This spectacular view was enjoyed by participants in Krankin Thru China’s handcyling/backpacking excursions.

Accessible Outdoor Adventures For All


My family did a lot of car camping during my youth, and some of my earliest memories are of us sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows or tossing a line in a lake. In 2007, when I was 18, I sustained a T12 spinal cord injury on a camping trip. After my injury I told myself I wouldn’t let a wheelchair stop me from experiencing nature — and I didn’t. Still, my return to adventuring came gradually.

I started out small, taking day trips to Yosemite and Sequoia national parks. Most national parks have a number of short, accessible trails that are perfect for getting back in the swing of things without being overwhelmed. These daytrips helped me feel comfortable enough to try overnight adventures. Soon I was camping at local reservoirs I knew from trips I took as a kid. Knowing the land helped me feel comfortable enough to stay overnight. I’d pitch a tent and cook over the campfire.

Matt Tilford and his camper van
Matt Tilford and his camper van

After a while I wanted more — so I’d pack my gear and head into the Sierra Mountains in California. There are plenty of Bureau of Land Management and fire roads that lead to remote areas where I’d be the only human for miles. Since these sites had no cell phone reception, running water or a power supply, planning was of the utmost importance and added to the adventure.

Today, I’m living out of a 2019 Ford Transit Van. It may sound strange to some, but I’ve been dreaming of this lifestyle for about five years. I’ve had a few stints of living out of my truck or car in town and in the mountains, so living out of a van actually feels like I’m in a mansion. OK, maybe not a mansion, but it’s much more spacious than my Chevy Silverado and my Ford Fusion. I’m basically living one big adventure right now.

I don’t plan on changing how I’m living any time soon, but this lifestyle does require sacrifices that some aren’t willing to make. That’s OK. Adventure in general takes sacrifice, so I suggest making a pros and cons list. What are you willing to give up to be more adventurous? Depending on your job, living arrangements and abilities, you can give up a lot or a little. You don’t have to go the extremes that I have. The key is finding an approach that works for you and your lifestyle.

Here are three other wheelchair users who have figured out their own unique ways to enjoy nature.

Bonnie Lewkowicz enjoys exploring new destinations.
Bonnie Lewkowicz enjoys exploring new destinations.

Bonnie Lewkowicz,
Bay Area, California

Bonnie Lewkowicz lives life to its fullest and has no desire to stop as she rolls through her 60s. She likes to glamp, but that doesn’t mean she’s not as adventurous as she was 20 years ago.

Lewkowicz grew up snow skiing and skating on lakes during the cold winters in Michigan. After sustaining a C5-6 spinal cord injury while riding an ATV when she was 15, she decided the snowy winters were too much. She moved away for college and pursued a recreational therapy degree.

Over the years she has founded wheelchair race and rugby teams and cofounded Axis Dance. She’s currently working at Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program as the program manager for Access Northern California, an online compendium of accessible excursions and destinations in Northern California’s vast outdoors. She started ANC while living in the San Francisco Bay Area, when she realized that her home was a travel destination. She documented what was accessible and put it all in a book and website for everyone to access.

Lewkowicz still likes to explore new destinations for herself. She is fortunate that her travels double as relaxation and work. She handcycles a few days a week, goes birding and revisits many of the Bay Area trails she once mapped out years ago. She loves staying at park service cabins, yurts and Airbnbs. The pandemic has even made her a fan of virtual hikes via National Parks websites.

Years of adventuring have taught her to just go for it. “Don’t set any expectations,” she says. “Have a ‘whatever happens’ attitude and be OK if things don’t work out like you wanted them to.”

Channing Cash left her old life behind to follow adventure.
Channing Cash left her old life behind to follow adventure.

Channing Cash, Orange County, California

Until five years ago, Channing Cash was a career woman who thought pursuing a husband, property, home, car and a 401K was the way to live. A trip to enjoy the California sunshine changed her forever.

In Southern California she met a group of surfers who took her surfing. That trip changed her life for the better. A T12 paraplegic, Cash quit her job and left her past life for adventure. It wasn’t easy because everyone around her was skeptical, but she persevered and found new levels of happiness.

These days you can find Cash sleeping in her truck in the desert, riding her adapted mountain bike or paddling the California coast. With her 4×4 Toyota Tacoma loaded up with her gear and her adaptive mountain bike, she can go just about anywhere. She’s made some custom modifications to help her adventure more efficiently. She’d rather spend time exploring than setting up a tent, so she built a bed platform inside her truck. She’s also built her own hitch mount bike rack and portable shower.

With her truck in tow, Cash loves exploring Death Valley and southern Utah. She uses websites and YouTube videos to help research possible locations. No matter if the video is showcasing someone who’s disabled, she pays attention to the landscape and says knowing the land is key.

Experience has shown Cash that having the right mental approach is just as, if not more, important than having the best physical adaptations. She encourages would-be adventurers to spend more time around adventurous disabled friends. “Even if it’s just phone calls and texts, it’s important to encourage each other to do more and be better, and draw inspiration from others’ ideas,” she says.

Similarly, don’t let fear stop you from achieving your goals. Take leaps. Big life changing decisions are tough to make, but are often key to happiness. “Being on the road without a schedule is complete freedom,” she says. “We take so much for granted. There’s so much to see out there. I quit my job to adventure. My family wasn’t happy about it, but the money I was making did nothing for my overall happiness.  Adventuring is what makes me happy.”

Channing Cash says being on the road without a schedule is complete freedom.
Channing Cash says being on the road without a schedule is complete freedom.

Domonic Corradin, Phoenix, Arizona

Domonic Corradin grew up on a small farm in Michigan riding horses and dirt bikes. He would camp often and explore in the nearby woods daily. Shortly after his 16th birthday, he hit a patch of black ice on the way home from soccer practice, lost control of his vehicle and sustained a T5-6 injury.

When he was first paralyzed, Corradin struggled to find resources and information to help him get back to his adventurous outdoor lifestyle. After 10 years, he decided enough was enough and created his own approach. He started hiking and camping, which led to cycling and kayaking.

Corradin worked for Arizona State Parks and Trails, where he pushed for inclusion in the outdoor world, and has a long access consulting resumé. As much as he wants the world to be inclusive, he understands firsthand that some areas need to be kept pristine. “That doesn’t mean we can’t do what we want in other areas though,” he says. He’s proud of the work he’s done with a team that videos trails so you can see them from home. Not only do you get a visual guide, the technology also shows elevation, grade and terrain.

America the Beautiful Passes

As a person with a disability you can apply for a free National Park access pass, for life. Go to nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm to apply.

Corradin has amassed an impressive number of adventures. A cofounder of Krankin Thru China, he has been on many bike-packing excursions throughout China. The organization leads handcyclists on a yearly, multi-day adventure through rural areas with nothing but their bikes and packs. They reach out to local landowners to ask permission to set up camp for the night. Luckily, they’ve been shown love everywhere they go. So much love that oftentimes the land owners’ family will come out to the camp to share their food.

A group of backpacking handcyclists makes camp.
A group of backpacking handcyclists makes camp.

“Bike packing can be done locally too,” he says. He’s started adaptive mountain bike packing trips recently and loves the different style of riding. With proper planning, bike packing offers an affordable adventure opportunity for outdoors enthusiasts looking to move beyond set campgrounds and routes. Corradin suggests looking at BLM lands and other free-to-no-cost options to save on site fees. Also, he recommends that you travel with your own food and plenty of tools and parts to repair your ride, as you will likely be miles away from anyone who can help. Lastly, like Lewkowicz and Cash, Corradin urges adventurers to have open minds. “Adapt to conquer,” he says. “I enjoy seeing how I can push my limits to find ways to overcome them.”

Corradin uses apps like MTB Project and Trailforks and park websites to research his adventures. He is a fan of reaching out to the park. Every park is run differently, and he wants to make sure he’s following all the rules. He also uses the opportunity to teach park staff about adaptive adventuring.

As Lewkowicz, Cash and Corradin show, adventure truly comes in many forms. No matter your ability, adventure awaits you and it doesn’t have to empty your wallet. The outdoors is for all. Start planning your adventure today.

Explore & Economize

Enjoying nature doesn’t have to be expensive. There are plenty of ways for the frugal or budget-conscious explorer to get out and have a great time in the outdoors. Here are a few simple tips from our three adventurers.

• Plan with friends. This not only lowers expenses, but it helps create solid bonds and friendships.

• Pack a cooler of your own food. No need to go out to eat when you have more interesting options like cooking over an open fire.

• Plan your trip during the off season. The price is always lower, and you have the outdoors all to yourself.

• Choose the right location. There are plenty of beautiful, accessible destinations with low or no fees for camping.

• Have an open mind. Don’t be afraid to change plans if you discover unexpected ways to save as you go.


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Mike Brown
2 years ago

Adventure awaits for those willing to go after it, no matter what your ability is!