One for the Books: The Disabled Hiker’s Guides

Syren Nagakyrie’s The Disabled Hiker’s Guide to Northern California and The Disabled Hiker’s Guide to Western Washington and Oregon take hikers beyond “is this trail accessible” to “will this trail work for me.”

Written by a disabled hiker for the disability community, these FalconGuides offer detailed information about outdoor adventures across two of the country’s most spectacular regions. The guides include everything from scenic drives and viewpoints to verified wheelchair-accessible trails, and hiking trails for disabled hikers, with information about terrain, grades, obstacles, rest areas, transportation, maps and more.

The Northern California guide features more than 40 adventures stretching from Monterey to the Oregon border. The Western Washington and Oregon guide includes 60.

What makes these guides particularly powerful, however, is the Spoon Trail Rating System, created by Nagakyrie and used both in the books and on the Disabled Hikers website.

The one-to-five-spoon system starts with the ease of getting to the trail, and includes amenities, terrain, elevation, obstacles, wheelchair accessibility, planning requirements and the overall energy a trail may demand. A one-spoon trail is generally short, level, paved and easy to navigate. Five-spoon adventures may involve significant elevation, challenging terrain and extensive planning.

The goal isn’t to declare a trail accessible or inaccessible. It’s to give travelers enough information to decide whether it is accessible for them.

The one-to-five-spoon system starts with the ease of getting to the trail, and includes amenities, terrain, elevation, obstacles, wheelchair accessibility, planning requirements and the overall energy a trail may demand.

Check out the guidebooks, explore implementing the rating system, and reach out for your own training, assessment, or consultation.

Two books. Dozens of adventures. And a rating system that puts more information into the hands of the people who need it most.