Wheelchair bikes, all-terrain Track Chairs extend accessibility at Sleeping Bear Dunes

GLEN ARBOR, MI - Hikers with disabilities will find new options at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore this coming year with the addition of a wheelchair bike.

The new accessible bike will allow wheelchair users and visitors who cannot ride on their own to be a front facing passenger on a specialized bike, the Van Raam Opair Wheelchair Bike.

The passenger will ride in the seat affixed to the front of the bike. From the back, the cyclist has an overview of the road and view of the passenger.

Volunteers began training on the Opair bike this weekend with hopes of launching a program next summer, said Kerry Kelly, trail crew member with volunteer group, Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes.

The proposed route is from the Dune Climb to Glen Arbor and back to the Dune Climb, Kelly said.

The plan is to have the OPair bike piloted by a trained volunteer, in addition to having a Safety Rider ride their own bike ahead of the OPair, Kelly said. Family and friends can join on the bike ride using their own bikes.

Reservations for the OPair bike will open this spring.

The bike was purchased by the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes. The volunteer group cites donor contributions for purchasing the nearly $5,000 bike, including The Cyclery at the Crystal River Outfitters.

The Glen Arbor bike shop is now a dealer for Van Raam Opair bicycles, providing local expertise, maintenance and purchase options for future bicycles.

Sleeping Bear also has three all-terrain Track Chairs: the Mama Bear, Baby Bear and Platte Bear. The chairs come in varying sizes with different supports.

Track chairs are designed to easily handle off-road conditions, including snow, sand, and even up to 8 inches of water. The chairs allow wheelchair users to explore areas of state parks and trails that traditional wheelchairs won't reach.

Sleeping Bear Dunes' track chair program has two routes.

The Baby Bear and Mama Bear chairs are available for hikes on the Bay View Trail.

This track chair program runs out of the Port Oneida Rural Historic District on Port Oneida Road just north of Glen Arbor.

The trail overlooks historic barns, fields, forests, and Sleeping Bear Bay. This one mile trail is wide with gradual hills to allow for the track chair to reach the lookout point for sweeping views of Lake Michigan.

The Platte Bear chair is available at the Platte Plains trail.

This route starts at the Platte River Campground and goes on the Railroad Grade Trail to the Lake Michigan beach and back.

The Track Chair program runs Friday through Monday. The 2024 season will end on Sunday, Oct. 13 and will start up again next spring.

Reservations are required at least three days before the hike and can be made at friendsofsleepingbear.org/track-chair-reservation.

The state's inventory of track chairs was boosted last year by donations.

At the end of 2023, the Michigan Department of Natural Resource reached a fundraising goal of more than $444,000 from about 300 donors. Each track chair costs about $16,000, according to the DNR.

There are 21 state parks that have track chairs available for free use, with six more coming soon, according to the DNR website.

With these additional chairs, the DNR said Michigan is now leading the nation for the most track chairs at state parks and recreation system nationwide.

You can find a list of where these chairs are available at michigan.gov/dnr/about/accessibility/track-chairs.

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