Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Handicapped parking for backcountry trails

Why reserved handicapped parking spots for backcountry trails?

In at least 2 national parks, Yellowstone and Olympic, I have seen handicapped parking spaces reserved at backcountry trailheads. These are not nature trails, boardwalks, or any kind of graded and smoothed trails nor are they at scenic overviews. I don't understand why such spaces are reserved since the trails themselves are not accessable to the handicapped. I wouldn't mind except that parking can be limited at some trailheads and reserving a spot may mean all the other spaces are full and I have no place to park. Not all trailhead parking is done this way and I can't deduce the logic why one site has reserved spaces and another does not.

I realize that Yellowstone NP has at least one handicapped accessable backcountry camping spot and also that some trails are reasonably accessable for some distance from the trailhead. However, the reserved parking spots are not limited to these sites and seem randomly placed to me.