Full Breakdown
Zion National Park Introduces First Publicly Owned All-Terrain Wheelchair
8/18/2026, 4:18:08 AM
Core Event – Historic Accessibility Milestone
Zion National Park in Washington County, Utah, has become the first U.S. national park to own an all-terrain wheelchair that is available for public use. The Extreme Motus wheelchair is stationed at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and can be borrowed on a first-come, first-serve basis without prior reservation.
Background & Context – Donation and Development
The wheelchair arrived at Zion in July of last year after a donor, the nonprofit 2Live4, provided the necessary funds. Extreme Motus, the manufacturer based in Payson, spent nearly two years preparing the program for deployment. Co-founder Ryan Grassley has used the same model for seven years with his friend Sam Durst, who has cerebral palsy, and has previously taken the chair to most of Utah’s national parks.
Official Statements & Responses – Park and Partner Perspectives
Kenny Jardine, chief business development officer for Extreme Motus, emphasized that Zion’s ownership is unique: other parks host equipment owned by nonprofits, whereas Zion maintains the chair directly.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It's been almost two years in the making,” — Payson. Kenny Jardine, chief business development officer for Extreme Motus
- “When Kenny, Sam and I went to Zion to deliver the chair last year, the coolest thing happened,” — Extreme Motus Ryan Grassley
- “We were standing in front of the visitor center and telling the rangers how to use the chair, and a family walked by. They had a child that used a wheelchair, and the mom was like, 'What is happening right now?' We explained what we were doing, and the mom just started crying. It became immediately clear that having that equipment available was 100% the right thing to do.” — Payson. Kenny Jardine, chief business development officer for Extreme Motus
What’s Next – Expansion Across Utah’s Parks
Extreme Motus expects additional chairs to be placed in the other four Utah national parks, though no specific timeline has been announced. For now, Zion’s single wheelchair remains free of charge, with visitors encouraged to arrive early to secure access. The program aims to demonstrate the feasibility of park-owned adaptive equipment and to encourage similar models nationwide.
