It’s been 20 years since Jeremy Warriner has gotten to enjoy a state park “to its fullest.”

He became a double amputee after a flaming vehicle wreck in 2005.

“Before I lost my legs … I was a backpacker. I have a family that loves to get out into nature,” Warriner said. “… Many of us tell ourselves these lies when we acquire disabilities, that we’re not going to be able to do those things again.”

“But as technology improves … all of these things open back up,” he said. Warriner is the founder of disability advocacy group Walking Spirit.

He spoke to reporters after completing his ceremonial first ride of an all-terrain, battery-powered trackchair on Tuesday, outside Fort Harrison State Park in Indianapolis.

“It turns on a dime!” Warriner exclaimed minutes beforehand, then launched himself up a hill.

Forty-five shiny new trackchairs will soon be available for use at every Indiana state park and state park inn — free of charge.

“Through surveys, our guests tell us that hiking is the most popular park activity, but unfortunately, our friends with mobility limitations frequently cannot experience the joys of our amazing trails,” said Alan Morrison, director of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

The trackchairs, he said, allow those Hoosiers “to explore off-road, rugged environments.”

DNR used about $1 million from the Lilly Endowment to buy 45 trackchairs and portable generators, or about $22,000 per set. The money is part of a $50 million grant awarded in 2024. Trackchair maintenance will come out of DNR operating funds, per Morrison.

They’ll supplement the dozen or so powered mobility chairs currently available, mostly via “friends of” groups and other donations, according to State Parks Director Brandt Baughman.

“We’ve had a few of these out in our system for several years now, and they just get a great amount of use,” he told reporters, recalling his time managing Indiana Dunes State Park.

Getting rugged

DNR leaders applauded Ric Edwards, the agency’s Americans with Disabilities Act compliance director, for leading the initiative and training parks on how to use the trackchairs.

“I grew up in Spencer, Indiana, visiting McCormick’s Creek State Park and going in creeks and woods until a car accident caused me to have to use this wheelchair,” Edwards said. “I believed, wrongly, that those days were over. … People like me and my family, my friends and some that we will never know, will be able to experience nature in a way not previously possible.”

To use one, call a state park office and get your name put on a list ahead of time, or roll into the office and sign up day-of, according to Baughman. It’ll be first-come, first-served.

DNR hopes to roll out an online reservation system “in the next few months,” however.

“The charge lasts up to eight hours. So, if we don’t have anyone that’s waiting on it, you would be welcome to take it out for that entire time frame,” Baughman said, or until closing time.

The trackchairs can accommodate anyone from the size of a small child up to a full-grown adult, said Adam Henning, the marketing director for ATX Manufacturing.

They have six adjustment points, including the armrests, which can be made shorter or longer for different arm lengths, as well as different torso widths or core functioning. The footrest also goes up and down. The controls can be moved for right- or left-handed driving.

They’re mounted on tracks from a snowmobile manufacturer, Henning said. Each weighs in at about 450 pounds, adding further traction and stability.

DNR’s batch of Axis model trackchairs came outfitted with outdoor accessories: fishing rod holders, firearm holders and more.

The machines also have hour meters on them, so DNR will track their usage.

The agency will set out defined areas for trackchair use to ensure there are “no terrain issues, no ruts, or anything that would be dangerous for them,” Baughman said.

If a trackchair user runs into trouble in a low-reception area, “we’ll probably have an idea of where they’re at and if they’ve been out for a while,” he added.

There’s no single date for when all the machines will be available at all parks. The first 22 came in last week, with the remaining 23 distributed Tuesday.

After the demonstration, DNR and ATX Manufacturing employees loaded the trackchairs onto large trailers — hooked onto agency pickup trucks — to deliver them to their new homes.

Morrison said it’s just the latest initiative to improve accessibility in Indiana’s public lands.

DNR also has beach mats to make it easier to reach the water, fishing piers with ramps and lower railings, wheelchair-accessible hunting paths and hunting blinds, special viewing stations and more, he said.

Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.