April 8, 2024
New ‘Terrain Hoppers’ will make Cheyenne Mountain State Park more accessible
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Guests with physical limitations will find it easier to access Cheyenne Mountain State Park riding on two new “Terrain Hopper” electric vehicles.
The $30,000 vehicles are designed to carry mobility challenged people at walking speed across a variety of surfaces from flat trails to dirt, gravel and even on rocky inclines up to 35 degrees.
They were purchased for the park by the Friends of Cheyenne Mountain State Park using grants received from Hoppers for Heroes, Partners in the Outdoors, the Mesara Family Foundation and a generous donation from the Kern family.
“We are excited to get our guests out on trails that they’ve been unable to hike due to mobility limitations,” said Park Manager Jason Hagan. “We recently took delivery of them and soon we’ll be offering guests the option of using them on guided hikes with one of the park’s outstanding volunteers.”
The Terrain Hoppers are similar to tracked vehicles used at other Colorado Parks and Wildlife properties except these are wheeled vehicles allowing for more clearance on the rocky trails at the park. Terrain Hoppers offer traditional handlebars for steering or a joystick that can be used by the rider or by someone hiking alongside the hopper. Acceleration and stopping is controlled by hand or joystick.
The Terrain Hoppers will be available for online reservation beginning with the Memorial Day weekend. Each hike is guided by a park volunteer. Everyone using a Terrain Hopper is required to be accompanied by a companion.
To learn more or to find out how to volunteer to help lead hikes, contact the park at 719-576-2016.
If you’re interested in volunteering to help lead hikes, contact the park at 719-576-2016.
“This is just one of the innovative tools CPW is using to make our properties more widely accessible to all guests,” Hagan said.
Another new amenity Cheyenne Mountain State Park is offering its guests this summer is the free use of colorblindness-correcting Enchroma sunglasses.
“These glasses will allow visitors with a variety of colorblindness types to enjoy the park’s stunning beauty,” Hagan said.
A variety of the glasses are available for check out at the Visitor Center. There are two basic types of colorblindness and the park will have adult and child sizes available to check out depending on an individual guest’s type of colorblindness. ### Photos are courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife
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