Grand Canyon, Yellowstone for the Handicapped

[2edgesword]

My wife and I are planning our first major retirement trip two years from now (June 2020) and hoping to go to the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. Both of us have limited mobility. We can both walk short distances (few hundred yards) and manage some stairs (no climbing steep hills) and one of our concerns is just how much sightseeing you can do when you have these kind of limitations. Can anyone provide some insight on whether or not we can visit and get a real appreciation of these national treasures given these limitations?

[dartwest]

Congratulations on your upcoming retirement. My wife and I recently retired and took our first big RV trip which included Yellowstone and The Grand Canyon. You can see a lot of Yellowstone from your vehicle or with a short walk from the parking lot. Many of the sites at Yellowstone have great walkways. If you will be at Yellowstone you should go next door to Grand Teton which I actually preferred to Yellowstone. Jackson is a great little town. After a week in Yellowstone we stayed in an RV park in Jackson for a few days. Grand Canyon has a great trail along the rim that is easy to access. We stayed in Williams Arizona and road the Grand Canyon Railroad to the Canyon. There is a great RV park in Williams associated with the Grand Canyon Railroad. It was fantastic except for one thing, three times a night a large freight train came through. They did not mention that in the brochure. Avoid the sites that back up to the track and make sure you have ear plugs. Enjoy your trip and feel free to contact me if I can help.

Dart West

[Kim Gass]

There is a bus system on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and it takes you to various overlooks on the Rim Trail.. The trail itself is a long walk but the bus route makes it easy
https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/...pocket-map.pdf

Yellowstone is pretty easy.. Old Faithful and the Geyser Basin and Norris Basin are not far walks. Nor is Yellowstone Falls.

We stayed right in Grand Canyon at Mather as we wanted some quiet. Trailer Camp is right next door and convenient to the rather large grocery store.

[travelingjw]

We can't speak for the Grand Canyon but you will be fine in Yellowstone. We had our dog with us and were limited to the parking and viewing areas. In a number of stops they have wheelchair accessable paths if you need them. You can see an awesome amount from the car and stops along the way. We hit just about every turnoff in the park, and the difference, from the multiple canyons, that large valleys, the waterfalls, etc; it was a fantastic trip. We just spent 8 days there then 5 in Grand Teton and I think you will have a great time.

[wags999]

Lots to see between GC and Yellowstone. Zion, Bryce, Arches, just to name a few places. Hope your able to see some of those also, and just take the time to enjoy the wide open spaces out west.

Even never leaving your vehicle you will see wonderful amazing sights.

Planning is half the fun, lots to see between NY and the West, depending on the time you have and what other areas you have visited before. Enjoy

[Grumpy]

Buffalo Bus Touring Co. out of West Yellowstone does an outstanding job for people with limited mobility. They know all the best stops and we saw tons of wildlife and they perfectly timed our visit to Old Faithful.