ADA Adventure Elopements

If there’s one thing I’d like my clients who require ADA accessibilities to know about me- it’s that I understand that you are not “bound” or “confined” to your tools required by your disability. Freedom, mobility, and the option for more adventures come from these tools. 

However, I do understand that the concept of adventure elopements- hiking mountains, riding horses, gettin’ hitched on a jon-boat in the middle of the river- can seem almost completely inaccessible and daunting. While it is true that due to either blatant disregard for those with disabilities or due to necessary perseverance of nature many of those trendy National Park elopement views are completely inaccessible. Personally, I will say I tend to sway my couples away from those areas due to fairly rigid time-limits and hefty permit fees from the parks.

That being said, there are millions of scenic locations not located within National Parks- these are also typically more private. (Please note that I follow Leave No Trace principles as well as #leavethewestwild principles so I will not provide specific locations to anyone but clients and we also have very vague rules for geo-tagging in our images.) I mention these alternate locations to make it clear that couples with ADA needs are not going to be pushed, at least by me, towards alternate locations that are lacking in those sprawling views or sweeping mountain scapes simply because of their disability, but because as a general rule I find more of my folks prefer a day of adventure, relaxation, and the ability to focus on their love-story rather than time-limits and rushing through activities- getting this freedom in your elopement schedule often comes from a simple location swap out of a National Park and into National Forests or BLM land. 

Here’s where ADA comes in: there are now a few state and national parks which present paved paths through the woods rather than just sidewalks or driveways up to certain lookouts. On the National Park websites it’s now super easy to look-up parks close to your location whether that be in your own state or a destination state to see if they do have accessible trails. Also, this website, Trail Link, specifically focuses on accessible trails throughout the USA. (One small word of caution, often these paths are designed for children, specifically this is super common in state parks, who do require wheelchairs so be on the lookout for that information if you’re more interested in a private, intimate ceremony.) 

Parks have been encouraged to convert their campsites which already exist into accessible venues for folks of all abilities to camp- this seems especially helpful for those who live vanlife and who are also disabled.  When you’re looking for these sites you can apply “accessible” as a filter now for most websites including recreation.gov and AmeriDisability  (I found this helpful trick through the Black Widow Pro article mentioned down below.) Additionally, this may not apply to your elopement but I thought it was important to mention that if you are found to have a permanent disability the NPS offers free, lifetime access to their over 2000 locations. 

Also, don’t discount those drive up overlooks with sidewalks or paved paths that seem like they might be overly crowded or popular. With the rise of outdoor activities following 2020 National Parks have gotten overwhelmed with tourism and weekend warriors- but in my experience this doesn’t necessarily apply to locations that aren’t insanely trendy or “postable,” though no less impressive. On a recent elopement scouting trip where I traveled out West for nearly a month marking out locations that would be private, accessible, and permit free I was surprised that in October, during the height of elopement and wedding season, these locations were free of crowds. Most of the time I walked paved paths, up to vast overlooks and unique geological features, spectacular natural arches, and endless horizons, completely alone save for my dog. Which is another feature of National Forests and Public Land that I like to remind my couples of- you can’t bring your dog on most hikes through National Parks. 

These locations that I found to be accessible, generally private, and completely permit free were also in “high traffic” states such as Utah, Nevada, and Colorado. There is not a lack of breathtaking locations for elopements, there is a lack of exploration and adventure with most of those locations. 

Activities: adventure elopements are not just 12 mile hikes in wedding dresses. Adventure is completely personal and subjective to every couple. When ADA needs are taken into consideration for these elopements there might seem to be a lack of options-  unfortunately this is true- however, depending on specific needs and locations you could potentially fill up an entire weekend for your celebration. 

There’s nothing better, in my opinion, than a road trip. Aside from all those stops and physical exploration, the drive itself can also be entirely enchanting. I offer personally designed, custom road-trips for folks, and if you’re especially interested in staying in your vehicle due to mobility issues then you’re right up my alley. Driving itself is one of my favorite activities and driving yourself to the location of your ceremony should be an activity in itself rather than just an act of transportation. Most couples really enjoy Western road trips through areas such as Monument Valley or Acoma Pueblo, but there are also some of the most important drives in the county back in the South-East as well. 

So many of those elopement photos we see are in the middle of activities such as paddle boarding, kayaking, horseback riding, or even biking through scenic locations. Depending on ability levels and needs you can typically find accessible options or adaptations for these activities, plus a few more you probably haven’t considered yet. My absolute favorite resource for these activities which includes links to more location specific resources or adaptive tools is this article by Black Widow Pro. This covers ideas such as modified paddles and modified snowmobiles. There are also a few different ranches dotted throughout the US that offer ADA accessible horseback riding which happens to be my specialty when it comes to elopement photos. 

Adventure Elopements are an option for everyone, your love and your story deserves to transcend not only your race, creed, orientation, but also your ability level because the outdoors are for everyone. 

And, if adventures of the outdoor kind aren’t your thing there are a multitude of locations for some unique elopements that are accessible and available to you that might have not considered. The Graceland Wedding Chapel in Vegas actually has a covered outdoor option which is paved and accessible from the sidewalk.

I hope you found this helpful and if you’re ready to have an accessible elopement holler at me!