (Don Tate) who responds directly to visitor questions.