FISH CREEK, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Thanks to a donation from local business Kinect M1, Peninsula State Park now has an all-terrain wheelchair available for loan.
Peninsula State Park has partnered with Friends of the Peninsula State Park to offer the first outdoor wheelchair loaner site in Wisconsin state parks and forests, offering visitors of all ages and abilities access to hiking trails.
Point Beach State Park recently purchased an all-terrain wheelchair for use there.
Peninsula State Park continues to pride itself on becoming one of the most accessible state parks in the Midwest. It is home to Eagle Tower — one of the only accessible observation towers in the United States — as well as a new universal playground and plans to add three new universally accessible trails.
“This is a great opportunity for us to partner with our Friends Groups and local community groups of Door County to expand accessible opportunities for all our visitors,” DNR Parks and Recreation Management Bureau Director Steve Schmelzer said in a news release. “The DNR is committed to opening the outdoors to visitors of all abilities and expanding our adaptive equipment is one approach to meeting that commitment.”
Chris Holicek, president of the Friends of Peninsula State Park, said the group’s hope is “to leave park visitors of all ability levels with many fond memories and experiences in nature.”
Although Kinect M1 donated the wheelchair to the park, it will be available for loan. Visitors can visit the Friends’ website to check the wheelchair out for free.
